Cincinnati Gardens (Demolished)
The Cincinnati Gardens opened on February 22, 1949. Though it cost only three million dollars to complete, it cost four million to demolish. Designed to emulate Boston Garden, Madison Square, and Maple Leaf, Cincinnati Gardens originally held 10,208 seats. Singers like Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Tom Petty all performed at The Gardens.
According to David Wittkamp, former President of one-time owner, "everything changed in 1975." Riverfront Coliseum opened (with capacity for over 17,000). The situation grew even more dire with competition from newer arenas like Shoemaker, Cintas and Bank of Kentucky Center. In early 2016, the Cincinnati Port Authority purchased the building for $1.75 million dollars. Wittkamp bemoaned its impending destiny in a July, 2016 blog post, saying: "It was the house of the common man with a lingering aroma of popcorn and beer in the air. There was nothing fancy about the Gardens, no boxes or club seats, but it was a fine entertainment venue for an ice show, a circus, a rodeo or a concert... Every seat was a good seat. You sat up close to the action and were drawn into the excitement of the game." The Cincinnati Gardens were unceremoniously demolished in March of 2018.
This photo was taken in pitch black using a complex lighting setup involving two strobes and a Protomachines LED streamlight from each corridor.
Special thanks to Lisa for sharing this special Cincinnati secret with out-of-town explorers on the eve of its destruction.
Cincinnati Gardens (Demolished)
The Cincinnati Gardens opened on February 22, 1949. Though it cost only three million dollars to complete, it cost four million to demolish. Designed to emulate Boston Garden, Madison Square, and Maple Leaf, Cincinnati Gardens originally held 10,208 seats. Singers like Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Tom Petty all performed at The Gardens.
According to David Wittkamp, former President of one-time owner, "everything changed in 1975." Riverfront Coliseum opened (with capacity for over 17,000). The situation grew even more dire with competition from newer arenas like Shoemaker, Cintas and Bank of Kentucky Center. In early 2016, the Cincinnati Port Authority purchased the building for $1.75 million dollars. Wittkamp bemoaned its impending destiny in a July, 2016 blog post, saying: "It was the house of the common man with a lingering aroma of popcorn and beer in the air. There was nothing fancy about the Gardens, no boxes or club seats, but it was a fine entertainment venue for an ice show, a circus, a rodeo or a concert... Every seat was a good seat. You sat up close to the action and were drawn into the excitement of the game." The Cincinnati Gardens were unceremoniously demolished in March of 2018.
This photo was taken in pitch black using a complex lighting setup involving two strobes and a Protomachines LED streamlight from each corridor.
Special thanks to Lisa for sharing this special Cincinnati secret with out-of-town explorers on the eve of its destruction.