Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum

I will seriously consider never going to a concert here again. It’s not worth it. The poor reviews are extremely on point.
Not only is the alcohol situation a joke but so is the way the place operates. The staff seemed severely untrained and unhappy to be there. (I get it??? But then why are you working here?!)
Unless Tupac performs here, I won’t be back.
My advice– Consume all your booze prior to arrival. You’ll lose every ounce of your buzz waiting for a coors light…

Just to let anyone know, they have other beers than Budweiser. I left my seat to get a beer and did not want to wander around all day looking for a good one. So I stopped at the Budweiser kiosk and asked if the stadium had any beer other than Budweiser. The guy serving beer told me «We have Bud Light». So I bought a Budweiser for $ 8.75 and the guy pouring the beer told me «The people of St. Louis thank you». A while later, as I was going to get rid of the piss I just drank, I walked by the Alameda brewing booth selling good craft beers, not crap beers for only $ 1 more. Fuck the guy at the Budweiser booth, fuck Budweiser, and fuck St. Louis

This venue is a time warp back to the 80’s. The seats aren’t comfortable, there aren’t any drink holders, and the concourse is pretty bare. There are probably better concession stands at a little league baseball game. A little renovation can go a long way for this place. That being said, the acoustics for a concert weren’t bad at all. I stood most of the time, so the seats weren’t that big of a deal, and it’s easily accessible from the TriMet.

Ugh. Please get more exits in this place. After a concert, if you do not leave early or during the encore, you will be stuck in a huge mass of people slowly… slowly…ever so very slowly… working their way towards what seems to be a SINGLE exit in the whole place. Can I scream «Fire Hazard!»?!?
My friend and I tried to leave through a separate door marked «EXIT» and an employee close by told us, that «It wasn’t an exit», and that he wouldn’t let us get out that way. Because that makes sense.
Very poor placement of exits, and the option of allowing people leave. Overall, we were happy with our seats for the concert… we were down below the permanent seating area, on fold out chairs — but we had a pretty decent view.
Take precautions when trying to leave here. Leave early… or just don’t go. The claustrophobia is high.

I went to the Alt-​J show here over the weekend. The band was great, but the venue was horrible. For all the fees that we added to my ticket (even though I printed at home) things should have gone much smoother. We waited in line for 30 minutes during a 90 minute show for beer. What a waste.

Last weekend, I went to see Cirque Du Soleil Varekai at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. It was alright… Ample parking, convenient location, nice venue.
I did have an issue with the seats. They’re cramped and uncomfortable. But I liked that I could still see over the person in front of me.
A/​C was a problem too. It was sweltering hot in there with all that body heat, like an oven! Turn the A/​C up (or down), being sweaty ain’t cute.

The arena has a special feel to it. It’s old, smells and is worn down but it’s perfect for the winterhawks. They don’t have any special food like the rose garden but that’s one thing that makes this place great.
The jumbotron doesn’t work but they just installed two large TVs for the fans.
I’d love to watch a blazer game here like the old days

good seats, smaller arena so seating is good all around. steps are horrible very steep, so if you have balance issues or chronic illness that requires assistance not good, plan on staying seated. other than that ok. parking was a bitch. but nice arena

I like this arena better than the Moda Center, yet they don’t have the same menu. it all is like a step down or two from the Moda center yet everything is just as expensive if not more. So, I only buy wine there if anything. I tend to go for Winterhawks games. which really the Moda center is better equipped for. The jumbotron didn’t work in the Coliseum, and though they had screens… couldn’t see them for they were blocked by the jumbotron. In section 61 you see very little. I’d recommend at least screens on all 4 sides if you aren’t going to use the jumbotron. Otherwise only the premium sections et the better deal. That said though, I can’t reallly complain as they have great Groupon deals for tickets, and it was warmer than usual, and it was a great time with friends! :)

I like going to this Arena better then the new Arena they have next door, I’m glad they didn’t tear this place down when they built the new Arena,
This Arena I like as its more intimate then the new Arena is, I have been to Hockey and Indoor Soccer games here, and both there is not a bad place in the Arena to sit, the only negative I would say is you have to watch your steps, as some are different height then others from what I found out lol.
There is plenty of food options inside the Arena, but they are pricy, putside, there is good options as well, and the light rial system will take you to Llyod Center which has the normal mall food options.

My Seat broke while at a sold out WinterHawks game! The usher ended up finding a spot for me, but AWAY from my family. It was horrible. They need to update the seating really bad.

This is historic venue that is old and dilapidated. The Winterhawks did a season ticket holders meeting a couple years ago where they talked about all the great improvements that were coming, but I’ve seen few of them (expanding the ice rink was the only thing I’ve noticed).
If you are coming here for event and thinking of having a meal here, don’t! The food options here are terrible, and the quality is questionable at best. In light of the food improvements they’ve made at the Rose Garden/​Moda Center, I don’t see why they haven’t done this here as well.

I went to cheer for my granddaughters dance team. Once a year is enough for this grandma to visit here I find the bathrooms disgustingly dirty, and food outrageously overpriced. But no handrails in the aisles is a huge safety concern. Stair treads are narrow and steep. I saw more than one person stumble. I have been to many arena– type venues, this by far is the worst. But at least this year the doors opened on time.

For the love of all that is holy, please please please renovate this stadium!
I’m a diehard Winterhawks fan (and season ticket holder), and I also enjoy the occasional Rose City Rollers bout. The Coliseum *could be*, again, COULD BE a GREAT place to go. But it’s outdated with crappy seats, horrid bathrooms, the WORST jumbo tron on the planet, and old and slow concessions. Yes, Portland needs two stadiums at the Rose Quarter. The Rose Garden (I refuse to refer to it as Moda Center) is beautiful and a worthy sports venue. The Coliseum should be its beautiful little sister, not its ugly step sister.
Portland needs to stop refusing to update it because someone thinks it would be nice retail space. Show some pride for the non-​basketball sports fans (and smaller venue concert goers). Spend some money and make the Coliseum worthy of our city!

This only convenient part of shows here is the location. I just don’t like attending shows here. It’s not so much the ghetto aspect, it’s the stupid management of the ticket sales, and the completely blown out sounding acoustics of this old, decrepit cement floored dinosaur.
Every show I’ve been to at this arena has sparked a fight between the crowd and the security staff. Tickets are sold as GA (General Admission) on a first-​come, first-​serve basis through Ticketmaster or at the Rose Quarter ticket window. Most people don’t realize that the Floor and the Stadium (Bowl) seats are both GA, so when people with Bowl seats arrive at their show, they are disappointed to know that they can’t be on the ground near the stage or dancing with their friends. So, they go charging across the barrier and get chased by security. How fun.
It’s a strange layout, because the floor always appears to be half full, and the seats are packed out or being constantly patrolled by security and employees trying to keep the aisles clear.
Again, I just don’t like attending shows here. I’ve been to a whole lot of venues in my life, and the sound here sucks. Of course if this venue is my only option, I’ll have to deal with it, but this place needs to be overhauled.

I think this place should be limited to being a venue for Disney on Ice or minor league hockey. I’m obviously not from Portland, so I don’t have any sentimental attachment, but methinks it’s time for a major renovation. Cuz this olé girl is tired and dingy!
However, I do think it’s adorable that they sell cotton candy and lemonade during concerts. What is that!!! Too. Cute.
P. S. — If you decide to renovate, please add more bathrooms for women. Your current situation sucks hard.

Major kudos to whoever runs and owns this place. I’m sure they were mighty generous to the people who run Compassion Connect. I don’t know the details, but I bet the Coliseum was rented for a song.
Every year Compassion Connect hosts a Free Medical Dental Clinic at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Needy people can come and enjoy a bounty of food and many many services. If you need a haircut or job counseling. .. .. you name it.
I volunteered my services as a Dental Hygienist for the day. it’s an amazing and rewarding experience.
Sadly, I didn’t see a hint of this amazing event on the daily news.
I look forward to next years clinic at the Coliseum.

It’s a building and for some reason events are still scheduled there. Unfortunately, I am not from Portland, so I have no problem with nostalgia mitigating my rating.
The lone show I saw here was Arcade Fire/​Calexico and while the gig was most excellent, I can certainly believe the reputation that follows the Memorial Coliseum.
I happened to be barrier centre and have the ultimate confidence in AF’s engineering crew so I did not find a problem with the sound (except during Calexico’s set). The Portland crowd was most supportive of the opening artist, which is most admirable because they are great artists and most cities (SEE Chicago) give the opener one full song before they decide to start jeering.
TIP: There is an industrial area to the NW of the Rose Quarter where you can park for free on the street. Most useful if you are there early because you are queuing for the GA FLOOR show you are attending.- E

I know what my answer is supposed to be when a diehard Winterhawks fan asks, «Where is your favorite place to watch a game?» But, I can’t bring myself to say the Memorial Coliseum. While I know it is the historic (and current) home of the team, and the first place I saw them play 15+ years ago, it is no Rose Garden.
I’ve been a partial season ticket holder for several years and see about 90% of the games in the Rose Garden, which is pretty ideal. Every time I go to «Veterans» Memorial Coliseum (the current name), even though I have fantastic seats, the experience is never in the same league. And the truly sad part is that this is after a recent renovation.
The Memorial Coliseum is a 12,000 seat arena and was also the first home to the Trailblazers before the Rose Garden was built in 1995. In addition to ice hockey, I’ve attended a number of different events here over the years: Rose City Rollers, Rose Festival Parade and perhaps a monster truck rally or two.
The amenities are just basic: bathrooms, seating, concessions. And from a hockey fan’s perspective, everything is scaled back at this venue. The biggest negatives are dreadful acoustics (it is sort of like listening to an adult talking in a Peanuts cartoon… wah wah wah wah wah?) and the lack of a functional big screen. In the Rose Garden you can see the action while it is happening on the opposite side of the rink because they are always covering the game, have instant replay, and lots of fun zooming in on the crowd during breaks in the action (dancing, the Kiss Cam, etc.). Even the Rosebuds are usually MIA at the VMC.
At different times they’ve tried to demolish the structure for a variety of purposes, but local veterans and historians had it added to the National Register of Historic Places and so it lives.
There is no attached garage, no suites and only half of the concessions booths are typically open, which means long lines during the games. What can I say? I miss my creature comforts.

Went to a hockey game last nite, concession choices there (and facilities for same) are horrid. The only thing one might find special is the prices — out of this world. You can easily spend $ 50 for two and still not be happy.
Bring your own food and drinks, I say. Building and complex difficult to navigate. Clearly outdated facility, which we should have torn down to build the baseball park!