City of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Official Website-
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena complex is one of the most prestigious and historic sports monuments in America today. The two buildings have operated in tandem since 1959, but the storied history of the Complex dates back to the early 20th Century.
LOS ANGELES COLISEUM COMMISSION
The Coliseum and Sports Arena are under the authority of the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, which was formed under the Joint Exercise of Powers Act on September 25, 1945. Although this governing body is comprised of representatives from the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles and State of California, no taxpayer funds are used to support the facilities. The complex is supported solely by revenue generated from these two facilities.
THE COLISEUM
The Coliseum was constructed in the early 1920's and opened its doors to the Los Angeles public in June 1923. The first football game was played in the stadium on October 6, 1923, with the University of Southern California hosting Pomona College before a crowd of 12,836. It was a modest beginning for a venue that would later play a prominent role in college and professional football.
The fabled history of the Coliseum spans eight decades. It is the only facility in the world to play host to two Olympiads (Xth and XIIIrd), two Super Bowls (I and VII), and one World Series (1959), and along with the adjacent Sports Arena, is credited with the migration of professional sports to the West Coast. The complex provided a home for the Rams (from Cleveland, 1946-79), the Dodgers (from Brooklyn, 1958-61) and the Lakers (from Minneapolis, 1960-68), and was the expansion home of the San Diego Chargers (1960, AFL) and Kings (1967, NHL).
In 1984, the State of California and the United States Government declared the Coliseum a State and Federal Historical Landmark for its contribution to the historical makeup of the 31st State of the Union as well as the United States of America.
The 92,516 seat Coliseum served as the home of the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL from 1982 through the 1994 season, and currently serves as the home for the University of Southern California football (since 1923), and international soccer competition. Other world-class events it has hosted include UCLA football (1933-81); numerous high school football contests, including the famed "Shrine All-Star Game"; political rallies, including John F. Kennedy's Democratic Presidential Candidate acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1960; religious conventions, including an all-time Coliseum attendance record of 134,254 for Billy Graham in 1963 and the first ever Papal Mass by Pope John Paul II in 1987; the 1976 Bicentennial Spectacular; and numerous rock concerts, including five sold-out nights of Bruce Springsteen in 1985 and the highest grossing concerts of 1989, four sold-out nights of the Rolling Stones.
Driving Directions:
- From the North:
Take the 101 South to the 110 South, exit Martin Luther King Boulevard, proceed West enter on Hoover.
- From the South:
Take the 405 North (from San Diego area) to the 110 North, Exit at Martin Luther King Boulevard, proceed West enter on Hoover.
- From the West:
Take the 10 East to the 110 South, exit Martin Luther King Boulevard, proceed West enter on Hoover.
- From the East:
Take the 10 West to the 110 South, exit Martin Luther King Boulevard, proceed West enter on Hoover.
For Detailed Driving Directions between any location and the Coliseum Click Here on the Google Map.
