Freedom Hall

Freedom Hall
	Freedom Hall in 2024
Location	937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, Kentucky
Owner	Kentucky State Fair Board
Operator	Kentucky State Fair Board
Capacity	18,865 (basketball); 19,200 (concerts)
Construction
Opened	1956
Expanded	1984
Tenants
	Louisville Cardinals men's basketball (NCAA) (1956–2010); Louisville Rebels (IHL) (1957–1960); Kentucky Colonels (ABA) (1970–1976); Louisville Cardinals women's basketball (NCAA) (1975–2010); Louisville Panthers (AHL) (1999–2001); Louisville Fire (af2) (2001–2008); Kentucky Stickhorses (NALL) (2012–2013); Kentucky Xtreme (CIFL) (2013–2014); Bellarmine Knights men's basketball (NCAA) (2020–2024); Bellarmine Knights women's basketball (NCAA) (2020–2024)
Website
	kyexpo.org

Freedom Hall is a multi-purpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board. It is best known for its use as a basketball arena, previously serving as the home of the University of Louisville Cardinals and, from 2020 to 2024, as the home of the Bellarmine University Knights.^[1] It has hosted Kiss, Grateful Dead, Chicago, AC/DC, WWE events, Mötley Crüe, Elvis Presley, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Creed, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Coldplay and many more. As well as the Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team from 1956 to 2010, the arena's tenants included the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association from 1970 until the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976, and the Louisville Cardinals women's team from its inception in 1975 to 2010.^[2] The Kentucky Stickhorses of the North American Lacrosse League used Freedom Hall from 2011 until the team folded in 2013. From 2015 to 2019 it has hosted the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship Finals yearly in mid-April.

The arena lost its status as Kentuckiana's main indoor sporting and concert venue when the downtown KFC Yum! Center opened in 2010. It is still used regularly, however, hosting concerts, horse shows, conventions, and basketball games.

^ "Bellarmine announces plan to play home basketball games at Freedom Hall". WDRB.com. November 2, 2020. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
^ "Records: Home/Attendance". 2010–11 Louisville Cardinals Women's Basketball Media Guide. University of Louisville Sports information. p. 159. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2011. Freedom Hall has hosted a lot of concerts as well! Including everything from ACDC, Mötley Crüe to Elvis Presley to Led Zeppelin. The women's team used Freedom Hall as its primary home from its first season, 1975–76, through 1980–81. It then began using a series of smaller arenas, both on campus and off, for nearly two decades, though it used Freedom Hall at least once every season except in 1993–94. The team again made Freedom Hall its primary home starting in 1998–99.

[1] "Bellarmine announces plan to play home basketball games at Freedom Hall". WDRB.com. November 2, 2020. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.

[2] "Records: Home/Attendance". 2010–11 Louisville Cardinals Women's Basketball Media Guide. University of Louisville Sports information. p. 159. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2011. Freedom Hall has hosted a lot of concerts as well! Including everything from ACDC, Mötley Crüe to Elvis Presley to Led Zeppelin. The women's team used Freedom Hall as its primary home from its first season, 1975–76, through 1980–81. It then began using a series of smaller arenas, both on campus and off, for nearly two decades, though it used Freedom Hall at least once every season except in 1993–94. The team again made Freedom Hall its primary home starting in 1998–99.

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