Amway Arena was the longtime downtown Orlando home of the Orlando Magic, standing at 600 West Amelia Street from its January 29, 1989 opening until its final game on September 30, 2010. Fans and locals nicknamed it “The O-Rena,” and over its 21-year run the building carried three different names as sponsorships changed: Orlando Arena, TD Waterhouse Centre, and finally Amway Arena.
Designed by Lloyd Jones Philpot Associates and Cambridge Seven Associates at a cost of about $110 million, the arena was known for its intimate bowl that kept even upper-level fans close to the action. It hosted the Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway era, including the franchise’s run to the 1995 NBA Finals, before the team moved to the Amway Center (now Kia Center) in 2010 and the old arena was imploded on March 25, 2012.
- Orlando Magic played here 1989–2010. See every Magic arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Orlando Magic (NBA), Orlando Predators (AFL), Orlando Solar Bears (IHL)
- Location: 600 West Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida
- Opened: January 29, 1989
- Closed/Demolished: Closed September 30, 2010; demolished March 25, 2012
- Capacity: About 17,500 for basketball; up to 18,039 for concerts
- Construction cost: About $110 million
- Notable fact: Hosted the Orlando Magic’s 1995 NBA Finals run led by Shaquille O’Neal
From Orlando Arena to Amway Arena
The arena opened in January 1989 as Orlando Arena, giving the city its first major-league venue and anchoring the Magic’s inaugural NBA season. It kept that name for a decade before becoming TD Waterhouse Centre in 1999, then Amway Arena in 2006, reflecting the naming-rights deals common to arenas of its era.
Despite the rebrands, locals mostly stuck with “The O-Rena.” The building’s compact, steeply raked seating bowl was a frequent talking point among players and broadcasters, who praised the atmosphere it created for Magic games and touring concerts alike.
The Shaq Era and Farewell
The arena’s signature stretch came in the mid-1990s, when a young Magic roster featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant, Dennis Scott, and Nick Anderson beat the Indiana Pacers in a Game 7 there to reach the 1995 NBA Finals, where they fell to the Houston Rockets.
After the Magic moved into the new Amway Center in October 2010, the old arena sat vacant until it was imploded on March 25, 2012, closing out 21 years of NBA basketball, arena football, minor-league hockey, and concerts on the site.
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Bleachers for three hours, but with back support. Folds flat and clips to the bench.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
Amway Arena FAQs
Why did Amway Arena have three different names?
The building kept its original structure but changed names as sponsorship deals changed, going from Orlando Arena (1989) to TD Waterhouse Centre (1999) to Amway Arena (2006).
What team played at Amway Arena?
The Orlando Magic played there for 21 seasons, from the arena’s 1989 opening until moving to the new Amway Center in 2010. The Orlando Predators and Orlando Solar Bears also called it home.
What happened to Amway Arena?
The arena closed after the 2009-10 season when the Magic relocated to the Amway Center, and it was demolished via implosion on March 25, 2012.
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Photo: Bigcstyle4 / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.