The Hippodrome, formerly known as the McElroy Auditorium, is a 5,155 permanent seat multipurpose arena located in Waterloo, Iowa. The auditorium was built in 1919 and renovated in 1936, when the roof was raised, floor was excavated and additional seating was added.
The arena was named in honor of R. J. McElroy beginning around 1965, after the Waterloo broadcaster and philanthropist unexpectedly died. In 2018, the name of the venue was officially changed back to The Hippodrome.[1]
Arena Design
The auditorium has been in continuous operation since 1919, making it one of the oldest arenas in the country. The arena contains 234 classic arena style box seats and a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) art deco lobby. With chairs placed on the arena floor, the arena holds up to 7,000 seated for concerts depending on stage configuration. There are four large concession areas and a 150-seat restaurant. For concerts, remote beverage stations are added along with an old milk truck that has been restored into a "hot rod" style beer truck with 8 tappers. There are 6 large modern dressing rooms and 5 large box office windows.
Usage
National Cattle Congress
Aerial view of the National Cattle Congress area; The Hippodrome is the oval-shaped building.
The arena style auditorium, part of the National Cattle Congress complex, is used for trade shows, concerts, conventions, livestock shows, rodeos, meetings, sporting events and more.
The roof design and construction materials along with the room design make the venue well-suited for concerts acoustically. It has hosted a variety of acts such as Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, Red Skelton, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, KISS, Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, Rush, Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Destiny's Child, Jason Aldean, Roy Clark, Rob Zombie, Disturbed, Dierks Bentley, Nelly and Gym Class Heroes among many others in the past years.
Naming confusion
When the NBA played in Waterloo the arena is often referred to as McElroy Auditorium. The confusion stems from an NBA publication from the 1960s which erroneously listed the current name of the arena and not its historical name.[2]
Photo gallery
A view from the rear of the auditorium looking towards the stage
