The Miami Coliseum, also known as the Coral Gables 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 in

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...

. It was developed by

George E. Merrick George Edgar Merrick (June 3, 1886 – March 26, 1942) was a real estate developer who is best known as the planner and builder of the city of Coral Gables, Florida in the 1920s, one of the first major planned communities in the United States. ...

, the founder of Coral Gables and of the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

, who sought to create a cultural center for the Miami area. Like the rest of the

planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

, the Coliseum was built in the

Mediterranean Revival style Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial ...

. Heavily in debt after the collapse of Florida's land boom, Merrick sold the Coliseum to the City of Coral Gables in 1927, before it was completed. In 1938, the Coliseum was rebuilt into an

ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...

and rechristened the Metropolitan Ice Palace. Inspired by the films of

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion ( 1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champi ...

, the arena's managers sought to host

ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...

shows for Miami residents, as well as

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

games. The Ice Palace was home to all four teams of the

Tropical Hockey League The Tropical Hockey League (THL) was a short-lived ice hockey minor league in Miami, Florida. The initial league had four teams, all based in Miami, and lasted for only one season, 1938–39, before folding; it was briefly resurrected in 1940 bef ...

(THL), the first attempt at professional hockey in Florida (and in the South). Though the THL was, at least initially, a moderate success, it had a turbulent lifespan and continually lost money for its promoters. Ultimately, the league folded around September 1941. Shortly thereafter, the city filed a $42,500 suit and sought foreclosure against the Ice Palace's operators. With the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the Coliseum was leased to Embry–Riddle University to train military pilots. However, it was converted back into an ice rink in 1949. It would be the only indoor arena in Miami-Dade County until the 1950s when the

Miami Beach Auditorium The Miami Beach Convention Center (originally the Miami Beach Exhibition Hall) is a convention center located in Miami Beach, Florida. Originally opened in 1958, the venue was renovated from 2015-2018 for $620 million. The re-imagined and enhance ...

was built. Afterwards, it was turned into a bowling alley, and later a health club, before becoming vacant in 1987. Despite a push by preservationists to maintain the historic structure, it was demolished in 1993.

References

{{Authority control Sports venues completed in 1927 1993 disestablishments in Florida Defunct indoor arenas in Florida Defunct indoor ice hockey venues in the United States Demolished sports venues in Florida Indoor ice hockey venues in Florida Defunct sports venues in Florida 1927 establishments in Florida