Des Moines Coliseum Fire: Iowa Time Machine August 13, 1949

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 13, 1949, the Des Moines Coliseum burned to the ground. The main public event venue in Iowa’s capital city from 1908 through 1949, the Coliseum welcomed concerts, presidents, and many memorable moments for Iowans.

Located at First and Locust, the Coliseum was built with public subscriptions from 500 locals, helping raise the $160,000 needed for construction. The main hall held crowds of up to 8,500. In 1936, several partitions were removed, increasing the seating capacity to 10,000. The Iowa Corn Growers Association officially opened the venue by holding the group’s weeklong convention there in 1909.

Herbert Hoover launched his 1932 re-election campaign from the Coliseum, and several other U.S. Presidents spoke there, including Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft. Many Iowans also attended concerts in the space to take in the sounds of John Phillip Sousa’s concert band, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Anna Case, Mary Garden, and John McCormick.

As Veterans Memorial Auditorium rose to the north, a three-alarm fire broke out at the Des Moines Coliseum during the late morning of August 13, 1959. While fourteen fire trucks responded, the roof collapsed shortly after the fire was discovered. After the building’s demolition, the Riverfront YCMA was built on the site. #Iowa #OTD #History #DesMoines #515