The Pittsburgh Civic Arena — known to generations of fans simply as ‘The Igloo’ — opened on September 17, 1961, and instantly rewrote what a sports venue could be. Its stainless-steel retractable dome, engineered with no interior support columns and backed by a single 260-foot cantilevered arm on the exterior, made it the world’s first major indoor arena capable of opening to the sky. Built for $22 million and designed by Mitchell & Ritchey Architects, the arena became as much a civic landmark as a sporting cathedral.
For nearly five decades the Civic Arena anchored Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District — hosting Stanley Cup championships, Beatles concerts, Grateful Dead riots, and countless unforgettable nights beneath its silver dome. After the Pittsburgh Penguins relocated in 2010 and demolition crews finished their work on March 31, 2012, Pittsburgh lost an irreplaceable landmark whose engineering ambition has never quite been replicated.
Quick Answer
The Pittsburgh Civic Arena, nicknamed ‘The Igloo’ for its rounded stainless-steel dome, was the world’s first major indoor sports stadium with a retractable roof. It opened September 17, 1961, served as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ NHL home from 1967 to 2010, was renamed Mellon Arena in December 1999, and was fully demolished by March 31, 2012.
How the Retractable Roof Worked — and Why It Stopped Opening
The Civic Arena’s dome measured 417 feet in diameter and stood 109 feet tall, constructed from nearly 3,000 tons of Pittsburgh-made stainless steel. The roof was divided into eight massive sections, each weighing roughly 300 tons. Six of those sections were motorized, riding on 42 trucks mounted on 78 wheels (30 individually driven), and could fold beneath the two fixed sections in approximately two and a half minutes — completely opening the arena to the sky with no interior columns blocking any sightline.
The roof’s first public opening came on July 4, 1962, during a Carol Burnett show, to which she exclaimed, ‘Ladies and gentlemen — I present the sky!’ Opening was subject to strict conditions: the roof could not retract if there was a greater than 60-percent chance of rain or if wind exceeded 7 mph. The arena’s overhead lighting fixtures also had to be manually winched into the ceiling before any panel could move. On the inaugural night in 1961, the Ice Capades triggered a brief roof opening, but fears that ice would melt on the 74-degree evening forced it shut after just 22 minutes. Mechanical wear and rising hydraulic repair costs halted all full retractions after 1995, and from 2001 onward the roof remained permanently closed. The Igloo’s most iconic feature spent its final decade sealed shut.
Civic Arena to Mellon Arena — and Back: The Complete Name History
The building opened in 1961 as the Civic Auditorium before quickly becoming known as the Civic Arena — a name it carried for nearly four decades. In December 1999, Mellon Financial purchased naming rights in a 10-year, $18 million agreement, officially renaming the building Mellon Arena. The Mellon Arena name became closely associated with the Penguins’ late championship run, and many Pittsburgh fans of that generation still use it today.
When the Penguins relocated across the street to Consol Energy Center (now PPG Paints Arena) in 2010, the naming-rights deal was allowed to expire on August 1, 2010, and the building reverted to Civic Arena for the final months before demolition began.
Home of the Pittsburgh Penguins: The Igloo’s Hockey Legacy
The Pittsburgh Penguins first skated at the Civic Arena on October 11, 1967, losing 2-1 to the Montreal Canadiens before 9,307 fans in the franchise’s inaugural NHL game. The arena’s domed silhouette quickly earned its enduring nickname — ‘The Igloo’ — and local lore holds that the building’s igloo-like shape helped inspire the Penguins name itself.
The Igloo years produced Pittsburgh hockey’s greatest triumphs. Led by Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, the Penguins captured back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992, with the arena erupting in celebration both times. The team won a third Cup in 2009 during the Mellon Arena era. Lemieux’s role in saving the franchise from bankruptcy in the mid-1990s earned the building a second nickname: ‘The House That Lemieux Built.’ By 2010, hockey capacity had grown from 12,508 when the Penguins arrived to 16,940 — yet the arena was still the oldest and third-smallest in the NHL, a key driver behind the move to a new facility.
Beyond the Penguins, the arena hosted the Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL) from 1961 to 1967, the Pittsburgh Pipers and Condors (ABA) in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and Duquesne University basketball through 1988. On January 21, 1990, the arena hosted the 41st NHL All-Star Game.
Legendary Concerts and Events Under the Dome
Over nearly five decades, the Civic Arena doubled as Pittsburgh’s premier concert hall. The Beatles performed on September 14, 1964, drawing a sellout crowd of more than 12,000 fans who paid $5.90 per ticket. The Doors played a celebrated 1970 show that many music critics rank among the band’s finest live recordings. The Grateful Dead performed nine times between 1971 and 1989 — their 1989 appearance ending in a riot that resulted in approximately 500 arrests by Pittsburgh Police.
Elvis Presley performed on June 25, 1973, and December 31, 1976. The Rolling Stones returned three separate times (1972, 1999, and 2003). Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar — which drew 13,000 fans to a 1971 concert performance — all left their mark on the Igloo’s steel walls. The arena also hosted heavyweight boxing, the Harlem Globetrotters, the Ringling Brothers circus, kennel shows, and pro tennis. The final event was a James Taylor and Carole King Troubadour Reunion Tour concert on June 26, 2010, bringing the curtain down on 49 years of live entertainment.
The Hidden Cost: Displacement of the Hill District
Before a single beam of the Civic Arena was raised, Pittsburgh cleared the land beneath it at an enormous human cost. Beginning in May 1956, the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority demolished approximately 95 acres of the Lower Hill District, displacing an estimated 8,000 residents and 400 businesses. The neighborhood was the cultural heart of Black life in Pittsburgh — a thriving hub of jazz clubs, churches, and close-knit communities that scattered after forced removal.
Among the last structures razed was Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1908. The city charter technically prohibited using eminent domain against churches, but the URA found ways around the restriction. Decades later, when preservation groups argued the Igloo should be saved as a cultural landmark, critics noted the painful irony: those arguments had not been applied to the vibrant community that had stood on that same land before the arena was built.
Closing, Demolition, and What Replaced the Igloo
When the Penguins moved to Consol Energy Center in 2010, the Civic Arena’s fate was effectively sealed. On September 16, 2010, the Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority voted unanimously to demolish the building. Preservation groups — including Preservation Pittsburgh and Reuse the Igloo — mounted campaigns and filed a federal lawsuit citing the arena’s architectural significance, but the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals declined jurisdiction.
Demolition began on September 26, 2011. The last iconic panel of the retractable roof fell on March 31, 2012 — slightly ahead of schedule. The site reverted to surface parking while long-term Lower Hill District redevelopment plans were debated. Ground broke on March 13, 2025, for Citizens Live at the Wylie, a 4,500-capacity entertainment venue expected to open in mid-2026 — the first major development on the land since the Igloo came down.
Pittsburgh Civic Arena FAQs
Why was the Pittsburgh Civic Arena called ‘The Igloo’?
The arena earned the nickname ‘The Igloo’ because its large, rounded stainless-steel dome closely resembled the shape of an igloo from the outside. The nickname became so linked to the building that many credit it with influencing the Pittsburgh Penguins’ name — penguins, after all, live near igloos.
Did the Pittsburgh Civic Arena roof ever actually open?
Yes — but rarely in its later years. The first public roof opening was July 4, 1962, during a Carol Burnett show. Full retractions ended after 1995 due to escalating hydraulic repair costs, and the roof remained permanently closed from 2001 until demolition. Opening required wind under 7 mph and less than a 60-percent chance of rain.
When was the Civic Arena renamed Mellon Arena?
Mellon Financial purchased naming rights in December 1999 for $18 million over 10 years, renaming the building Mellon Arena. The name reverted to Civic Arena on August 1, 2010, when the agreement expired after the Penguins relocated to Consol Energy Center.
What was the last event held at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena?
The last event at the arena was a James Taylor and Carole King Troubadour Reunion Tour concert on June 26, 2010, closing out 49 years of live entertainment under the dome.
Why was the Pittsburgh Civic Arena demolished?
By 2010 the arena was the oldest and third-smallest in the NHL. After the Penguins moved to the new Consol Energy Center, the Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority voted unanimously to demolish it in September 2010. Historic preservation efforts, including a federal lawsuit, were unsuccessful, and demolition finished March 31, 2012.
How many Stanley Cups did the Penguins win at the Civic Arena (The Igloo)?
The Penguins won their first two Stanley Cup championships — in 1991 and 1992 — while the arena was still called the Civic Arena. They won a third championship in 2009 during the Mellon Arena era. All three titles came during their tenancy at the Lower Hill District building known as The Igloo.
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