For 56 years, the corner of Main and Terrace in downtown Buffalo belonged to a squat, unglamorous brick colossus that everyone just called “The Aud.” Buffalo Memorial Auditorium never had the soaring architecture of a big-city cathedral of sport, but it packed in more hockey, basketball, rock and roll, and civic memory than almost any building of its size in America.
Built as a Depression-era public works project and dedicated as a memorial to Buffalo’s war dead, the arena outlived its usefulness as a modern NHL venue by the mid-1990s but never lost its grip on the city’s affection. Here’s the full story of what The Aud was, who played there, why it closed, and what occupies its footprint today.
Quick Answer
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium — “The Aud” — was an indoor arena at 140 Main Street in downtown Buffalo, NY, open from October 14, 1940 to September 11, 1996. It seated roughly 12,280 for hockey when it opened (growing to about 16,325 after later renovations) and up to 18,000 for basketball and concerts. It was home to the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, the NBA’s Buffalo Braves, and the AHL’s Buffalo Bisons, hosted acts from Frank Sinatra to Led Zeppelin, and was demolished in 2009. Its site is now part of Buffalo’s Canalside district.
Origins: A WPA War Memorial
Memorial Auditorium was designed by the Buffalo architecture firm Green & James and built as a public works project during the Depression, opening on October 14, 1940 at a construction cost of roughly $2.7 million. It replaced the aging Broadway Auditorium as the city’s main indoor arena.
As its name suggests, the building was formally dedicated as a war memorial honoring Buffalo veterans, with its cornerstone dedication in 1940 specifically commemorating the city’s dead from World War I. That civic, memorial purpose — not just sports — is why generations of Buffalonians treated the building as sacred ground even after the Sabres left.
Seating Capacity Through the Years
The Aud’s capacity changed dramatically over its life. At opening in 1940, it seated about 12,280 for ice hockey, with another 2,000–3,000 seats added on the floor for basketball, boxing, and other configurations.
A major 1970 renovation — costing about $8.7 million and undertaken specifically to prepare the building for the incoming NHL and NBA franchises — raised the roof by 24 feet and added an upper deck. That pushed basketball capacity to roughly 18,000 and hockey capacity into the 15,300–15,900 range through the 1970s. A further 1990 renovation, which also improved accessibility and building systems, brought hockey capacity to its final figure of 16,325.
The single-game sports attendance record was 19,226, set on January 31, 1976, when the Buffalo Braves hosted the Boston Celtics. The building’s all-time attendance record, however, belongs to politics: an estimated 21,000 people packed The Aud for presidential campaign rallies for Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and John F. Kennedy in 1960.
Buffalo’s Sports Home: Sabres, Braves, and Bisons
The Buffalo Sabres played their first NHL season at The Aud in 1970–71 and made it their home for a quarter century, including a run to the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers — the closest the franchise has come to a championship. The Aud also hosted the 1978 NHL All-Star Game.
The NBA’s Buffalo Braves shared the building from 1970 until relocating in 1978, and the AHL’s Buffalo Bisons (along with earlier minor-league hockey and soccer tenants, and the Buffalo Bandits of pro box lacrosse) rounded out a tenant list that made The Aud one of the busiest arenas in the country for much of its run.
Concerts and Non-Sporting Events
The Aud’s reputation extended well beyond sports. Frank Sinatra recorded his 1974 live album “The Main Event” at The Aud on October 4, 1974. Led Zeppelin played a marathon nearly-three-hour set to a sellout crowd on July 15, 1973, and the Grateful Dead returned repeatedly between 1977 and 1981. The Who, Rush, Frank Zappa, and Ted Nugent also headlined shows there, alongside touring circuses, ice shows, and political rallies dating back to the venue’s opening year.
The Aud also carved out a niche in combat sports history: it hosted “UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo” on September 8, 1995, one of the last UFC events held in New York before the state banned the sport in February 1997.
The End of an Era: Closure and Vacancy
By the mid-1990s, the Buffalo Sabres’ ownership was pushing for a modern, revenue-generating arena with the luxury suites and amenities The Aud couldn’t offer. The Sabres played their last game there on April 14, 1996 — a 4-1 win over the Hartford Whalers capped by a ceremonial goal from captain Pat LaFontaine — then moved into the newly built Marine Midland Arena, now KeyBank Center, for the following season.
The Aud sat vacant for more than a decade afterward. A long-discussed Bass Pro Shops flagship store was pursued as a redevelopment anchor for years but was formally abandoned in February 2010. In December 2007, the City of Buffalo sold the property to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation for a symbolic $1, clearing the way for demolition.
Demolition and the Time Capsule
Asbestos remediation wrapped up in late 2008, and major demolition began in January 2009. The Aud’s front façade came down on February 9, 2009, and the last pieces of the structure fell in early July 2009.
A “Farewell Buffalo Memorial Auditorium” ceremony was held on June 30, 2009, when officials opened the copper time capsule sealed in the building’s cornerstone back in 1940. Inside were period newspapers, photographs, the program from the November 1940 dedication ceremony, architectural blueprints, Buffalo’s 1939 city budget (about $28 million), and a letter from a local American Legion post.
What’s There Today: Canalside and the Aud Block
The Aud’s footprint — known today as the Aud Block — became the core of Canalside, Buffalo’s waterfront district. Re-dug sections of the historic Erie Canal and Main-Hamburg Canal opened on the site in 2014, doubling as a skating rink each winter; the refrigeration plant that freezes them sits in a rebuilt sub-basement that was once part of The Aud itself.
Development has continued on the site: in November 2025, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation opened The Chandlery, a roughly $14 million building on the North Aud Block that houses a new Visit Buffalo visitor center. Canalside today is a free, year-round public destination with kayaking, dining, and events in summer and outdoor ice skating in winter, adjacent to LECOM Harborcenter. For current hours, ice-skating schedules, and event listings, check the official Buffalo Waterfront site, which manages the Canalside property.
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (The Aud) FAQs
What teams played at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium?
The Aud served as home to the Buffalo Sabres (NHL), Buffalo Braves (NBA), Buffalo Bisons (AHL), and Buffalo Bandits (box lacrosse), along with various minor-league hockey and soccer franchises over its 56-year history.
What was Buffalo Memorial Auditorium’s seating capacity?
It opened in 1940 with about 12,280 seats for hockey plus 2,000-3,000 floor seats for other events. After a 1970 renovation raised the roof, basketball capacity reached about 18,000, and hockey capacity settled at 16,325 following a 1990 upgrade.
When was the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium demolished?
Major demolition began in January 2009, with the front façade falling on February 9, 2009. A final farewell ceremony was held on June 30, 2009, when a 1940 time capsule was opened, and the last structure came down in early July 2009.
What replaced the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium?
The Buffalo Sabres moved to Marine Midland Arena — now KeyBank Center — when it opened in 1996. The Aud’s own site was redeveloped as part of Canalside, including re-dug canal channels used as a winter ice rink and, as of November 2025, the newly opened Chandlery visitor center on the North Aud Block.
Who designed Buffalo Memorial Auditorium and why was it built?
The arena was designed by the Buffalo firm Green & James and built as a Depression-era public works project. It was formally dedicated as a war memorial honoring Buffalo’s World War I dead, which is the source of its name.
What famous concerts were held at The Aud?
Notable performances include Frank Sinatra’s 1974 live album recording “The Main Event,” Led Zeppelin’s marathon 1973 show, and repeated appearances by the Grateful Dead, The Who, Rush, and Frank Zappa. The venue also hosted UFC 7 in September 1995.
Can you visit the site of The Aud today?
Yes. The former Aud site is now the heart of Canalside, a free, year-round public waterfront destination in downtown Buffalo with re-created canal channels, dining, kayaking, and seasonal ice skating. Check the official Buffalo Waterfront site for current hours and events.
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