History
The Bradley Center opened on October 1, 1988, at a cost of $90 million, and served the Milwaukee Bucks, Marquette University basketball and the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team. It was renamed BMO Harris Bradley Center in 2012.
The Bucks played their last game there on April 26, 2018, before moving to Fiserv Forum. The roof was imploded on January 13, 2019, and the last standing part of the building came down on May 31, 2019.
Why it matters: Milwaukee's NBA arena for three decades.
Timeline
- October 1, 1988Arena opens[1]
The arena opened with an exhibition hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers.
- April 26, 2018Last NBA game[1]
The Bucks beat the Celtics 97-86 in the last NBA game at the arena.
- April 29, 2018Last public event[1]
A Bon Jovi concert was the final public event.
- January 13, 2019
A controlled demolition brought down the roof.
- May 31, 2019Demolition completed[1]
The final standing part of the arena was felled.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Site held by the Bucks for development; Landmark Credit Union Live opened on its northeast corner in 2026[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Marquette Golden Eagles | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee Admirals | IHL/AHL · 1988–2016 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | NBA · 1988–2018 |
| Milwaukee Wave | MISL · 1988–2003 · tenant |
| Milwaukee Mustangs | AFL · 1994–2001 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | BMO Harris Bradley Center (2012–2018) |
|---|---|
| Location | Northwest corner of North Vel R. Phillips Avenue and West State Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer |
| Level | NBA, IHL, AHL, NCAA |
| Opened | October 1, 1988[1] |
| Last used for sports | 2018[1,2] |
| Demolished | May 31, 2019[1,2] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Original capacity | 18,633[1] |
| Final capacity | 18,717[1] |
| Capacity notes | 18,633 (1988-97); 18,717 (1997-2018). |
| Architect | HOK Sport; Kahler Slater; Torphy Architects; Venture Architects[1] |
| Construction cost | $90 million[1] |
| Closure | Replaced by Fiserv Forum as the Bucks' home. |
Documented details
Sources
- BMO Harris Bradley Center, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Controlled demolition brings down roof of Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public Radio. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, demolished
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia gives no single closing date: the last NBA game was April 26, 2018, the last public event April 29, 2018, and the final event a corporate meeting on July 20-24, 2018.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.