|
Year Opened |
1961 |
| Capacity |
17,181 |
|
Architect |
James A.
Mitchell & Dahlen K. Ritchey |
| Web Site |
www.mellonarena.com |
| Phone |
412/642-1800 |
|
Anchor Tenants |
Pittsburgh
Penguins (NHL) |
| Parking |
Parking lots
surround Mellon Arena. |
|
Directions |
66 Mario Lemieux
Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. From the North:
Take 79S to 279S to 579S, follow signs to
Mellon Arena (Veterans/Liberty Bridge), take
6th Avenue/Mellon Arena exit, turn left at
light to Mellon Arena. From the East: Take
22W to 376W (Monroeville), through Squirrel
Hill Tunnel, take Grant Street exit to 7th
Avenue, turn right to Mellon Arena. From the
West: Take Route 22E to Parkway (279E),
through Ft. Pitt Tunnel, bear right (towards
Monroeville) and take first exit on left
(Grant Street) to 7th Avenue, turn right to
Mellon Arena. From the South: Take 79N
to Parkway (279E toward Pittsburgh, through
Ft. Pitt Tunnel, bear right (towards
Monroeville) and take first exit on left
(Grant Street) to 7th Avenue, turn right to
Mellon Arena. From the Airport: Take Rt. 60
to Rt 22/30E to Parkway (279E), through Ft.
Pitt Tunnel, bear right (towards
Monroeville) and take first exit on left
(Grant Street) to 7th Avenue, turn right to
Mellon Arena. |
History
The oldest NHL-arena still in use opened in
1961 and was named “Civic Center.” For
thirty-eight years the name stuck until the
Mellon Bank bought the naming-rights in 1999.
Shaped as a large dome, “The Igloo,” as locals
call it, was originally built to house the Civic
Light opera, but in 1967 Pittsburgh was awarded
a NHL franchise. With many renovations and
expansions the formerly known Civic Center was
transformed into a hockey arena. Mario Lemieux
and the Penguins brought two Stanley Cup
championships in ’91 and ’92 to Pittsburgh.
The Mellon Arena cannot compare to contemporary
arenas, but the history and close seating makes
up for the plainness and lack of size inside.
The Mellon Arena has hosted the Beatles, Elvis
Presley, the first Ice Capades show, boxing
matches, first and second rounds of NCAA Men’s
Basketball Championship, and of course, two
Stanley Cups. For an old-school complex, the
Mellon Arena is a focal point for entertainment
in Pittsburgh.
