Ak-Sar-Ben (arena)
Aerial view of the facility in 1993 | |
Location in Nebraska | |
| Address | 6800 Mercy Road |
|---|---|
| Location | Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°14′24″N 96°00′47″W / 41.240°N 96.013°W |
| Owner | Ak-Sar-Ben Future Trust Douglas County |
| Capacity | 11,500 (Grandstand) 7,200 (Coliseum) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | July 6, 1919 (Race track) June 9, 1929 (Coliseum) |
| Renovated | 1921, 1938, 1965, 1986 |
| Expanded | 1928, 1975 |
| Closed | August 8, 1995 (Race track) September 2002 (Coliseum) |
| Demolished | October 8, 2004 |
| Construction cost | $1 million ($18.1 million in 2024 dollars) |
| Tenants | |
| Omaha Knights (USHL) (1945–1951) Omaha Knights (IHL/CHL) (1959–65, 1966–75) Omaha Racers (CBA) (1989–1997) Omaha Lancers (USHL) (1990–2002) | |
The Ak-Sar-Ben Race Track and Coliseum was an indoor arena and horse racing complex in the central United States, located in Omaha, Nebraska.
Built to fund the civic and philanthropic activities of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, the Thoroughbred race track was built in 1919, and the Coliseum in 1929. The racetrack closed in 1995 and the arena in 2002; the facility was demolished in 2005, and is currently being redeveloped for a variety of uses, including dormitory housing for the University of Nebraska Omaha and the Aksarben Village development.
Ak-Sar-Ben is "Nebraska" spelled backwards; the Knights originally said they were turning Nebraska around, thus "Ak-Sar-Ben."