On this day: Pittsburgh Civic Arena Opened

Wednesday, 17th September 2014 by

On September 17, 1961, the world's first retractable dome stadium opened in Pittsburgh, PA. Originally built as an opera venue, it also hosted boxing, concerts and other entertainment events - with the roof open whenever the weather permitted. In 1967 it became the permanent home - nicknamed The Igloo - of the Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey club. When they moved to a new arena the old building was doomed, with demolition being completed in 2012. Thankfully we can still see it on Google's 45° imagery.

The Igloo

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About the author

Ian Brown lives in Ottawa, Canada, and spends his spare time perusing maps to find new routes to ride on his orange bicycle.