Aug. 27 – Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2026
Coliseum History — HIPPODROME TO COLISEUM
1900s: Prior to the construction of the Hippodrome, livestock were housed in wooden stock barns, and judging was held in large canvas tents. A legislative appropriation of $50,000 was granted to help fund a permanent structure.
1906: Construction of the new Hippodrome underway
Ca. 1906 to 1910: The new Hippodrome
1928: Advertising the Horse Show
1937: Hippodrome on Judson Avenue
1943 to 1945: During World War II, the government leased the livestock area of the fairgrounds and constructed an airplane propeller plant, run by the A.O. Smith Corp. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, bringing livestock exhibits to a halt. The Hippodrome became the rolling shop and tool room, while other buildings in part became a press and forging shop, receiving shed, finishing shop and shipping area.
Ca. 1948: The Hippodrome could not be converted to pre-war use, so it was razed in 1946. Sears, Roebuck & Co. exhibited in a tent on its former footprint.
Ca. 1949: Proposed Hippodrome arena and architectural illustration
Ca. 1950: Movable wood forms were mounted on seven sets of railroad tracks, and concrete was poured in six sections, with each section taking three weeks. Construction of the new Hippodrome was funded in part through the legislature and was the last use of state government funding at the Minnesota State Fair.
1951: With the new Hippodrome, livestock and horse shows returned to the State Fair. As an airplane hangar-type construction, the concrete ribbed shell eliminated the need for support posts in the arena, allowing for clear sight lines throughout.
1975: Hippodrome renovated for year-round use and is renamed the Coliseum.
