Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Encyclopedia
The Roy Wilkins Auditorium is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena
in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by renowned African American municipal architect Clarence W. Wigington
, it was built in 1932 as the St. Paul Auditorium, and was renamed for Roy Wilkins
in 1985. It is located next door to the Xcel Energy Center
, home of the National Hockey League
's Minnesota Wild
.
's Golden Gophers
hockey
team used the arena as one of their home rinks from the 1930s until 1950. The Minneapolis Lakers used the Auditorium when their regular home the Minneapolis Auditorium
was not available. The Minnesota State Boys' High School Hockey Tournament
was held at the Auditorium from 1945 to 1968. It was home to the Minnesota Fighting Saints
ice hockey
team in the fall of 1972, before they moved to the St. Paul Civic Center
. The St. Paul Slam of the International Basketball Association played at Wilkins for two seasons, 1996-97 and 1997-98.
In 2000 it hosted ECW
's PPV
Anarchy Rulz.
The Roy Wilkins Auditorium currently hosts the Minnesota RollerGirls
roller derby
league, one of the founding members of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.
44.944853°N 93.099445°W
Arena
An 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...
in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by renowned African American municipal architect Clarence W. Wigington
Clarence W. Wigington
Clarence Wesley "Cap" Wigington was an African-American architect who grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. After winning three first prizes in charcoal, pencil, and pen and ink at an art competition during the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in 1899, Wigington went on to become a renowned architect across...
, it was built in 1932 as the St. Paul Auditorium, and was renamed for Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist in the United States from the 1930s to the 1970s. Wilkins' most notable role was in his leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ....
in 1985. It is located next door to the Xcel Energy Center
Xcel Energy Center
The Xcel Energy Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally-based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 18,064, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three general seating levels. The arena is owned by the...
, home of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
About
The University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team used the arena as one of their home rinks from the 1930s until 1950. The Minneapolis Lakers used the Auditorium when their regular home the Minneapolis Auditorium
Minneapolis Auditorium
Minneapolis Auditorium was an indoor arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It hosted the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 until they left for Los Angeles in 1960. The arena held 10,000 people and was built in 1927. It was demolished in 1989 to make way for the convention center.-External links:*...
was not available. The Minnesota State Boys' High School Hockey Tournament
Minnesota high school boys hockey
The Minnesota High School Boys Hockey program is a high school ice hockey program in the State of Minnesota. Based on tournament attendance, ice hockey is the most popular high school sport in the state...
was held at the Auditorium from 1945 to 1968. It was home to the Minnesota Fighting Saints
Minnesota Fighting Saints
The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the fall of 1972, before they moved to the St. Paul Civic Center
RiverCentre Arena
The RiverCentre is a large convention center located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. It has twice been honored as "Best Convention Center" by Minnesota Meetings and Events Magazine...
. The St. Paul Slam of the International Basketball Association played at Wilkins for two seasons, 1996-97 and 1997-98.
In 2000 it hosted ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
's PPV
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
Anarchy Rulz.
The Roy Wilkins Auditorium currently hosts the Minnesota RollerGirls
Minnesota RollerGirls
Minnesota RollerGirls is an all-women amateur flat-track roller derby league based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area of the U.S. state of Minnesota...
roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
league, one of the founding members of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.
External links
44.944853°N 93.099445°W