Fair Park Coliseum opened in 1955 on the historic Fair Park grounds east of downtown Dallas, becoming one of the city’s earliest dedicated indoor arenas for sports and live events. Built to seat around 7,000 at its debut, the coliseum quickly became a hub for rodeo, hockey, and basketball in a city that had few comparable indoor venues at the time.
The arena’s biggest claim to fame came in December 1959, when it hosted the first-ever National Finals Rodeo, later nicknamed the ‘Super Bowl of Rodeo.’ Dallas held the event through 1961 before it moved on to other cities, eventually settling in Las Vegas in 1985. Renovated in 1988, Fair Park Coliseum still stands today and continues to host events on the fairgrounds.
- San Antonio Spurs played here 1967–1970. See every Spurs arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
- Opened: 1955
- Renovated: 1988
- Capacity: About 8,513 (basketball configuration)
- Notable Tenants: Dallas Chaparrals (ABA), Dallas Black Hawks (CHL)
- Notable Fact: Hosted the first National Finals Rodeo, 1959-1961
Birthplace of the National Finals Rodeo
Fair Park Coliseum earned a permanent place in rodeo history when it hosted the inaugural National Finals Rodeo in December 1959. Hundreds of bucking horses and bulls were trucked into Fair Park for the event, which brought together the nation’s top competitors in events like bull riding, saddle bronc, and barrel racing to crown world champions. Dallas kept the rodeo through 1961 before it relocated, eventually finding a long-term home in Las Vegas.
A Revolving Cast of Dallas Teams
Beyond rodeo, the coliseum served as home ice and home court for a string of Dallas franchises. The Dallas Black Hawks of the Central Hockey League played there from 1967 to 1982, while the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association used the arena in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The building also briefly hosted the NASL’s Dallas Tornado and, decades later, an ABA revival team and roller derby bouts, reflecting its long run as a flexible, multi-sport venue on the Fair Park grounds.
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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.
Fair Park Coliseum FAQs
When did Fair Park Coliseum open?
Fair Park Coliseum opened in 1955 on the Fair Park grounds in Dallas, Texas.
What is Fair Park Coliseum’s seating capacity?
The arena seats about 8,513 people in a basketball configuration.
What major event did Fair Park Coliseum first host?
It hosted the first-ever National Finals Rodeo in December 1959, an event that later became known as the ‘Super Bowl of Rodeo.’
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Photo: Greenstrat / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.