Kansas Coliseum was an entertainment complex in unincorporatedSedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It was located north ofWichita at the intersection ofInterstate 135 and 85th Street North.
It hosted sporting events, concerts, shows, and consisted of four pavilions, an RV park, and the 9,686-seatBritt Brown Arena, named for Harry Britton (Britt) Brown Jr., of Wichita, the former owner ofThe Wichita Eagle newspaper. Arena capacity could be configured for up to 12,200 people.[1][2]
Kansas Coliseum was opened in 1977. Two brass plaques (one located on the lower level, by the box office windows and the other up on the main concourse) read:
"Dedicated September 1978, for the promotion of agricultural, educational, and cultural benefits, on behalf of the people of the world, by the citizens of Sedgwick County, the board of the county commissioners, theKansas State Park and Resources Authority, theEconomic Development Administration and the Ozark Regional Commission of the United States Department of Commerce and the Kansas Coliseum Corporation."
It hosted NCAA Men's Basketball tournament first and second-round games in 1994. TheWichita State University basketball teams played the 2002–03 season there while the Shockers' on-campus home,Charles Koch Arena, was undergoing major renovations.
It was the home of the now-defunctWichita Wings indoor soccer team, who played in the MISL and NPSL between 1979 and 2001. The Kansas Coliseum was the home venue for theWichita Stealth,Wichita Aviators, andWichita Wild indoor/arena football teams between 2001 and 2008. It also was home to theWichita Thunder ice hockey team that played in the Coliseum from 1992 to 2009. The Wichita Thunder now plays in theINTRUST Bank Arena (which is also owned by Sedgwick County and was Operated by SMG (which merged withAEG Facilities to form ASM Global in 2019, with ASM taking over all SMG arenas including ISA)) in downtown Wichita, Kansas.
The last Wichita Thunder hockey game ever played at the Kansas Coliseum was on January 9, 2010, in front of a home crowd of 5,556. The Thunder lost the game 3–1 to the Odessa Jackalopes. Brent Ottmann would be the last Thunder player to score a goal in the building at 2:05 of the 1st period, and Kenny Bernard of Odessa scoring the last goal ever at 19:53 of the 3rd period.
The final event to take place inside the Arena was the RV and Boat show on February 20, 2010. On February 22, 2010, The Britt Brown Arena closed its doors following the opening of theIntrust Bank Arena. The arena ceased hosting events, while the neighboringKansas Pavilions portion of the complex remained open until late 2016.[3]
On January 10, 2012, the entire Coliseum complex was sold by Sedgwick County to aviation research developer Johnny Stevens for a sum of $1,462,487.12. The Britt Brown Arena was transformed into an aerospace testing facility for theNational Institute for Aviation Research ofWichita State University.
KISS – October 12, 1979, November 22, 1987, May 9, 1990, withSlaughter, September 10, 1996 withAlice in Chains, and August 28, 2000, with Ted Nugent andSkid Row
Rush – February 10, 1980, with Max Webster, October 17, 1982, withRory Gallagher, June 15, 1984, withGary Moore, May 2, 1986, with Blue Öyster Cult and May 24, 1992, withMr. Big
Van Halen – October 16, 1981, November 24, 1982, withAfter the Fire, June 17, 1984, withAutograph, May 28, 1986 withBTO, November 4, 1988, February 3, 1992, with TheBaby Animals, September 22, 1995 with brother cane, and November 6, 2004, withSilvertide
