Amarillo Civic Center
Encyclopedia
The Amarillo Civic Center is a multi-purpose convention center in Amarillo, Texas
. Built in 1964, it consists of multiple facilities including:
There is a memorial statue of the late space shuttle
commander Rick Husband
, one of the city's most famous sons, in front of the building.
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
. Built in 1964, it consists of multiple facilities including:
- A 2,848-seat auditorium with 2,324 permanent seats and used for concerts, Broadway shows and other events.
- The Cal FarleyCal FarleyCal Farley , called by some "America's Greatest Foster Father," founded in 1939 the residential childcare facility known as Boys Ranch, located near Old Tascosa, a largely otherwise abandoned community in Oldham County north of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.Farley was honored by the United States...
Coliseum, a 4,987-seat multi-purpose arenaArenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
serving as home to the Amarillo BullsAmarillo BullsThe Amarillo Bulls are a Junior A Tier II ice hockey team based out of Amarillo, Texas. A member of the North American Hockey League's South Division, the team play their home games in the Amarillo Civic Center...
of the North American Hockey LeagueNorth American Hockey LeagueThe North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
, and the Amarillo Venom of the Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football LeagueThe Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. The arena, which has 4,879 permanent seats, is also used for concerts, banquets, conventions, ice shows, wrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and trade shows (the arena features 17100 square feet (1,588.6 m²) of floor space). The arena measures 38' 10 from floor to rafters, 50'10 from floor to ceiling. - A 16000 square feet (1,486.4 m²) Grand Plaza, designed as a tribute to Texas and seating up to 1,100 for smaller concerts, banquets, and other special events. The Grand Plaza contains a Texas-accented floor, skylight ceiling, and fountains and planters.
- Two exhibit halls, the North which has 24565 square feet (2,282 m²) of edxhibit space and used for trade shows, conventions, meetings and banquets (capacity is up to 2,200) and with a 25 feet (8 m) ceiling height; and a 26000 square feet (2,415.5 m²), 14 feet (4 m) South Exhibit Hall, also used for similar events.
- Three meeting rooms--the Heritage, Hospitality and Regency rooms.
There is a memorial statue of the late space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
commander Rick Husband
Richard Douglas Husband
Rick Douglas Husband was a United States Air Force Colonel, an astronaut, and the space shuttle commander of STS-107 who was killed when the craft disintegrated after reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. Husband is a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.-Background:Husband was born...
, one of the city's most famous sons, in front of the building.