History
Promoter Paddy Harmon's Chicago Stadium opened in March 1929 with a boxing card and quickly became the city's main indoor venue. Its crowds and Barton organ made it famously loud, earning the 'Madhouse on Madison' nickname.
Beyond hockey and basketball, the building staged major political events, including the 1932 Democratic and Republican conventions, and an indoor NFL playoff game in 1932 when snow forced the Bears inside. The Blackhawks won Stanley Cups there in 1934 and 1938, and the Bulls of the early 1990s added their first championships.
The United Center was built directly across Madison Street and opened in 1994. After a final charity game that September, the Stadium was demolished with wrecking balls in 1995, and its footprint became a parking lot for its successor.
Why it matters: One of the NHL's oldest buildings and the site of national political conventions, it was the backdrop for both the Original Six Blackhawks and the first Jordan-era Bulls titles.
Timeline
- March 28, 1929Opening night boxing[1]
The arena opened with a Tommy Loughran-Mickey Walker bout.
- 1932Indoor NFL playoff game and national conventions[1]
The Bears beat the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 indoors in the first NFL playoff game; both major parties held national conventions at the stadium that year.
- 1992Bulls clinch title on home floor[1]
The 1992 NBA title was the only championship the Bulls clinched inside the Stadium.
- April 28, 1994Final Blackhawks game[1]
Toronto beat Chicago 1-0 in the last hockey game in the building.
- September 1994
Scottie Pippen's Ameritech Classic charity game was the final event; Wikipedia dates it September 9, 1994 while CBS Chicago gives September 4, 1994.
- February 1995
Crews took the stadium down with a crane and wrecking ball beginning in early 1995, with completion expected by mid-May.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Surface parking lot serving the United Center[1,2] |
| Surviving remnants | A pavement plaque north of the United Center reading 'Chicago Stadium - 1929-1994 - Remember The Roar'; two friezes reused at St. Ignatius College Prep[1] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Chicago Blackhawks | NHL · 1929–1994 |
|---|---|
| Chicago Stags | BAA/NBA · 1946–1950 |
| Chicago Bulls | NBA · 1967–1994 |
| Chicago Sting | NASL/MISL · 1980–1988 · 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 | Madhouse on Madison |
|---|---|
| Location | 1800 West Madison Street, Near West Side, Chicago, Illinois[1] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Hockey, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | NHL, NBA, NFL, Pro Boxing |
| Opened | March 28, 1929[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | September 1994[1,3] |
| Demolished | 1995[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 17,000[1] |
| Final capacity | 17,339[1] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia: about 15,000 permanent seats in 1929 (17,000 basketball, 16,000 hockey); final 17,339 basketball and 17,317 hockey, more with standing room. |
| Architect | Hall, Lawrence & Ratcliffe, Inc. (Eric Hall)[1] |
| Construction cost | Estimates range $5-9.5 million (Wikipedia); AP 1995 report gives $6 million[2] |
| Owner / operator | Chicago Stadium Corp.[1] |
| Closure | Replaced by the larger United Center, built across Madison Street. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Chicago Stadium (Wikipedia), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, remnants, teams
- Wrecking Ball Knocks Out Chicago Arena (AP, Feb. 3, 1995), The Seattle Times / Associated Press. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: construction cost, current land use, demolished, opened
- Flashback: Chicago Stadium closes, UC opens (1994), CBS News Chicago. 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 (3)
- Final event/closing date: Wikipedia September 9, 1994 vs CBS Chicago September 4, 1994. Recorded at month precision.
- Construction cost: Wikipedia cites $5M, $7M and $9.5M from different reports; AP (1995) says $6 million.
- Wikipedia lead says the arena operated until 1995 while the infobox says it closed September 9, 1994.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.