The Cavaliers have played in Northeast Ohio since their first season in 1970, in three arenas. They started at the old Cleveland Arena on Euclid Avenue, spent 20 years at the Richfield Coliseum between Cleveland and Akron, and returned downtown in 1994 to the arena now called Rocket Arena.
Here is every home in order, with the years the Cavaliers played there, what made each one matter and what stands on the site today. Each arena with a ThrillZing guide links to it.
Every Cavaliers Arena, 1970 to Today
- Cleveland
1970–1974The expansion Cavaliers' first home, a 1937 hockey arena on Euclid Avenue built for the AHL's Barons. It also hosted the 1952 Moondog Coronation Ball, considered the first rock and roll concert.
Today: Demolished in 1977; the Cleveland chapter of the American Red Cross occupies the site
Stadium history →- Richfield
1974–1994Owner Nick Mileti built it in the countryside between Cleveland and Akron. Home of the 1976 Miracle of Richfield playoff win over Washington; its location and thin parking hurt, and the team moved downtown in 1994.
Today: Demolished in 1999 by the National Park Service; the site is now a meadow in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Stadium history →- Cleveland
- 1994–presentCurrent home
Opened in 1994 as Gund Arena, then Quicken Loans Arena from 2005 and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse from 2019, and Rocket Arena since 2025. The Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA title in their years here.
Visiting guide →
Cavaliers Arena FAQ
Where did the Cavaliers play before Rocket Arena?
At the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield Township, from 1974 to 1994. Their first four seasons, 1970 to 1974, were at the Cleveland Arena.
How many arenas have the Cavaliers had?
Three: the Cleveland Arena (1970–1974), the Richfield Coliseum (1974–1994) and Rocket Arena (since 1994), which was earlier called Gund Arena, Quicken Loans Arena and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Why did the Cavaliers move to Richfield?
Owner Nick Mileti built the Coliseum to replace the aging Cleveland Arena, betting that a site near the Ohio Turnpike and Interstates 77 and 271 would draw fans from across a spreading region. The location and lack of parking held attendance back, and the team moved back to downtown Cleveland in 1994.
Is the Richfield Coliseum still standing?
No. It sat empty for five years after 1994, then the National Park Service bought it and demolished it in 1999. The site is now a meadow in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Cleveland Arena was demolished in 1977.
Where do the Cavaliers play now?
At Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland, their home since 1994 and shared with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. It seats 19,432 for basketball and took the Rocket Arena name in 2025.