Cincinnatians have a deep pride for their city and the historic buildings that line our streets. We love sharing our city’s favorite historic structures, many of which have been repurposed and restored for a new use today. But unfortunately, we cannot save all of the iconic buildings in Cincinnati, and that became very apparent this past week as the demolition of Cincinnati Gardens has finally begun. We knew it was coming, but it is still sad to see this 67-year-old legacy reduced to rubble to make way for a new life in the manufacturing world. If you grew up in Cincinnati, then this building likely holds many memories of the incredible events that took place inside. So take a step back in time and relive these fond memories that our city has of Cincinnati Gardens.

Cincinnati Gardens opened its doors in 1949 and at the time, the 25,000 square foot venue was the 7th largest in the nation. The very first event was an exhibition hockey game, which is appropriate given the number of hockey games that would eventually take place in the Gardens.

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Over the next nearly 70 years, The Cincinnati Gardens would host countless sporting events, concerts, circuses, and other exciting shows. While it may not be the most beautiful historic building in our city, Cincinnati has always had a fond place in its heart for this venue and has been holding its breath the past several years as rumors swirled of a sale and the end of an era.

Flickr/5chw4r7z

In 2016, it looked like a sale would finally go through and this past week it became really official as the walls were knocked down. While we may not be able to visit Cincinnati Gardens anymore, we can take a look back through photos of the incredible memories Cincinnatians have of this historic venue.

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Wiley/@capthowdy1027

Many concerts were held inside Cincinnati Gardens and in fact, some of the biggest acts in history performed on its stage. On August 27, 1964, The Beatles gave an unforgettable, sold out concert.

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Facebook/The Cincinnati Gardens Beatlemania hit Cincinnati hard and many locals still remember this once-in-a-lifetime performance.

Facebook/The Cincinnati Gardens There was not an empty seat inside Cincinnati Gardens for what might have been the most exciting night in the history of the venue. Although over the next few years, The Rolling Stones, Diana Ross and The Supremes, and the Jackson 5 all took the stage at Cincinnati Gardens, so you can understand its icon status.

Another memorable visit to the Gardens actually performed twice — once in 1971 and again in 1973.

Facebook/True Fans Of Elvis A Presley The King himself, Elvis Presley, performed two memorable concerts. And then later in the 80s, George Thorogood & The Destroyers recorded their live album at Cincinnati Gardens and Bon Jovi also paid this venue a visit.

Sports have always been a big deal at Cincinnati Gardens, and not just ice hockey.

Facebook/Cincinnati Royals NBA Expansion The Cincinnati Royals, our city’s former NBA team, played here from 1957 through 1972. The NBA All-Star game was even hosted here in 1966. The popular Crosstown Shootout between Xavier and UC was also played here for a number of years.

When most people think of Cincinnati Gardens, hockey is one of the first things that comes to mind. The venue was home to a number of teams throughout its life.

Facebook/The Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati’s first hockey team — the Mohawks, played here from 1949 through 1958. But many locals have fond memories of attending games played by both the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and the Cincinnati Cyclones.

More recently, the sports scene changed a bit as Cincinnati Gardens was home to the Cincinnati Rollergirls.

Flickr/5chw4r7z Along with the entertaining roller derby, the Gardens also hosted a number of Monster Jams, Professional Wrestling, indoor football and soccer, boxing, and rodeos.

There are also many childhood memories of visiting Cincinnati Gardens each year for the circus.

Facebook/Cincinnati Shrine Circus

Facebook/The Cincinnati Gardens Especially now that the circus isn’t as easy to see, these memories are that much more special. The Shriner Circus was held here until just a few years ago, and you can actually still see this particular event at the BB&T Arena on the campus of NKU.

When you think of all of the incredible events that took place inside the walls of Cincinnati Gardens, it makes it a little more difficult to watch those walls come down.

Photo Courtesy of Kayo Montana But we’ll hold on tight to those memories and continue to share our favorite moments at this historic Cincinnati venue.

The building may soon be completely gone, but Cincinnati will have these memories forever. Are you sad to see this icon go? We’d love to hear about your favorite memory of Cincinnati Gardens! Share with us in the comments!

Facebook/The Cincinnati Gardens

Flickr/5chw4r7z

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Wiley/@capthowdy1027

Beatlemania hit Cincinnati hard and many locals still remember this once-in-a-lifetime performance.

There was not an empty seat inside Cincinnati Gardens for what might have been the most exciting night in the history of the venue. Although over the next few years, The Rolling Stones, Diana Ross and The Supremes, and the Jackson 5 all took the stage at Cincinnati Gardens, so you can understand its icon status.

Facebook/True Fans Of Elvis A Presley

The King himself, Elvis Presley, performed two memorable concerts. And then later in the 80s, George Thorogood & The Destroyers recorded their live album at Cincinnati Gardens and Bon Jovi also paid this venue a visit.

Facebook/Cincinnati Royals NBA Expansion

The Cincinnati Royals, our city’s former NBA team, played here from 1957 through 1972. The NBA All-Star game was even hosted here in 1966. The popular Crosstown Shootout between Xavier and UC was also played here for a number of years.

Cincinnati’s first hockey team — the Mohawks, played here from 1949 through 1958. But many locals have fond memories of attending games played by both the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Along with the entertaining roller derby, the Gardens also hosted a number of Monster Jams, Professional Wrestling, indoor football and soccer, boxing, and rodeos.

Facebook/Cincinnati Shrine Circus

Especially now that the circus isn’t as easy to see, these memories are that much more special. The Shriner Circus was held here until just a few years ago, and you can actually still see this particular event at the BB&T Arena on the campus of NKU.

Photo Courtesy of Kayo Montana

But we’ll hold on tight to those memories and continue to share our favorite moments at this historic Cincinnati venue.

And if you like the idea of historic Cincinnati buildings being repurposed, rather than torn down, check out our previous article here.

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