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U.S. Cellular Arena
The Cell
Location	400 W Kilbourn Ave Milwaukee, WI 53203
Broke ground	1945
Opened	1950
Owner	Wisconsin Center District
Operator	Wisconsin Center District
Surface	Maple basketball floor, concrete, ice, or Astroturf
Construction cost	$10 million USD
Architect	Eschweiler & Eschweiler
Former names	Milwaukee Arena (1968-1974) MECCA Arena (1974-1995) Milwaukee Arena (aka Wisconsin Center Arena) (1995-2000)
Tenants
Milwaukee Hawks (NBA) (1951-1955) Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) (1968-1988) Milwaukee Admirals (IHL) (1984-1987) Marquette Warriors (NCAA) (1974-1989) Milwaukee Wave (MISL) (1984-1987; 2003-Present) UW-Milwaukee Panthers (NCAA) (1992-1998; 2003-Present) Milwaukee Bonecrushers (CIFL) (2008-future)
Capacity
12,700 (maximum), 10,783 (basketball)(2005)

U.S. Cellular Arena (formerly the Milwaukee Arena, MECCA Arena and Wisconsin Center Arena) is an indoor arena located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Arena, which seats as many as 12,700 people and offers 41,000 feet of floor space, is part of a larger downtown campus that includes the Milwaukee Theatre and Midwest Airlines Center. The Arena was part of the MECCA Complex (The Milwaukee Exposition Convention Center and Arena) 1974-1995.

It opened in 1950 and was one of the first to accommodate the needs of broadcast television. It was folded into the MECCA complex when it opened in 1974. It is also known for its former unique basketball court painted by Robert Indiana in 1978, with large rainbow 'M's taking up both half-courts representing Milwaukee.

It was home to the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA from 1968-1988, and hosted the 1977 NBA All-Star Game before an audience of 10,938. The venue was also home to Marquette University's men's basketball team along with the International Hockey League Milwaukee Admirals. These teams all moved to the Bradley Center upon the newer arena's opening in 1988.

In 1994 the Wisconsin Center District (WCD), a state organization, was created in order to fund the Midwest Airlines Center, and, in 1995 the MECCA complex was folded into this, including the Arena (the Bradley Center is owned by a separate authority). Following a major overhaul in 1998, the arena is now home to the UW-Milwaukee Panthers' men's college basketball team and the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League, and is the Milwaukee venue for Disney on Ice. It has also hosted professional wrestling events, including WCW SuperBrawl II in 1992, WWF King of the Ring 1996, WCW Clash of the Champions in 1997, WWF Over the Edge in 1998 and WCW Mayhem in 2000. It was at the forementioned King Of The Ring card where "Stone Cold" Steve Austin first uttered his now-famous "Austin 3:16" catchphrase.

The WCD added the Wisconsin Athletic Walk of Fame alongside the U.S. Cellular Arena in 2001. At the end of this public promenade is a Wisconsin Historical Marker noting the location where Christopher Sholes invented the first practical typewriter with its QWERTY key layout.

As the MECCA, the building hosted the 1984 NCAA Mideast first and second round games. The U.S. Cellular Arena has hosted all or part of every Horizon League men's basketball conference tournament since 2003.

In 2008 it will be home to the Milwaukee Bonecrushers of the Continental Indoor Football League. [1]

• The Beatles, 1964
• Led Zeppelin (twice), 1970 & 1973
• Elvis Presley (twice), 1971 & 1977
• Frank Sinatra, 1982
• The Who, 1982
• The Grateful Dead (numerous), 1980 - 1990
• Nirvana, October 27, 1993

• U.S. Cellular Field - home of the Chicago White Sox
• U.S. Cellular Coliseum - an indoor sports arena in Bloomington, Illinois
• U.S. Cellular Center - an indoor sports arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• U.S. Cellular Arena
• [2]
• Event Managers Sourcebook (PDF)
• Architecture in Milwaukee
• Milwaukee Panthers Men's Basketball history at the U.S. Cellular Arena

Coordinates: 43°2′31.97″N, 87°55′0″W