Jun 14, 20233 min read

Richfield, OH: Richfield Coliseum

Address: 2923 Streetsboro Rd, Richfield, OH 44286

Location: 41°14’43’’N 81°35’38”W

Opened: 1974

Status: Closed 1994, Demolished 1999, was converted to a meadow and is now part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Elvis Dates:

July 10, 1975

July 18, 1975

October 23, 1976

I Visited On: May 30, 2023

My Experience

This one was a bit odd, since I didn’t have time to do proper research before adventuring out into the Cleveland Area. We were driving NE on 303/Richfield Hudson Rd, when we came upon where the coliseum had once stood. So many noteworthy people performed at the coliseum during its time, and the reports that I found in the 3 minutes I had to research prior to finding the site, said the building was very important to the area and was a massive structure. But, there was absolutely nothing where the coliseum had stood, just an open field, not even a plaque.

I really love a lot of 70s architecture, especially the big commercial buildings, and have been thinking about making a linoleum print of this building for some time, so this one was probably one of the biggest disappointments in my travels. I knew the coliseum had been demolished in 1999, but I did kind of expect something to be there.

Elvis at the coliseum

According to the coliseum owner, Nick Mileti, “Presley was a pleasure to work with. He made absolutely no demands, and his only request was that we give him the dressing room closest to the stage.”

Apparently, some of the other acts were noted for putting pressure on the promoter, saying they wouldn’t perform unless they had a specific type of peanut butter supplied. Stuff like that.

The article I’m pulling from said this about the performance: “Elvis finished last night’s performance by picking up black bikini panties that were thrown on stage by one of his admirers, and placing them over the head of one of his musicians.”

“Then the announcer came back on stage and said, ‘Ladies and gentleman, Elvis has left the building.’ No, there is nothing like an Elvis Presley show and there probably never will be.”

For the whole article: https://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1975-july-10.html

History of the site

The coliseum was an indoor arena located between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It replaced the Cleveland Arena (where Elvis also performed) when it opened in 1974, with a seating capacity of 20,273.

In its lifetime, the coliseum was mainly used as the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers national basketball team, the Cleveland Barons national hockey team, the Cleveland Force soccer team, along with a few other sports teams and matches, including boxing.

The venue was also often used as a concert venue. The christening performance was given by Frank Sinatra in 1974, and the last performance was by Roger Daltrey in 1994. The first rock concert there was by Stevie Wonder in October 1974.

Although magnificent on the outside, the building had many “attendance hinderances”, like the fact that it only had one concourse for both levels, leaving everyone cramped when it was near capacity, and the most expensive seats/luxury boxes were also on the highest level, which meant luxury seats had the worst views in the house. But, the biggest problem came with the traffic around the building, because the coliseum was on a 2-lane road right at a 3-way intersection, leaving traffic a huge mess; and everything was a lot worse when it snowed. Mostly due to the above issues, the coliseum was only open for 20 years before being replaced by the Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland. It stood vacant for 5 years before being demolished in 1999 and converted into a meadow by the Nation Park Service.

Pictures of Elvis on July 10, 1975