Cape Cod Coliseum was a 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 off White's Path in

South Yarmouth, Massachusetts South Yarmouth is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Yarmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,092 at the 2010 census, the most of the three CDPs in Yarmouth. It i ...

. In addition to sporting events, the coliseum hosted rock concerts. The 46,000-square foot concrete arena opened in 1972 and sat between 5,000-6,500 people. The arena was originally owned by Yarmouth real estate agent William Harrison and cost $1.5 million to build. In 1976, the arena was sold to Ed Fruean who owned Coliseum for three years before selling it to

Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...

in 1979. In 1984, McMahon sold the building to Christmas Tree Shops who chose to utilize it as a warehouse. The final event, a World Wrestling Federation event, occurred on June 4, 1984.

Sports

Vince McMahon utilized the arena 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 vario ...

, then known as the

World Wrestling Federation 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 vario ...

(WWF), events from 1979 through 1984. It was home to both the Cape Cod Cubs/Cape Codders of the

North American Hockey League (1973–77) The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

, the

Cape Cod Freedoms The Cape Cod Freedoms (also known as the New Hampshire Freedoms) were a professional ice hockey team in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. They also played games in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Concord, New Hampshire. They were a member of the North ...

of the

Northeastern Hockey League The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

(1978–1979), and the

Cape Cod Buccaneers The Cape Cod Buccaneers were a professional ice hockey team based in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. They were an inaugural member of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and were owned by future WWE CEO Vince McMahon. History McMahon ...

of the

Atlantic Coast Hockey League The Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey. The Bob Payne Trophy was awarded to the team who won the league playoff championship. Acco ...

(1981–82). It hosted an ESPN boxing show headlined by light middleweight contender Sean Mannion. In 1978, the

Boston Lobsters The Boston Lobsters were a World TeamTennis team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Lobsters played home matches at the Walter Brown Arena, Boston University, in Boston, MA. The most recent Boston Lobsters were a reincarnation of two pr ...

played four of their 22 home matches at the Coliseum.

Concerts

The Cape Cod Coliseum was one of the regular

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

stops for major bands during the early 1970s until its closing in 1983. Acts ranging in style from

Jim Croce James Joseph Croce (; January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to pa ...

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

would make regular appearances during the summer months. The

J. Geils Band ''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...

appeared ten times while another local band,

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

, appeared five times. National touring acts such as

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...

and

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

made multiple appearances.

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

played the coliseum twice, on October 27 & 28, 1979.

Warehouse

In 1984, the Coliseum was sold to

Christmas Tree Shops Christmas Tree Shops is an American chain of specialty retail stores headquartered in Union, New Jersey. As of 2021, the chain operates 80 stores in 20 U.S. states. History In 1970, Charles Bilezikian and his wife, Doreen opened the first sto ...

and converted to a

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...

. After Christmas Tree Shops left the location, it served as the corporate offices of Dennis East International. As of March 2007, it houses the wares of several businesses.

References

{{Authority control 1972 establishments in Massachusetts 1984 disestablishments in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Defunct indoor ice hockey venues in the United States Defunct indoor arenas in Massachusetts Former music venues in the United States Indoor ice hockey venues in Massachusetts Professional wrestling in Massachusetts Sports in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Sports venues completed in 1972 Theatres in Massachusetts Warehouses in the United States Yarmouth, Massachusetts