Schenley Park Casino

Schenley Park Casino
Schenley Gardens
Map
LocationPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°26′30.11″N 79°57′4.50″W / 40.4416972°N 79.9512500°W / 40.4416972; -79.9512500
OwnerThe Schenley Park Amusement Company
OperatorJames Conant
Capacity1,200 (Hockey)
3,500 (Theater)
Field size225' x 70' ice surface
SurfaceIce,
Concrete-Marble Mixture
Construction
Broke ground1893
OpenedMay 29, 1895
DemolishedDecember 17, 1896 (Fire)
Construction cost$400,000 (USD) (Proposed)
$540,000 (USD) (Actual)
Tenants
Pittsburgh Athletic Club (1895–1896)
Pittsburgh Casino (1896)
Duquesne Country & Athletic Club (1895–1896)
Western University (1895–1896)
Various Local Teams

The Schenley Park Casino was Pittsburgh’s first multi-purpose arena. The facility was considered the envy of the sports and entertainment world during the early 1890s, with amenities that were unsurpassed anywhere on the globe. It was built at the entrance to Schenley Park in Oakland near the Phipps Conservatory, the Schenley Bridge and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.[1] The University of Pittsburgh’s Frick Fine Arts Building currently sits on the site of the casino.[2] The casino was the first place in Pittsburgh where organized ice hockey was played. The arena's artificial ice surface was the first of its kind in North America.[3]

  1. ^ "1895-1896 Pittsburgh's Schenley Park Casino". PittsburghHockey.net. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  2. ^ "Schenley Plaza". PittsburghParks.org. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  3. ^ Klein, Jeff Z. (December 30, 2010). "Hockey Has Deep Roots in Pittsburgh". New York Times.