Driving down Interstate 70 in Denver, I was drawn to exit and take a look at this old barn: the Denver Coliseum (here it is as you head east from Google street view).
The Denver Coliseum was opened by the City of Denver in 1952 to accommodate the rapid expansion of the National Western Stock Show. As Denver has developed, events at the 8,000 to 9,000 seat venue over the past 60+ years have run the gamut from skating exhibitions to concerts and circuses. The annual National Western rodeo continues to this day. And the 67,000 square foot adjacent barn is still utilized.
The coliseum was a secondary arena to the older Denver Auditorium Arena in downtown for the ABA Denver Rockets from 1967-1975. The larger McNichols Sports Arena was constructed in 1975 and the (soon-to-be-renamed) Rockets moved there. McNichols was demolished by 2000.
In a testament to the Coliseum’s vitality, the Denver Cutthroats moved into the arena for 2012/13 CHL season. They are the 5th pro hockey team to call the Coliseum home. They play a level lower than the ECHL Colorado Eagles up the road in Loveland.
Someday I’d love to visit this charming and historic arena for a Cutthroats game or a rodeo.
stadium nerd 
