 Interactive map of The Hippodrome | |
| Former names | Hippodrome (1919–1965) McElroy Auditorium (1965–2018) |
|---|---|
| Address | 257 Ansborough Ave Waterloo, IA 50701 |
| Owner | National Cattle Congress |
| Operator | National Cattle Congress |
| Capacity | 5,155 7,000 (maximum) |
| Surface | 210' x 85' (indoor football) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1919 |
| Renovated | 1936 |
| Tenants | |
| Waterloo Hawks (NBL) (NBA) (NPBL) (1948–1951) Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) (1962-1994) Iowa Stars (CHL) (1969-1970) Iowa Woo (TAL) (2024-present) | |
| Website | |
| nationalcattlecongress | |
The Hippodrome, formerly known as theMcElroy Auditorium, is a 5,155 permanent seat multipurposearena located inWaterloo, Iowa. The auditorium was built in 1919 and renovated in 1936, when the roof was raised, floor was excavated and additional seating was added.
The arena was named in honor of R. J. McElroy beginning around 1965, after the Waterloo broadcaster and philanthropist unexpectedly died. In 2018, the name of the venue was officially changed back to The Hippodrome.[1]
The auditorium has been in continuous operation since 1919, making it one of the oldest arenas in the country. The arena contains 234 classic arena style box seats and a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) art deco lobby. With chairs placed on the arena floor, the arena holds up to 7,000 seated forconcerts depending on stage configuration. There are four large concession areas and a 150-seat restaurant. For concerts, remote beverage stations are added along with an old milk truck that has been restored into a "hot rod" style beer truck with 8 tappers. There are 6 large modern dressing rooms and 5 large box office windows.
The arena style auditorium, part of theNational Cattle Congress complex, is used for trade shows, concerts, conventions, livestock shows, rodeos, meetings, sporting events and more.
The Hippodrome hosted theWaterloo Hawks of theNBL,NBA, andNPBL from 1948 to 1951. The Waterloo Hawks are the onlyBig Four major league team to have been based in Iowa.
The Hippodrome also housed theUSHL'sWaterloo Black Hawks from their inception in 1962 untilYoung Arena opened in 1994, and theIowa Stars of theCentral Professional Hockey League during the 1969–70 season. The Hippodrome currently hosts the Iowa Woo team ofThe Arena League, which began play in 2024.
The roof design and construction materials along with the room design make the venue well-suited for concerts acoustically. It has hosted a variety of acts such asthe Glenn Miller Orchestra,Red Skelton,Buddy Holly,Johnny Cash,KISS,Aerosmith,The Beach Boys,Rush,Garth Brooks,Miranda Lambert,Blake Shelton,Destiny's Child,Jason Aldean,Roy Clark,Rob Zombie,Disturbed,Dierks Bentley,Nelly andGym Class Heroes among many others in the past years.
When the NBA played in Waterloo the arena is often referred to as McElroy Auditorium. The confusion stems from an NBA publication from the 1960s which erroneously listed the current name of the arena and not its historical name.[2]
| Preceded by none | Home of the Waterloo Hawks 1948-1951 | Succeeded by none |
| Preceded by none | Home of the Waterloo Black Hawks 1962-1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of the Iowa Stars 1969-1970 | Succeeded by none |
| Preceded by none | Home of the Iowa Woo 2024 | Succeeded by Current |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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42°30′35″N92°22′25″W / 42.50972°N 92.37361°W /42.50972; -92.37361