Greenville Memorial Auditorium was a 7,500-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 ...

built in 1958 that was located in

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

. It hosted local sporting events, concerts and the Ringling Brothers Circus until the

Bi-Lo Center Bon Secours Wellness Arena (formerly the BI-LO Center; The Well) is a multi-purpose arena in Greenville, South Carolina. The arena serves as the home of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL. History The Bon Secours Wellness Arena was buil ...

opened in 1998. It hosted

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

throughout its history, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, with NWA

Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...

cards held every Monday night. It hosted the

Southern Conference men's basketball tournament This is a list of regular season and tournament champions in men's basketball of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Southern Conference. Champions by year Divisional format The Southern Conference split into a div ...

s in 1972, 1975, and 1976.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

performed there on October 19, 1977, the last concert played by the original band prior to its fatal plane crash that took most of its members the next day en route to

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

. The arena was imploded on September 20, 1997.via

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

"GREENVILLE MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM IS HISTORY"
''

The State (newspaper) ''The State'' is an American daily newspaper published in Columbia, South Carolina. The newspaper is owned and distributed by The McClatchy Company in the Midlands region of the state. It is, by circulation, the second-largest newspaper in South ...

'', September 21, 1997. Accessed April 5, 2008.

References

Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Indoor arenas in South Carolina Furman Paladins men's basketball Monuments and memorials in South Carolina Sports venues completed in 1958 Sports venues demolished in 1997 Sports venues in Greenville, South Carolina Demolished sports venues in the United States 1958 establishments in South Carolina 1997 disestablishments in South Carolina {{SouthCarolina-stadium-stub