History
The city auditorium opened in 1927 with roughly 10,000 seats and served as Minneapolis's primary venue for sports, conventions and concerts.
The Lakers made it their home in 1947 and moved to the Minneapolis Armory in 1959. A large convention hall was added in 1965.
The Met Center in Bloomington drew major events away after 1967, and the Auditorium's final show was in February 1988. It was torn down in 1989 and the Minneapolis Convention Center now covers the site.
Why it matters: It was the home court of the Minneapolis Lakers during their years in the NBL, BAA and early NBA.
Timeline
- June 4, 1927Opens[1]
The city auditorium opened.
- 1947
The new Minneapolis Lakers made the Auditorium their home.
- 1959Lakers move[1]
The Lakers moved to the Minneapolis Armory.
- February 26, 1988Final event[1]
A Marie Osmond concert was the last event.
- 1989
The building was razed for the Minneapolis Convention Center.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Minneapolis Convention Center[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Minneapolis Lakers | NBL/BAA/NBA · 1947–1959 |
|---|
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | 1301 2nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, Minneapolis, Minnesota[2] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball |
| Level | NBA |
| Opened | June 4, 1927[1] |
| Last used for sports | February 26, 1988[1] |
| Demolished | 1989[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 10,545[1] |
| Final capacity | 10,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | 10,545 seats cited at opening; infobox gives 10,000 (Wikipedia). |
| Construction cost | $3 million to $3.15 million (1927) |
| Closure | Outdated and overshadowed by suburban arenas; demolished to build the Minneapolis Convention Center. |
Documented details
- Elvis Presley played the Auditorium on May 13, 1956.[2]
Sources
- Minneapolis Auditorium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Then and Now: Minneapolis Auditorium, where Elvis and Jimi Hendrix once performed, The Current (Minnesota Public Radio). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, current land use, demolished, 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.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia gives a June 4, 1927 opening; The Current says the building was built in 1926.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.