History
Designed by Welton Becket and dedicated by Richard Nixon on July 4, 1959, the arena sat beside the Coliseum in Exposition Park. A year later it hosted the Democratic convention that nominated John F. Kennedy.
The Lakers played there from 1960 until 1967, and the Clippers used it from 1984 to 1999. It also housed the ABA Stars, the WHA Sharks and USC basketball for nearly five decades, and staged Final Fours in 1968 and 1972 and Olympic boxing in 1984.
After its final concerts in March 2016 it was demolished later that year, and BMO Stadium opened on the footprint in 2018.
Why it matters: For decades it was Los Angeles's main indoor arena and the first home of the city's NBA franchise.
Timeline
- April 7, 1958Groundbreaking[1]
Work began in Exposition Park beside the Coliseum.
- July 4, 1959Dedication[1]
Vice President Richard Nixon dedicated the arena.
- July 11, 1960 – July 15, 1960Democratic National Convention[1]
John F. Kennedy won the Democratic nomination at the arena.
- 1984Olympic boxing[1]
The arena hosted boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
- 2016
The arena was torn down between August and October 2016 for LAFC's stadium.
- March 19, 2016Final concerts[1]
Bruce Springsteen closed the building with three sold-out shows.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | BMO Stadium, the soccer stadium of Los Angeles FC (opened 2018)[2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| USC Trojans basketball | NCAA · 1959–2006 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | NBA · 1960–1967 |
| Los Angeles Kings | NHL · 1967 |
| Los Angeles Stars | ABA · 1968–1970 |
| Los Angeles Sharks | WHA · 1972–1974 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | NBA · 1984–1999 |
| UCLA Bruins basketball | NCAA · 1959–1965 · secondary |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | 3939 South Figueroa Street, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037, Los Angeles, California[1] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Hockey, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | NBA, NHL, ABA, WHA, NCAA |
| Opened | July 4, 1959[1] |
| Last used for sports | March 19, 2016[1,2] |
| Demolished | 2016[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 14,871[1] |
| Final capacity | 16,161[1] |
| Capacity notes | Basketball 14,871 (1959-68) and 16,161 (2001-16); hockey 14,546. Per Wikipedia. |
| Architect | Welton Becket[1] |
| Construction cost | $8.5 million (1959) |
| Owner / operator | State of California, Los Angeles County and City of Los Angeles; operated by USC under a 2013 master lease |
| Closure | Closed so the site could be used for a privately funded soccer-specific stadium for Los Angeles FC. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Venue News: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena Closes to Make Way for MLS Stadium, Sports Video Group. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use
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 gives March 19, 2016 as the closing date while its introduction says April 2016; Sports Video Group (May 17, 2016) reports a later closing ceremony.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.