History
Market Square Arena opened in September 1974 as the centerpiece of downtown Indianapolis redevelopment, built over Market Street next to the historic City Market. The Pacers, then in the ABA, moved in that fall alongside the WHA's Indianapolis Racers.
The arena carried the Pacers from the ABA into the NBA, hosted the 1980 Final Four, and is widely remembered as the place where Elvis Presley performed his last concert in June 1977.
As a 1970s design with few premium seats and awkward loading access, it fell behind newer arenas. The Pacers moved to Conseco Fieldhouse in 1999 and MSA was imploded in July 2001. After serving as a parking lot, the land was redeveloped in the late 2010s.
Why it matters: Home to the Pacers for 25 seasons and the venue of Elvis Presley's final concert.
Timeline
- October 20, 1971
Construction began on the arena spanning Market Street.
- September 15, 1974
A Glen Campbell concert opened the arena.
- June 26, 1977Elvis Presley's final concert[1]
Elvis Presley gave the last concert of his career here before about 18,000 people.
- March 19, 1995Jordan's comeback game[1]
Michael Jordan returned from his first retirement in a Bulls overtime loss to the Pacers.
- October 1999
The Pacers played their final game at MSA before moving to Conseco Fieldhouse; Wikipedia lists closing as October 24, 1999 while the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis dates the last game October 23.
- July 8, 2001
The arena was imploded.
- 2018
After years as a gravel parking lot, the site was developed with 360 Market Square and a Cummins facility.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Cummins distribution headquarters (south half) and the 360 Market Square apartment tower with a Whole Foods Market (north half)[1,2] |
| Surviving remnants | The arena's basketball floor is preserved at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport; an Elvis Presley memorial sits on the sidewalk by 360 Market Square[1] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Indiana Pacers | ABA/NBA · 1974–1999 |
|---|---|
| Indianapolis Racers | WHA · 1974–1978 |
| Indiana Loves | WTT · 1978 · tenant |
| Indianapolis Checkers | CHL/IHL · 1979–1987 · 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 | MSA |
|---|---|
| Location | 300 East Market Street, downtown Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana[1,2] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Tennis |
| Level | ABA, NBA, WHA, Minor League |
| Opened | September 15, 1974[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | October 1999[1,2] |
| Demolished | July 8, 2001[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 17,000[1] |
| Final capacity | 16,530[1] |
| Capacity notes | Basketball 17,000 (1974-1982) then 16,530; hockey 15,993. |
| Architect | Architects 4 (Kennedy, Brown & Associates; Fleck, Burkart, Shropshire, Boots, Reid & Associates; McGuire & Shook)[1,2] |
| Construction cost | $23 million (Wikipedia); $23.5 million (Encyclopedia of Indianapolis)[1,2] |
| Owner / operator | City of Indianapolis[1] |
| Closure | Design limitations (no luxury boxes, limited loading access) led the Pacers to move to the new Conseco Fieldhouse. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Market Square Arena (Wikipedia), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, remnants, teams
- Market Square Arena - Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (IUPUI Polis Center). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, closed, construction cost, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
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)
- Closing: Wikipedia October 24, 1999 vs Encyclopedia of Indianapolis last Pacers game October 23, 1999 (recorded at month precision).
- Cost: $23 million (Wikipedia) vs $23.5 million (Encyclopedia of Indianapolis).
- Racers tenancy end: infobox 1978 vs text 1979.
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