Hippodrome

The Hippodrome was a roller skating rink in midtown Nashville, located at 2613 West End Avenue, across from Centennial Park. It was built as a wooden structure in 1906 and replaced with a brick structure in 1914. With 40,000 square feet of space and a dark ebony floor, the Hippodrome was a popular destination with capacity for up to 3,000 skaters. It was also the premiere arena for the city, featuring many concerts, dances, trade shows, sporting events and other attractions.

Musical acts that appeared at the Hippodrome include Benny Goodman, Xavier Cugat, Harry James, Sonny Dunham, James Brown, Lou Rawls, and Sam Cooke.

Wrestling promoter Nick Gulas held wrestling events at the Hippodrome, where wrestlers Tojo Yamamoto (Harry Watanabe) and Tex Riley made their names on the scene.

As economic pressure increased, the property was sold and the building demolished in 1968 to make way for the Vanderbilt Holiday Inn, which still resides at the site.