The Jaffa Shrine Center is a 3,200-seat multipurpose

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

Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 Census, making it the eighteenth most populous city in Pennsylvania. T ...

. The current Shrine Center, headquarters to the Jaffa

Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...

, was built in 1930, opening on September 25 of that year. It was the largest convention center in Blair County until the Blair County Convention Center was built. The Shrine Center building is a bilevel building measuring by . Inside, the Shrine Center auditorium, located on the main level, can be used for

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

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 ...

, banquets, the

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...

, conventions, such as Sci-Fi Valley Con, and other events. It seats up to 4,000 for concerts, boxing and wrestling. The auditorium features an 80-by-30-foot permanent stage and four offstage dressing and locker rooms. A mezzanine leads into the auditorium and features restrooms, checkrooms and two permanent concession stands, among other facilities. There are two lounges, located on either side of the auditorium. The 22nd Street Lounge measures and can hold up to 100, and the 23rd Street Lounge, which measures , holds to 70. At ground level is a banquet room, which also hosts meetings and trade shows. It also features a state-of-the-art kitchen. A smaller meeting room (the Arabian Room) is also located at ground level.

External links

* {{coord, 40.50697, -78.40975, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-PA, display=title Indoor arenas in Pennsylvania Convention centers in Pennsylvania Sports venues in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona, Pennsylvania 1930 establishments in Pennsylvania Shriners