The Bijou Theater, attended by Black audiences, was torn down in 1957 during Nashville's urban renewal to make way for the construction of the first modern auditorium in the city. The Municipal Auditorium, designed by Marr & Holdman, was completed in 1962 and seated 9,000. It functioned as a concert and sports venue and was the first public venue in Nashville to have air-conditioning. It held concerts by Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and Fleetwood Mac, in additon to hosting sporting events that included basketball, gymnastics, and ice hockey; the 1994 US World Gymnastic Championships and the 1996 Tour of World Figure Skating Champions were held in the auditorium. In 2013, the auditorium began to house the Musician Hall of Fame and Museum after the constuction of the Music City Center.
Municipal Auditorium
36.167255, -86.7823
Description
The Bijou Theater, attended by Black audiences, was torn down in 1957 during Nashville's urban renewal to make way for the construction of the first modern auditorium in the city. The Municipal Auditorium, designed by Marr & Holdman, was completed in 1962 and seated 9,000. It functioned as a concert and sports venue and was the first public venue in Nashville to have air-conditioning. It held concerts by Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and Fleetwood Mac, in additon to hosting sporting events that included basketball, gymnastics, and ice hockey; the 1994 US World Gymnastic Championships and the 1996 Tour of World Figure Skating Champions were held in the auditorium. In 2013, the auditorium began to house the Musician Hall of Fame and Museum after the constuction of the Music City Center.