Sam Houston Coliseum was an indoor arena located in Houston , Texas . It was located at 801 Bagby Street near downtown . The Coliseum and Music Hall complex replaced the Sam Houston Hall , which was a wooden structure that had been erected on the site for the 1928 Democratic National Convention and torn down in 1936 . The Public Works Administration contributed $ 1,329,508 to the project designed by architect Alfred C. Finn . Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on November 4 , 1936 . The arena opened in November 1937 ( demolished 1998 ) and had a capacity of 9,200 . It was built in conjunction with the Houston Music Hall , which was adjacent to the Coliseum . In 1946 , permanent ice chillers were installed in the floor to accommodate an ice hockey rink for Houston 's first pro ice hockey team – the Houston Skippers of the USHL . The Skippers changed their name the following season to the Houston Huskies and called the Coliseum home until their demise in 1949
1928 Democratic National Convention
1928 Democratic National Convention
Sam Houston Coliseum