Mankato Civic Center Information
The Mankato Civic Center was first conceived of in the early 90s, as part of a 1992 general election initiative that approved a .5% tax increase to support downtown renovations including the construction of a new sports arena. Construction began in 1994 and was completed one year later as the Mankato Civic Center, with a men’s hockey event on February 3. The Civic Center helped revitalize Mankato’s downtown but became truly prosperous after Midwest Wireless purchased naming rights in 1999, changing the venue’s name to the Midwest Wireless Civic Center.
The venue’s name was changed to the Alltel Center after Alltel acquired Midwest Wireless, where the company paid $110,000 per year for naming rights. But the name changed once again to the Verizon Wireless Center in 2009 after Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel, The name finally stuck, even through 2015 when an expansion of the facility began with the purchase and demolition of the adjacent US Bank building. After expansion was completed the following year, the venue had space for 2,000 more seats and reopened on September 1, 2016.
What most people don’t know, is that the original plan for the Civic Center was to be a multi-purpose events center, but the venue was known as a Performing Arts Center since the city anticipated that it would be more commonly used for live shows. That name stuck until Verizon changed its designation from a Performing Arts Center into a Grand Hall in 2017 after Verizon dropped “Wireless” from their name.
Finally, in March 2019, Verizon announced that it would not be renewing its naming rights agreement, which meant that after over 20 years, the Mankato Civic Center would reclaim its original name until or unless a new naming rights agreement was signed.
This longtime interest in the Mankato Civic Center is more important than it seems. Since the economic impact of this venue helps support the community, hotels, shopping districts, and retail services have sprung up around the Civic Center. The constant updating and renovation of the venue help support local businesses and helps place the lovely city of Mankato on the map for many fans of star-studded and high-quality entertainment. While the Civic Center is primarily used to host hockey games, concerts, and conventions, it has also played host to some of the most famous entertainers and shows in the country.
Some of their most popular past performances include Aerosmith, Disney Live, Elton John, Monster Jam, KISS, Kenny Rogers, and WWE Live. If you ever have a chance to see the venue in person, you’ll understand why so many stars and organizations love using the Civic Center for their events, conventions, and shows.
Below are useful pages for further information on the Mankato Civic Center:
Mankato Civic Center Parking:
Read latest parking options and rules at the Mankato Civic Center.
Ticket Policies:
Read the latest industry leading ticket guarantee and ticket authenticity policies when purchasing from tickets via this website.
Mankato Civic Center Seating Chart:
View the Mankato Civic Center seating chart and read latest information on the various seating options.