History
Promoter Albert Sutphin built the arena privately in 1937, chiefly for his Barons hockey club, at a cost of $1.5 million. It held about 10,000 and became the center of Cleveland's indoor sports.
The BAA's Rebels played there in 1946-47, the Cavaliers spent their first four NBA seasons there from 1970, and the WHA Crusaders began there in 1972. It also hosted Alan Freed's 1952 Moondog Coronation Ball.
By the 1970s the building was run-down and short of parking. When the Richfield Coliseum opened in 1974 the teams left, and the arena was razed in early 1977. The Red Cross now occupies the site.
Why it matters: It was the Cavaliers' first home and the site of what is often called the first rock and roll concert.
Timeline
- November 10, 1937
The Ice Follies of 1938 opened the privately built arena.
- March 21, 1952Moondog Coronation Ball[1]
Alan Freed's dance, often called the first rock and roll concert, was halted for overcrowding.
- 1970Cavaliers debut[1]
The expansion Cavaliers began play here.
- May 19, 1974
Tenants moved to the new Richfield Coliseum.
- 1977
The building was torn down in early 1977.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Headquarters of the Cleveland chapter of the American Red Cross[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Cleveland Barons | NHL · 1937–1973 |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Rebels | BAA · 1946–1947 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA · 1970–1974 |
| Cleveland Crusaders | WHA · 1972–1974 |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | 3717 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, Cleveland, Ohio[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Hockey, Basketball, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | NBA, WHA, BAA |
| Opened | November 10, 1937[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | May 19, 1974[1,2] |
| Demolished | 1977[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 10,000[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 11,000[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | About 10,000; 11,000 for basketball and 9,900 for hockey (Wikipedia). |
| Construction cost | $1.5 million (1937) |
| Owner / operator | Albert C. Sutphin; Nick Mileti from 1968 |
| Closure | Deteriorated and lacking parking; tenants moved to the Richfield Coliseum in 1974. |
Documented details
- The 1952 Moondog Coronation Ball, organized by Alan Freed, was stopped after one song because of overcrowding.[1]
Connected venues
Sources
- Cleveland Arena, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Cleveland Arena, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (Case Western Reserve University). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, opened
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.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.