Nestled in the heart of Orange County, Honda Center stands as one of the premier
entertainment and sports venues in the country. Opened in 1993, it is owned by the
City of Anaheim and managed by Anaheim Arena Management, LLC. Home to the Anaheim
Ducks and annual John R. Wooden Classic, the arena has hosted the 2003 World Gymnastics
Championships and 2005 World Badminton Championships; NCAA events including the
first Frozen Four west of the Rocky Mountains and much more. Performances by world
renowned musical artists and family shows are also plentiful year after year for
the fans of Orange County and Southern California. Since 1993, 23 million fans have
been entertained at Honda Center, enjoying more than 2,300 events.
Honda Center offers fans a facility that is both beautiful to behold and a delight
in which to view any event reflecting state-of-the-art design in both form and function.
Visitors enjoy incredibly comfortable seating and some of the best sight lines and
proximity to the action found anywhere. Fans looking to experience their favorite
artist in an upscale, intimate atmosphere will appreciate The Theatre at Honda Center.
Created in 2001, The Theatre seats approximately 7,000 people and acts including
Dolly Parton and Matchbox Twenty have graced the stage.
Both 2005 and 2006 were busy years for the arena. Following the success of 2005,
the arena ranked 3rd in the world by Billboard magazine, hosting 31 concerts and
the World Badminton Championships. 2006 highlighted two sold out Ultimate Fighting
Championships, one of which made history as the first sanctioned UFC in California.
Honda Center hosted eight of Billboard magazineÕs Top 25 concerts including Bon
Jovi, Aerosmith and Coldplay. Performers such as Andrea Bocelli and Andre Rieu added
to the variety of concerts throughout the year. The Anaheim Ducks advanced to the
Western Conference finals, and No. 1 UCLA defeated No. 6 Texas A&M in an exciting
game during the 13th annual John R. Wooden Classic.
The complete arena encompasses 650,000 square feet of space and is lined inside
and out with marble and granite from around the world. The buildingÕs roof spans
444 feet by 329 feet, more than 100 feet above the arena floor. Seating is comprised
of three levels. Closest to the arena floor is the Plaza Level; just 21 rows from
the floor is the exclusive Club Level for Premium Seat holders and above the Club
level, is the Terrace level.
Building Facts:
* Construction start date: June 1991
* Opening date: June 19, 1993
* Building original cost: $103 million
* Building final cost: $123 million
* Architect: Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK)
* Building owner: City of Anaheim
* Management: Anaheim Arena Management, LLC
* Food & Beverage: ARAMARK Corporation
* Main Tenant: Anaheim Ducks (Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club, LLC)
* First event: Barry Manilow (sold out)
* The arena is home to the Annual John Wooden Classic, Stars on Ice, Ringling Bros.
and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Champions on Ice and The Harlem Globetrotters.
* NCAA History: 1998 MenÕs Basketball West Regional, 1999 MenÕs Ice Hockey Frozen
Four, 2001 MenÕs Basketball West Regional and 2003 MenÕs Basketball West Regional
Seating/Configuration/Parking/Function Room capacities:
* Hockey Capacity = 17,174
* Basketball Capacity = 17,608
* Center Stage Capacity = 18,900
* End Stage Capacity = 18,325
* Total Number of Suites = 83
* Function Rooms include the Vista Rooms and Board Room.
* The Jack DanielÕs Old No. 7 Club is located on the Private Club level.
* There are a total of 4,500 parking spaces at Honda Center
IMPRESSIVE STATISTICS (as of January 5, 2007):
* Nearly 25 million people have been entertained at Honda Center since 1993.
* More than 2,300 events have been hosted at Honda Center since 1993.
* 2006 held 154 events including 24 concerts that featured Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Shakira,
Mariah Carey, Elton John and Andrea Bocelli.
* The arena recently completed a $12.9 million improvement plan, adding a new state-of-the-art
sound system, second LED ring, end-zone scoreboards and a new point-of-sale system
for all food and beverage and merchandise stands. A 95-foot-tall marquee was also
constructed alongside the 57 Freeway.
* On April 15, 2006 history was made at Honda Center. The first Ultimate Fighting
Championship ever in the state of California, UFC 59: Reality Check was also the
fastest sellout in UFC history.
* In 2006, Honda Center hosted eight of Billboard magazineÕs Top 25 concerts for 2006:
No. 3 ranked Bon Jovi, No. 10 ranked Aerosmith, American Idols Live, Nickelback,
Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Trans Siberian Orchestra and RBD (featured at KIIS FMÕs
Jingle Ball). (Source: Billboard magazine, 12/23/06)
* In 2005, Honda Center ranked 3rd for Top 10 Venues based on Gross Ticket Sales by
Billboard Magazine - $35,920,187 (Venues 15,001+ seats; Source: Billboard magazine,
12/24/05).
* The arena hosted the 2005 World Badminton Championships with 350 athletes from 45
countries and regions. The event received international attention as history was
made in Anaheim. This marked the first time the event had ever been held in the
United States and the first time the world championship had been won by Americans
(US menÕs doubles team, Tony Gunawan/Howard Bach).
* 2004 held 154 events including a venue record 41 concerts. Top entertainment acts
in 2004 included Madonna, Rod Stewart, Prince, Barry Manilow, Phil Collins and Van
Halen.
Recent Honda Center TV Coverage has included:
* Top Rank Boxing, Jorge Arce vs. Julio Roque Ler Ð Two fights were aired nationally
in High Definition on HBO Boxing After Dark, January 27, 2007
* John R. Wooden Classic Ð Game One was broadcast live on CBS Sports, Game Two was
live on KCAL9 locally and nationally on HDNet and Superstation WGN.
* UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn Ð Three hours of Pay Per View coverage
* UFC 59: Reality Check Ð Three hours of Pay Per View coverage
* 2005 World Badminton Championships ÐFive hours of coverage nationally on ESPN2 plus
international coverage that was seen in millions of households worldwide.
* 2003 World Gymnastics Championships - Five hours of coverage nationally on NBC Sports
and international broadcasts ranged from six to 30 hours in as many as 80 other
countries.
* 2004 Olympic Team Trials for Gymnastics - six hours of coverage nationally on NBC.
* Member of the exclusive Arena Network and Arena Network Theatre Group which have
promoted tours including Dolly Parton and the 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics
Champions.
* Received international attention when the venue hosted the World Gymnastics Championships
in August of 2003. More than 300 reporters and photographers from all over the world
covered the more than 60 countries and 600 athletes. Economic impact was estimated
at $30 million to the local area.
* First arena to host both a World Gymnastics Championships and the Olympic Team Trials
within 12 months.
* Hosted two World Championships in just two years (Gymnastics, 2003; Badminton, 2005)
* During the 2004 Olympics, the NBC commentators and journalists often referenced
the World Championships and Olympic Trials at Honda Center (then the Arrowhead Pond
of Anaheim).
* The Theatre at Honda Center, launched in 2001, provides entertainers and fans a
more intimate, upscale experience. A 7,000-seat venue created inside Honda Center,
it is the only one of its kind in Orange County.
* Performers have included Matchbox Twenty, Maroon 5, David Bowie, YES, Seal and Dolly
Parton
* Since opening in 1993, the arena has been home to hockey (Anaheim Ducks: Õ93-present)
Arena Football (Piranhas: Õ96, Õ97), Indoor Soccer (Splash: Õ94-Õ97), Indoor Roller
Hockey (Bullfrogs: Õ93-Õ99) and Indoor Lacrosse (Storm: 2003-2005).
* Over the 13 year history, the arena has hosted four NCAA events. The fifth will
be in 2008 when the NCAA Division I MenÕs Basketball Championship First and Second
Rounds come to Honda Center.
* Past NCAA Events: 1998 MenÕs Basketball West Regional, 1999 MenÕs Ice Hockey Frozen
Four, 2001 MenÕs Basketball West Regional and 2003 MenÕs Basketball West Regional
Additional Accolades
* In 2004, ranked 4th for Top 10 Venues based on Gross Ticket Sales by Billboard magazine
- $34,179,023 (Venues 15,000+ seats; Source: Billboard magazine 12/25/04).
* 2004 Arena of the Year nominee (Pollstar Magazine). This was the 7th time the arena
has been nominated.
* Honda Center President & CEO, Tim Ryan, was named Pollstar MagazineÕs Facility Executive
of the Year in 2001.
* Voted New Venue of the Year by both Pollstar Magazine and Performance Magazine in
1993.
Quick Facts
* In 1993, the Arrowhead Pond opened as the Anaheim Arena; later that year Arrowhead
Water became the title sponsor of the building.
* On October 3, 2006 the name of the building changed to Honda Center when Honda Motor
Company became the title sponsor of the building. This is the first name change
in the 14 year history of the building.
* Over 23 million people have walked through the doors of Honda Center as of January,
2007.
* There is more than 200,000 square feet of marble lining the interior concourses
and walls.
* There are 4 different colors of imported marble which were secured from mountains
of Spain, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
* The 12 feet of granite, which encircles the buildingÕs exterior was mined in Sweden
and fabricated in Italy.
* The arena encompasses 650,000 square feet in space.
* The distance from the highest seat in the arena straight down to the floor level
is only 82 feet.
* Q. How do they make the ice? A. 10 miles of piping travels along the arenaÕs concrete
floor. When ice needs to be in place for an event, a solution made up of 40% Ethylene
Glycol and 60% water is pumped through the piping, freezing the concrete. Next,
a thin layer of water is pumped onto the floor and freezes to the concrete. Logos
and ice markings are painted and another layer of ice is added.
* Ice hockey is played on ice that is 1 1/4'Ó thick with a floor temperature of 21
degrees. The ice for figure skating is 2Ó thick and 25-26 degrees. Figure skaters
need the ice to be thicker and softer for jumping and landing.
* It takes roughly 30 hours and 15,000 gallons of water to complete the ice making
process. It only takes 5-6 hours to remove the ice at the end of the season.
* City of Anaheim ÒArts in Public PlacesÓ Commission has 3 works of art on the premises:
Video Arch, Musical Gateway and Anamorph.
* It takes approximately 15,000 gallons of water to make the ice.
* It takes a 25 man crew 8 hours to go from hockey to a concert setup
* The HondaVision is approximately 30,000 pounds
* There are more than 130 palm trees on the property.
Source: Honda Center
The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim is one of the most beautiful buildings in the NHL. Opened in 1993, its features include marble concourses, glass archways and brass fittings. Disney's focus on family entertainment is apparent at Ducks games. The team showed the movie version of the Disney film "Mighty Ducks" before the team hit the ice for the first time. Fans even blow on their duck callers - about 2,000 are sold at each game - every time the team scores.
Attracting almost 700,000 fans in their first season, the Mighty Ducks posted 27 sell-outs (17,174+), including their last 25 home games of the year. Having attracted 1.8 million fans in its first three seasons, the Mighty Ducks have filled the arena to 99.5 capacity over that b. Anaheim has sold out 36-straight home contests entering the 1995-96 season, and 87 of their past 90 home games dating back to December 22, 1993.
Reflecting start-of-the-art design in both form and function, Honda Center offers fans a facility that is both beautiful to behold and a delight in which to view a hockey game. Conveniently located with easy access to five major freeways, Honda Center affords fans incredibly comfortable seating and some of the best sight lines and proximity to the action that can be found anywhere in the NHL.
The exterior of the arena consists of 12-foot granite walls which extend around the building. Granite is also used to outline the building's most identifiable features - the green glass archways on the north and south entrances. The building roof spans 444 feet by 329 feet, more than 100 feet above the arena floor. On the building's interior, more than 200,000 square feet of marble are used to adorn the public concourses.
Within Honda Center are three concourse levels. Closest to the ice is the Plaza Concourse, with 5,600 deluxe, cloth-padded seats. Also on the Plaza Concourse Level are 40 10-person luxury suites, located 17 rows above the ice. The Plaza Concourse offers multiple entrances for easy access and a variety of full-service concession stands.
The Terrace Concourse is not described in the media guide. It is the upper-most Level in the Pond.
Between these two levels is the Club Concourse, a private, exclusive level just 21 rows above the ice. Suite and seat holders may enjoy a number of benefits, including preferred parking, waiter/waitress service, theater-style seats and tickets to year-round events hosted at Honda Center.
In all, Honda Center features 82 luxury suites, which can accomodate 10, 12 or 14 people, depending on the suite size and location.
Getting There
The arena is located in an easily accessible location of Orange County, east
of the 57 (Orange) freeway on highly-traveled Katella Avenue, where more than
35,000 motorists pass by daily. For easy access and egress from the site,
five major freeways (57, 22, 5, 91, 55) are located within a five-mile radius.
From the north, take Cerritos Avenue to Sunkist Street; turn left and then make a right at Douglass Road - the stadium is on the right less than half a mile ahead.
From the Santa Monica, Westchester, Malibu, take the Artesia Fwy. (SR-91) east to the Santa Ana Fwy. (I-5) south to Katella east, go 1/2 mile east to Douglass.
From Long Beach, the South Bay and PV, take the San Diego Fwy. (I-405) south to the Garden Grove Fwy. (SR-22) east; go east on the 22 to the Orange Fwy. (SR-57) north; exit at Katella east.
From the South (San Diego, Irvine, Mission Viejo) take the Santa Ana Fwy. (I-5) north to the Orange Fwy. (SR-57) north; exit at Katella east.
From the Inland Empire, take the Riverside Fwy. (SR-91) west to the Orange Fwy. (SR-57) south; exit at Ball Rd. east, follow the signs.
From the eastern San Gabriel Valley, Pomona, and western San Bernandino County, take the Orange Fwy. (SR-57) south; exit at Ball Rd. east, follow the signs.
The Pond history
* First regular-season game: Oct. 8, 1993, 7-2 loss to the Red Wings
* First goal: Aaron Ward, Red Wings
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
| Honda Center Ranking by USRT |
| Architecture |  | 8 |
| Concessions | | 6 |
| Scoreboard | | 4 |
| Ushers | | 3 |
| Fan Support | | 4.5 |
| Location | | 4 |
| Banners/History | | 5 |
| Entertainment | | 6 |
| Concourses/Fan Comfort | | 8 |
| Bonus: Disney Video Clips | | 2 |
| Total Score |  | 50.5 |
January 17, 2000 - After spending the afternoon at the Staples Center, we headed south 25 miles to check out the Arrowhead Pond. Little did we know it then, but we would be in for a treat.
"The Pond" is located right in Anaheim, not far from Disneyland and Edison Field. The adjoining neighborhood looks a lot like an upscale suburb, and even with large surface lots, one can walk across the highway to any one of numerous restaurants and sports pubs which are a stones throw from the complex.
The architecture of this building is magnificent, with a brick facade, accent flood lighting and sweeping arches which form each of its entrances. Add the beautiful landscaping, palm trees, all attractively lit at night, and you have the setting for a beautiful venue.
It gets better once you walk inside. All the concourses are richly appointed in soft lighting, concession stands and marquees carved with a wood veneer, and marble tiled floors all laid out in a colorful mosaic. Just to demonstrate how no expense was spared here, even the stairwells to the upper levels are tiled, ceilinged, painted and decorated - a far cry from our HSBC Arena, where stairwells are nothing more than exposed pipes and grey cement. One deduction point though - not a single escalator in the place - you sit upstairs - you got hoof it!
Along the main concourse is a large team store.
The Bowl
Like most of the newer arenas, this one is laid out into four levels - the lowers, clubs, suites and upper levels. All seats are colored in a deep wine red, almost copper color, and in the center is a four sided scoreboard with video boards. Statistic panels hang from the rafter in the upper end zones.
Concessions
Andrew liked the churros, priced at a buck. There is a huge food selection and drink selection as well for any appetite.
Banners/Retired Numbers
No titles, no retirements yet, and thankfully, NO silly 6th man or attendance banners which seem to be all the rage among expansion teams which feel they have to hang something to feel good about themselves. HOORAY Anaheim!!!
Summary
Not the best hockey experience - the team is kind of bad, and our Sabres pummeled the Ducks on this night. But definitely one of the more attractive buildings in the NHL and a place you gotta come and see.
