History
Designed by theater architect C. Howard Crane, the Olympia opened in October 1927 on Detroit's west side. Its first tenant was the NHL's Detroit Cougars, who became the Falcons and then the Red Wings under the Norris family.
For five decades the arena was Detroit's main indoor stage, holding hockey, the Pistons' early Detroit seasons, boxing including Jake LaMotta and Sugar Ray Robinson, and concerts by acts such as the Beatles.
The Red Wings left for the new riverfront Joe Louis Arena in December 1979. With no other tenant, the building sat empty and was demolished in 1986. The Michigan National Guard's Olympia Armory now stands on the site, with a marker inside recalling the arena.
Why it matters: Detroit's principal arena for half a century and the Red Wings' home for 52 years.
Timeline
- March 8, 1927
Mayor John W. Smith laid the cornerstone.
- October 15, 1927Opens with a rodeo[1]
An International Stampede and Rodeo was the opening attraction.
- November 22, 1927
The Detroit Cougars played the building's first hockey game.
- September 6, 1964The Beatles perform[1]
The Beatles played the Olympia, returning in August 1966.
- December 15, 1979
The Red Wings tied Quebec 4-4 in their last game before moving to Joe Louis Arena.
- February 21, 1980
An exhibition game closed the building's event history.
- 1986
The vacant arena was demolished; Wikipedia gives July 10, 1986.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Michigan National Guard Olympia Armory[1,2] |
| Surviving remnants | A historical marker inside the armory; the original OLYMPIA letters were installed at Little Caesars Arena in 2017[1] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Detroit Cougars / Falcons / Red Wings | NHL · 1927–1979 |
|---|---|
| Detroit Pistons | NBA · 1957–1961 |
| Detroit Olympics | IHL · 1929–1936 · tenant |
| Detroit Falcons | BAA · 1946–1947 · 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 | Detroit Olympia; The Old Red Barn |
|---|---|
| Location | 5920 Grand River Avenue, at McGraw Avenue, Detroit, Michigan[1,2] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Hockey, Basketball, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | NHL, NBA, BAA, NCAA, Pro Boxing |
| Opened | October 15, 1927[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | February 21, 1980[1,2] |
| Demolished | 1986[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 11,563[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 13,000[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | 11,563 at opening; expanded to 13,000 seats in 1965, plus about 3,000 standing room for hockey. |
| Architect | C. Howard Crane[1,2] |
| Owner / operator | Detroit Hockey Club, Inc.; James E. Norris family from 1932 |
| Closure | The Red Wings moved to the new Joe Louis Arena downtown and no replacement tenant was found. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Detroit Olympia (Wikipedia), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, remnants, teams
- Olympia Stadium - Encyclopedia of Detroit, Detroit Historical Society. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, 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 (1)
- Detroit Historical Society dates the start of play to the first hockey game (November 22, 1927); Wikipedia uses the October 15, 1927 rodeo as the opening.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.