Alumni Hall was a 5,308-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 ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

on DePaul's Lincoln Park campus.

History

Alumni Hall was dedicated on December 16, 1956, and was owned and operated by

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private, Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-centu ...

. It replaced the

University Auditorium University Auditorium is a name used by multiple universities for auditorium spaces. It may refer to: * Chulalongkorn University Auditorium * Eisenhower Auditorium, originally named University Auditorium * Indiana University Auditorium *University A ...

, the school's prior on-campus gym. A student-led fundraising campaign raised $25,000 over five weeks. This covered part of the building cost, which totaled $2 million. Construction began on Oct. 3 in 1955 and finished in December 1956. The 44-year-old building consisted of classrooms, offices, an arena, a gymnasium with 5,200 seats, a swimming pool, locker rooms, handball courts and a cafeteria. Alumni Hall's value was equivalent to $18 million today. It was home to the DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team from 1956 until they moved to the

Rosemont Horizon Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened i ...

in 1980. The DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team played all their home games at Alumni Hall from 1974 to 2000, while the men's team played occasional games there. The

DePaul Blue Demons women's volleyball The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference. DePaul’s Athletic Director is DeWayne ...

team also played their home matches at Alumni Hall. The building was the site of the first round of the men's NCAA Midwest Regional in 1960 and was used for first round NCAA women's basketball tournament games in 1990 and 1992. The arena closed in 2000 and was torn down in 2001. The women's team moved to the

Sullivan Athletic Center The Sullivan Athletic Center is an athletic facility on the campus of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The facility houses McGrath-Phillips Arena, a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena. It is the home arena for the women's volleyball team and ...

and the men's team moved all games to their main arena, the

Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened i ...

(formerly the Rosemount Horizon). The land for Alumni Hall was repurposed for the new DePaul Student Center. The arena has been succeeded by the

Wintrust Arena Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, previously referred to as DePaul Arena or McCormick Place Events Center, is a 10,387-seat sports venue in the Near South Side community area of Chicago that opened in 2017. It is the current home court for ...

. It was built in the fall of 2017 and holds 10,367 seats for DePaul's men's and women's basketball games. It is also home to the Chicago Sky of the WNBA.

Professional basketball

Alumni Hall was the practice facility for the Chicago Bulls in the 1960s and 1970s. Alumni Hall was home to the Chicago Hustle of the WBL from 1978 to 1981.

References

Basketball venues in Chicago Boxing venues in Chicago Chicago Bulls venues Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Defunct indoor arenas in Illinois Defunct sports venues in Illinois Demolished buildings and structures in Chicago Demolished sports venues in Illinois DePaul Blue Demons basketball venues DePaul Blue Demons women's volleyball Sports venues completed in 1956 Sports venues demolished in 2000 Volleyball venues in Chicago 1956 establishments in Illinois 2000 disestablishments in Illinois {{Chicago-struct-stub