History
The Coliseum was built in rural Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, and opened in October 1974 with a Frank Sinatra concert.
Over 20 years the arena housed the Cavaliers, the WHA Crusaders, the NHL's short-lived Cleveland Barons and a series of indoor soccer, arena football and minor-league hockey teams. It also staged the 1975 Ali-Wepner fight and the 1981 NBA All-Star Game.
When the Cavaliers moved downtown to Gund Arena in 1994, the isolated building lost its purpose. The Trust for Public Land bought the property, demolished the arena in 1999 and passed the land to the National Park Service, which has managed it as grassland habitat for birds such as bobolinks and meadowlarks.
Why it matters: A rare case of a major-league arena site returned to nature, now part of a national park.
Timeline
- March 16, 1973Groundbreaking[1]
Construction began in rural Richfield Township between Cleveland and Akron.
- October 26, 1974
A Frank Sinatra concert opened the arena.
- March 24, 1975Ali vs. Wepner[1]
Muhammad Ali defended his title against Chuck Wepner.
- 1981NBA All-Star Game[1]
The Coliseum hosted the 1981 NBA All-Star Game.
- 1994
The Cavaliers moved to Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland and the Coliseum went dark.
- 1999
After acquisition by the Trust for Public Land the property was transferred to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and restored to grassland.
- February 1999
The Trust for Public Land approved demolition in February 1999; Wikipedia dates the work March 30 to May 21, 1999.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,3,4] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Restored grassland within Cuyahoga Valley National Park[1,2,3] |
| Surviving remnants | Remains of the parking lot entrance and a widened section of Route 303 (per Wikipedia)[1] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA · 1974–1994 |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Crusaders | WHA · 1974–1976 |
| Cleveland Barons | NHL · 1976–1978 |
| Cleveland Force | MISL · 1978–1988 · tenant |
| Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL · 1992–1994 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | The Coliseum at Richfield |
|---|---|
| Other names | The Coliseum; The Coliseum at Richfield |
| Location | 2923 Streetsboro Road (State Route 303), just west of I-271, Richfield Township, Ohio[1,2] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Boxing & wrestling, Tennis |
| Level | NBA, NHL, WHA, MISL, Arena Football League |
| Opened | October 26, 1974[1,2,4] |
| Last used for sports | 1994[1,2,3] |
| Demolished | 1999[1,3,4] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 20,900[1] |
| Final capacity | 20,273[1] |
| Capacity notes | Basketball 20,900 (1974-1988) then 20,273 (1988-1994); hockey 18,544. |
| Architect | George E. Ross Architects, Inc.[1] |
| Construction cost | $36 million[1] |
| Owner / operator | Gund Business Enterprises, Inc.[1] |
| Closure | Its tenants moved to Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland in 1994, leaving the remote building without a use. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Richfield Coliseum (Wikipedia), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, remnants, teams
- Former Coliseum Property - Cuyahoga Valley National Park, National Park Service. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, opened
- Richfield Coliseum, Trust for Public Land. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, demolished
- Coliseum Demolition project page, Independence Excavating. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, opened
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)
- Closing: Wikipedia infobox gives September 24, 1994; NPS and TPL give only 1994. Recorded at year precision.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.