History
Built with New Deal funds and opened in October 1940, the Aud housed the AHL Bisons and Canisius basketball for three decades. A 1970 renovation raised the roof to add an upper level for two new major-league tenants.
The Sabres played there from 1970 to 1996, hosting the 1975 Stanley Cup Final and the 1978 All-Star Game, and the Braves played there from 1970 until 1978. Wayne Gretzky broke the single-season goal record there in 1982.
After the Sabres moved next door in 1996 the building sat empty for over a decade. It was razed in 2009, and the site became part of Canalside, where the reopened canals are frozen for skating each winter.
Why it matters: It was the home of Buffalo's NHL and NBA franchises and the city's main indoor venue for more than half a century.
Timeline
- November 30, 1939
Construction began with New Deal funding.
- October 14, 1940
A Wendell Willkie campaign rally opened the building.
- 1970Roof raised[1]
An $8.7 million renovation lifted the roof and added an upper deck for the new Sabres and Braves.
- 1975Stanley Cup Final[1]
Games 3, 4 and 6 of the 1975 Final were played at the Aud.
- September 11, 1996Closed[1]
The Aud closed after the Sabres moved to Marine Midland Arena.
- 2009
Demolition began in January and finished in July 2009.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Part of Canalside: re-excavated Erie Canal and Main-Hamburg Canal junction, used for winter skating[1] |
| Surviving remnants | A marker on the canal ice shows where the Aud's center ice was |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Buffalo Bisons | International League · 1940–1970 |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Braves | NBA · 1970–1978 |
| Buffalo Sabres | NHL · 1970–1996 |
| Canisius Golden Griffins | NCAA · 1940–1995 · 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 | The Aud |
|---|---|
| Location | 140 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, Buffalo, New York[1] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Hockey, Basketball |
| Level | NHL, NBA, NCAA |
| Opened | October 14, 1940[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | September 11, 1996[1] |
| Demolished | 2009[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 12,280[1] |
| Final capacity | 16,230[1] |
| Capacity notes | 12,280 for hockey in 1940; 16,230 for hockey (1995-96) and 18,000 for basketball after the 1970 expansion (Wikipedia). |
| Architect | Green & James[1] |
| Construction cost | $2.7 million (1940)[2] |
| Owner / operator | City of Buffalo (1940-2007); Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (2007-2009) |
| Closure | The Sabres and other tenants moved to the new Marine Midland Arena (now KeyBank Center) in 1996. |
Documented details
Sources
- Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (demolished) - Buffalo NY, The Living New Deal. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: construction cost, coordinates, demolished, opened
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia's infobox says demolished April 2009; its text says demolition ran from January to early July 2009.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.