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Detroit Olympia

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Olympia Stadium, better known as the Detroit Olympia and nicknamed "The Old Red Barn", stood at 5920 Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan from 1927 until 1986. It seated close to 16,700.

Olympia opened with a rodeo in September 1927, and shortly thereafter the main tenants of the building, the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL, moved in.

Besides the Red Wings, the Olympia was also home in the 1930s to the Detroit Olympics International-American Hockey League minor league team, and from 1957 to 1961 the NBA's Detroit Pistons. It hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1959 and the NCAA Frozen Four in 1977 and 1979.

Olympia was also a major venue for boxing through the International Boxing Club and professional wrestling, as well as the Harlem Globetrotters and the Ice Capades.

Amongst musical performers to play at Olympia were The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, and The Monkees.

Olympia was closed in 1979 when the Red Wings left for Joe Louis Arena, and demolished in September 1986. Currently, the U.S. National Guard's Olympia Armory stands on the site.


Preceded by:
War Memorial Coliseum
19521957
Home of the
Detroit Pistons
19571961
Succeeded by:
Cobo Arena
19611978
Preceded by:
Border Cities Arena
19261927
Home of the
Detroit Red Wings
19271979
Succeeded by:
Joe Louis Arena
1979–present
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