Richfield Coliseum
From Cavaliers to concerts: the suburban arena that hosted legends.
Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974, following the closure of the Cleveland Arena, but was not a direct replacement in terms of ownership or timeline—the Cavaliers moved mid-season after the Arena shut down. The arena had a seating capacity of 20,273 for basketball and served as the main venue for Northeast Ohio until 1994, when it was replaced by Gund Arena (now Rocket Arena) in downtown Cleveland. After standing vacant for five years, the Coliseum was demolished by its previous owner in 1999, before the site was sold to the National Park Service and converted into a meadow that is now part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Quick Facts
- Nickname
- The Palace on the Prairie
- Address
- 2923 Streetsboro Road
- Location
- Richfield Township, Ohio
- Groundbreaking
- March 16, 1973
- Opened
- October 26, 1974
- Closed
- September 24, 1994
- Demolished
- March–May 1999
- Owner
- Gund Business Enterprises, Inc.
Lore & Background
The arena was primarily the home to the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), developed by Cavaliers owner Nick Mileti, who also owned the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association. Over the years it had additional tenants such as the Cleveland Barons of the National Hockey League, Cleveland Force of Major Indoor Soccer League, Cleveland Crunch of Major Indoor Soccer League, the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League, and the Cleveland Thunderbolts of the Arena Football League.
It hosted the 1981 NBA All-Star Game; The Buckeye Homecoming, the 1983 professional boxing match between Michael Dokes and Gerrie Coetzee; and the 1985 MISL All Star Game. It was also the site of the March 24, 1975 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, which in part inspired the movie Rocky. The Grateful Dead played thirteen shows at the Coliseum - the first on September 7, 1990, and the last on March 21, 1994.
Reader's Guide
The Coliseum was a regular concert venue, with its first event being a concert by Frank Sinatra. The first rock concert at the Richfield Coliseum, in October 1974, featured Stevie Wonder in October 1974. The last concert was by Roger Daltrey, in 1994; that was also the last official event at the arena. The Force also drew well at Richfield: 20,174 attended when Cleveland took on Minnesota on April 6, 1986, still the largest regular-season crowd (and the third-largest overall) ever to see an indoor soccer match in the US. The World Wrestling Federation also promoted several notable pay-per-view shows at the arena, including Saturday Night's Main Event VII (taped September 13, 1986); Survivor Series (1987); Survivor Series (1988); and Survivor Series (1992).
Did You Know?
- The Grateful Dead played 13 shows at the Richfield Coliseum, not 14.
- The Coliseum's hardwood floor was sold in 1997 to Grace Christian School of Staunton, Virginia.
- The Coliseum was demolished by its owner before the land was sold to the National Park Service—not purchased and demolished by the NPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Richfield Coliseum?
This indoor arena served as the primary home court for the Cleveland Cavaliers from their inception in 1974 until 1994.
Where was this venue located?
It stood in the suburb of Richfield, Ohio, defining an era of suburban basketball fandom before the franchise moved downtown.
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