The Bangor Auditorium was a 5,948 seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

located in downtown Bangor, Maine.

History

It opened October 1, 1955 and was used for

concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variet ...

(maximum capacity 6,800), sporting events, circus performances, political rallies, as well as trade shows with 16,000 square feet (1500 m²) of space. It was demolished in 2013. It shared the same complex as the

Bangor Civic Center The Bangor Civic Center was a convention center located in Bangor, Maine. It contained of exhibit and meeting space, enough for 9 meetings at the same time. In addition to meetings, it could also host trade shows, wedding receptions, and banquets ...

. For decades, it hosted the

Maine Principals' Association The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) is the governing body for sports competitions among all public and some private high schools in the state of Maine. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations. The MPA of ...

basketball tournament each February, as well as the graduation ceremonies for

Bangor High School Bangor High School, a member of the Bangor School System, is a high school in Bangor, Maine, United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students in grades 9–12. It is Bangor's only public high school. Since its 2001–2002 sel ...

in June. It also served as the home of the Maine Windjammers of the Continental Basketball Association, and the

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. It is classifie ...

men's and women's basketball teams for a few seasons until 1992. The V-shape style of the building gave it the look of giant wings and adds to the atmosphere. A statue of

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the o ...

towered outside as a symbol of the city's prosperous history as a lumber port in the early-to-mid-19th century. The building was designed by architect Eaton W. Tarbell, a local proponent of

modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

."Tarbell, Eaton Weatherbee" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 903. The auditorium and civic center shared its campus with Bass Park, home of the Bangor State Fair as well as Bangor Raceway, one of the oldest harness racing facilities in New England. Bangor Auditorium has hosted many major musical acts and has been a stop for

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

house shows for many years.

Replacement

Over the course of a few years, the city discussed significantly renovating or replacing the aging auditorium with a state-of-the-art venue. Poor ventilation and HVAC systems as well as substandard handicap accessibility have been cited as primary reasons for this. In 2009 the city consulted with Sink Combs Dethlefs,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

architects, and others to discuss the construction of a $51 million, 5,000-seat arena adjacent to the existing structure. Their proposal suggested using the new facility as the centerpiece of the complex, while renovating the existing auditorium and the Bangor Civic Center for smaller events at an additional cost of $18 million. After a May 2011 public referendum in which Bangor voters supported building new facilities by a margin of 3 to 1, the plan now moved forward to build an entirely new set of primary buildings at Bass Park to replace the existing Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center with new structures, while leaving the old buildings open almost until the new buildings opened. The Bangor Auditorium was demolished in 2013 with the new arena completed. The new arena, officially the

Cross Insurance Center The Cross Insurance Center is a 5,800-seat multi-purpose arena in Bangor, Maine, United States. The arena holds up to 8,500 people for concerts, and features an attached 2,000-person convention center. It was built at an estimated cost of $65&nbs ...

, has varying maximum seating depending on the configuration that is used. For events that use the main floor for performance there are 5,800 fixed seats. For events using an end stage of 60 feet by 40 feet the new arena will seat as many as 8,050 persons. The new facility is managed by Global Spectrum, a division of Comcast.

References

External links

Demolition Begins at Bangor Auditorium

Bangor Auditorium

* ttp://www.sinkcombs.com Sink Combs Dethlefs Architects - Main Website
Global Spectator's Cross Insurance Center website
{{Coord, 44, 47, 23.08, N, 68, 46, 48.59, W, display=title Continental Basketball Association venues Maine Black Bears basketball venues Indoor arenas in Maine Sports in Bangor, Maine Basketball venues in Maine 1955 establishments in Maine Sports venues completed in 1955 Event venues established in 1955 Sports venues demolished in 2013 Demolished buildings and structures in Maine Buildings and structures in Bangor, Maine Sports venues in Penobscot County, Maine