History
The City of Dallas broke ground on Reunion Arena in 1978 and opened it in April 1980, just in time for the expansion Mavericks. Designed by Harwood K. Smith & Partners for about $27 million, it held roughly 18,000 for basketball by the end of its life.
The NHL's Dallas Stars arrived in 1993, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 and 2000. The building also staged the 1984 Republican convention, the 1986 Final Four and that year's NBA All-Star Game.
Both tenants left for American Airlines Center in 2001, bookings dried up, and the council closed the arena in mid-2008. Rather than implode it, contractors dismantled it over several months, dropping the roof in November 2009.
Why it matters: It was the home arena of Dallas's NBA and NHL franchises for their first decades in the city, including the Stars' 1999 Cup run.
Timeline
- March 15, 1978Groundbreaking[1]
Construction started on the city-owned arena west of downtown.
- April 28, 1980Arena opens[1]
Reunion Arena opened; the expansion Mavericks began play there that fall.
- 1984Republican National Convention[1]
Ronald Reagan accepted his party's renomination at the arena.
- 1986Final Four and NBA All-Star Game[1]
The arena hosted both the NCAA men's Final Four and the NBA All-Star Game in 1986.
- 1999Stanley Cup Final[1]
The Stars played Games 1, 2 and 5 of the 1999 Final at Reunion before clinching the Cup in Buffalo.
- 2001Mavericks and Stars leave[1]
Both major tenants moved to the new American Airlines Center.
- June 30, 2008Arena closes[1]
The Dallas City Council voted to close the building.
- November 17, 2009
Instead of an implosion, crews pulled down the roof without explosives, completing demolition.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Open event grounds known as Reunion Park; Wikipedia says apartments are planned for the site |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Dallas Mavericks | NBA · 1980–2001 |
|---|---|
| Dallas Stars | NHL · 1993–2001 |
| Dallas Sidekicks | MISL and successors · 1984–2004 · tenant |
| Dallas Texans | Arena Football League · 1990–1993 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | 777 Sports Street, Dallas, TX 75207, Dallas, Texas[1] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer |
| Level | NBA, NHL, NCAA |
| Opened | April 28, 1980[1] |
| Last used for sports | June 30, 2008[1] |
| Demolished | November 17, 2009[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 17,772[1] |
| Final capacity | 18,190[1] |
| Capacity notes | Basketball: 17,772 (1980-81) to 18,190 (1999-2008). Hockey: 16,500 (1980-91) to 17,000 (1999-2008). Per Wikipedia. |
| Architect | Harwood K. Smith & Partners[1] |
| Construction cost | $27 million (1980) |
| Owner / operator | City of Dallas |
| Closure | Its NBA and NHL tenants moved to American Airlines Center in 2001 and the building lost most of its bookings; the city council voted to close it. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Reunion Arena, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Reunion roof will come down quietly this week, The Dallas Morning News. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished
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.