Built in 1929, Chicago Stadium was the crowning achievement of local
sports promoter Paddy Harmon. The largest sports arena in the world when
it was built, the stadium was completed at a total cost of $9.5 million.
The Madhouse on Madison witnessed an active 65-year reign as the city's
greatest auditorium. Home to both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago
Bulls, the stadium's attendance eclipsed that of others around the
nation as it hosted numerous boxing matches, the first playoff game of
the National Football League, rodeo competitions, and concerts
(featuring Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and later KISS) among other
events. Chicago Stadium fell to the wrecking ball in 1995.