The North Side Gymnasium is a 7,373 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 ...

opened in 1954 located in Elkhart,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

on the campus of North Side Middle School. Elkhart High School, hosts their varsity boys'

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

games along with other varsity sports such as volleyball and wrestling. It was home to the

Elkhart Express The Elkhart Express were an International Basketball League team based in Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana, east of Chicago, Illinois, and north ...

of the

International Basketball League The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. The ...

. At one point it was the largest

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

gym in the country, seating 8,200 prior to renovation. Ground was broken on the building in July 1953 and the project cost a total of $1.3 million, with work proceeding after a protest filed with the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners was rejected. When the field house was opened on November 24, 1954, the facility was the largest high school gym in the United States. In its initial season of operation, the gym generated $57,500 in revenue from ticket sales, concessions and parking fees from the 134,000 fans who attended high school games.Shaw, Jodee
"Basketball could pack 'em in at North Side Gym"
''

The Elkhart Truth ''The Elkhart Truth'' is a daily news organization based in Elkhart, Indiana, that covers Elkhart County in northern Indiana and was founded as a newspaper in 1889. History ''The Elkhart Truth'' was first printed October 15, 1889. It was founde ...

'', November 8, 2004. Accessed October 15, 2015. "Ground-breaking ceremonies for the new gym were on July 27, 1953. The first game was played Nov. 24, 1954. With a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of 8,248, it was the nation's largest school gymnasium." The gym has also hosted professional wrestling matches, ice shows and the

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of i ...

. For the 2005 season, the

of the

debuted in the North Side Gymnasium, under a deal in which the arena was leased by the school district to the park board, which then leased it to the team, as part of an effort to skirt restrictions on leasing the facility for financial gain.Shaw, Jodee
"Express get a home"
''

'', September 14, 2005. Accessed October 15, 2015. "The Elkhart Express, the city's new minor league basketball team, has found a home court. The International Basketball League team will play its home games at North Side Gym."

References

{{coord, 41.701748, -85.975463, display=t, type:landmark 1954 establishments in Indiana American Basketball Association (2000–present) venues Basketball venues in Indiana Buildings and structures in Elkhart, Indiana Gyms in the United States Gymnastics venues in Indiana Wrestling venues in Indiana

See also

References