History
The Civic Ice Arena opened in 1927 and housed Seattle's PCHL teams, the WHL Seattle Totems from 1958 to 1964 and the junior Seattle Breakers/Thunderbirds from 1977 to 1995; it hosted the Memorial Cup in 1992. It was renamed Seattle Center Arena in 1962 and Mercer Arena in 1995.
After serving as a temporary opera and ballet house from 2000 to 2003, it closed. The condemned building was demolished in 2017 to make way for a Seattle Opera facility.
Why it matters: Seattle's principal hockey rink for much of the 20th century.
Timeline
- 1927Opens[1]
The arena opened.
- 1962Renamed Seattle Center Arena[1]
Renamed after the Century 21 Exposition.
- 1992Memorial Cup[1]
The arena hosted the CHL's Memorial Cup.
- 1995Renamed Mercer Arena[1]
The arena was renamed.
- 2003Closes[1]
The arena closed after serving as a temporary home for Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet.
- 2017Demolished[1]
The condemned arena was demolished for a Seattle Opera facility.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1] |
|---|---|
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
We have not verified what occupies the site today. Know? Tell us, with a source.
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Seattle Eskimos | PCHL · 1928–1931 |
|---|---|
| Seattle Sea Hawks/Olympics | NWHL/PCHL · 1933–1941 |
| Seattle Totems | WHL · 1958–1964 |
| Seattle Breakers/Thunderbirds | WHL (junior) · 1977–1995 |
| Seattle Reign | ABL · 1996–1998 |
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 | Seattle Center Arena (1962–1995); Civic Ice Arena; Exposition Building |
|---|---|
| Location | Seattle, Washington |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Hockey, Basketball, Soccer |
| Level | PCHL, WHL |
| Opened | 1927[1] |
| Last used for sports | 2003[1] |
| Demolished | 2017[1] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Final capacity | 5,000[1] |
| Construction cost | $1 million[1] |
Documented details
- From 2000 to 2003 it was the temporary home of Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet while McCaw Hall was built.[1]
Sources
- Mercer Arena, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, demolished, events, opened, teams
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.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.