Odeum Expo Center

Odeum Expo Center

Location	1033 North Villa Avenue, Villa Park, Illinois 60181
Coordinates	41°54′49″N 87°58′14″W / 41.913711°N 87.970426°W / 41.913711; -87.970426
Owner	Phil Greco
Operator	Brad Walsh
Capacity	2,500 (football and soccer) 5,500 (boxing, wrestling and concerts)
Surface	Artificial turf
Construction
Opened	November 1981
Closed	May 2022
Demolished	2022
Tenants
Chicago Cheetahs (RHI) (1995) Chicago Riot (MISL) (2010–2011) Chicago Cardinals (CIFL) (2010) Chicago Mustangs (PASL) (2013) Chicago Blitz (CIFL/AIF) (2014–2016)

The Odeum Expo Center was a convention center located in Villa Park, Illinois. It featured 20,106 square feet (1,868 m²) of exhibit space at the North Hall and 21,632 square feet (2,010 m²) of exhibit space at the South Hall.

Both halls had pitched roofs as high as 50 feet (15 m). The South Hall was also used as an arena with an 85-by-194-foot artificial turf surface for indoor soccer or indoor football. It seated 2,500 for indoor soccer, football or lacrosse, and up to 5,500 for boxing, MMA/UFC, wrestling, and concerts. In addition, the Odeum Expo Center featured two mezzanines, the lower with 4,340 square feet (403 m²) and the upper mezzanine with 13,024 square feet (1,210 m²) and a roof up to 40 feet (12 m). There were also 9,750 square feet (906 m²) of meeting space and a 2,064-square-foot (192 m²) lobby.

In 2010, the Odeum became the home to the Chicago Cardinals of the Continental Indoor Football League. Also in 2010 the Chicago Riot of the Major Indoor Soccer League began play at the Odeum Expo Center. In 2014, the Chicago Blitz professional indoor football team began play at the Odeum in the CIFL. They continued their home games through 2016 as a member of the AIF, until the league folded and team subsequently cancelled their remaining season games.

In January 2022, it was announced that the Odeum would be sold and permanently closed at the end of May 2022.^[1]