History
The Municipal Auditorium opened on May 30, 1930, at a cost of $2 million. It was home to the ABA's New Orleans Buccaneers in 1969-70, the expansion New Orleans Jazz in 1974-75 and the ECHL's New Orleans Brass from 1997 to 1999, and it hosted boxing, wrestling and Mardi Gras balls.
Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed damaged the building in August 2005. It has stood unused since, and as of 2024 redevelopment had not begun.
Why it matters: First home of the NBA's New Orleans Jazz.
Timeline
- May 30, 1930Opens[1]
The auditorium opened.
- August 24, 1956Lightweight title fight[1]
Joe Brown won the lightweight title from Wallace "Bud" Smith.
- 1994Renamed[1]
The venue was renamed Morris F.X. Jeff Auditorium.
- August 2005Hurricane Katrina[1]
Hurricane Katrina and its flooding damaged the auditorium; it has not reopened.
The site today
| Physical status | Standing, unused |
|---|---|
| Current use | Abandoned since Hurricane Katrina damage in 2005[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| New Orleans Buccaneers | ABA · 1969–1970 |
|---|---|
| New Orleans Jazz | NBA · 1974–1975 |
| New Orleans Brass | ECHL · 1997–1999 |
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 | Morris F.X. Jeff Auditorium (1994); Municipal Auditorium |
|---|---|
| Location | 1201 St. Peter Street, New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Hockey, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | ABA, NBA, ECHL |
| Opened | May 30, 1930[1] |
| Physical status | Standing, unused |
| Final capacity | 7,853[1] |
| Architect | Favrot and Livaudais[1] |
| Construction cost | US$2 million[1] |
| Closure | Damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. |
Documented details
Sources
- Municipal Auditorium (New Orleans), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, 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.