The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum, commonly known as the Veterans Memorial Coliseum or simply the Evansville Coliseum, is a historic civic and veterans memorial building located on Court Street in Downtown Evansville, Indiana.
Constructed in 1916–17, the Coliseum was created for two purposes: to honor Vanderburgh County veterans of the Civil War and Spanish-American War and to provide Evansville with a large public gathering place for conventions, entertainment and community events.
For much of the 20th century, the Coliseum was one of Evansville’s most important gathering places.
Construction and Dedication
Plans for a major public auditorium and veterans memorial developed during the 1910s. A public referendum in 1913 authorized Vanderburgh County to spend money toward construction, and the site was acquired in 1915.
Construction began in 1916, with the Coliseum dedicated on April 8, 1917, just two days after the United States declared war on Germany and entered World War I.
Evansville attorney and civic leader Phelps F. Darby served as secretary of the organization behind the project. At the dedication, Darby expressed the hope that the building would serve both as a permanent veterans memorial and as a major public meeting place that would help make Evansville a larger and better city.
Architecture
The Coliseum was designed by prominent Evansville architect Clifford Shopbell and Company.
Its monumental design is dominated by a 105-foot-wide Greek Doric portico supported by six massive fluted columns. The building was constructed with reinforced concrete and steel and faced with gray brick and Indiana limestone.
Two bronze sculptures by regional artist George H. Honig stand near the entrance, symbolizing Vanderburgh County in war and peace.
The Coliseum’s location near the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse and Old Vanderburgh County Jail created one of Downtown Evansville’s most impressive groups of historic civic buildings.
Evansville’s Gathering Place
The Coliseum quickly became a center of civic life.
It hosted concerts, political rallies, conventions, dances, graduations, sporting events, community meetings and veterans programs. During World War I, it served as a gathering point for recruitment and war bond activities, and during World War II it hosted USO programs and other events supporting the war effort.
In November 1917, approximately 5,000 Evansville residents gathered inside the Coliseum for a memorial service honoring James Bethel Gresham, the Evansville soldier recognized among the first American combat deaths of World War I.
For decades, the Coliseum was Evansville’s principal large indoor entertainment venue.
Sports and Entertainment
The Coliseum hosted generations of sporting and entertainment events, including basketball, boxing, wrestling and other competitions.
It also became an important venue for musical performances and community entertainment.
A major addition came in 1919 with the installation of the Tinker Memorial Organ, named in honor of longtime Evansville music educator Milton Z. Tinker. The enormous instrument eventually contained approximately 7,400 pipes and became an important part of the Coliseum’s musical history.
The building underwent a major renovation in 1931–32, including improvements to its stage, acoustics and hardwood floor. Murals by artist Nelson Wilson were also added, depicting Evansville as both an early pioneer settlement and a modern city.
Roberts Stadium Changes Its Role
The Coliseum’s position as Evansville’s premier indoor arena began to change following the opening of Roberts Stadium in 1956.
Roberts could accommodate much larger crowds and became the new home for major concerts, sporting events and University of Evansville basketball.
The Coliseum nevertheless survived and continued hosting smaller community events, veterans activities, dances, meetings and other gatherings.
In 1971, the building was rededicated to honor veterans of all American wars, expanding upon its original purpose as a memorial to Civil War and Spanish-American War veterans.
Management of the building became closely associated with Vanderburgh County veterans organizations.
National Register of Historic Places
The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Its historical importance extends beyond its role as a veterans memorial. The National Register recognizes the building’s significance to Evansville’s architecture, commerce, government, art and performing arts.
The Coliseum remains one of the most prominent surviving examples of early 20th-century civic architecture in Evansville.
Preservation and Restoration
By the early 21st century, the aging building faced substantial maintenance and modernization needs.
Rather than abandon the landmark, Vanderburgh County and local preservation advocates began working toward restoring the Coliseum for future use.
In 2024, the Veterans Coliseum Preservation Foundation was established to help preserve, restore and promote the building.
Vanderburgh County committed $5.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding for the first phase of improvements. That phase included new HVAC and temperature-control systems, electrical upgrades, fire suppression, fire alarms and security improvements.
The first phase was completed in March 2025.
Future plans call for additional accessibility improvements, restoration of historic spaces, repairs to the building envelope, new elevators, improved patron amenities and eventually major performance and theatrical upgrades.
The long-term goal is to transform the historic Coliseum once again into an active cultural, civic and performance venue while preserving its role as a memorial to veterans.
Legacy
The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum has survived while many other Evansville entertainment venues have disappeared.
When it opened in 1917, it gave Evansville a major civic auditorium. Roberts Stadium largely replaced it as the city’s principal arena in 1956, and the Ford Center later assumed that role after Roberts closed in 2011.
Yet the Coliseum remained.
More than a century after its dedication, its enormous columns and veterans monuments continue to stand along Court Street near the Old Courthouse.
Its history as a war memorial, concert hall, sports arena, political gathering place and community center makes the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum one of the most historically significant surviving landmarks in Downtown Evansville.
Quick Facts
Official name: Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum
Also known as: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Evansville Coliseum
Location: Court Street, Downtown Evansville
Built: 1916–1917
Dedicated: April 8, 1917
Architect: Clifford Shopbell and Company
Original purpose: Veterans memorial and civic auditorium
Honored originally: Civil War and Spanish-American War veterans
Later expanded: Veterans of all wars
National Register of Historic Places: 1979
Notable feature: Monumental Greek Doric portico
Historic organ: Tinker Memorial Organ
Major renovation: 1931–32
Modern restoration began: 2024–25