Inside the Abandoned Michigan State Fairground Coliseum

The Michigan State Fair Coliseum in Detroit was demolished in early 2022.

The coliseum was built in 1922 and was the home of many spectacular events for almost 100 years. The Shrine Circus, concerts, horse shows, Wayne State Warriors hockey.....and of course, the state fair, which ceased appearing there in 2009. The Michigan State Fair was the oldest state fair in the country, having kicked off in 1849...160 years until Michigan's governor vetoed funding for the fair.

Now, many of the historic fair buildings were demolished to make way for an Amazon distribution center, costing 400 million dollars. Even though they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the three structures to be renovated (or torn down) are the 1922 coliseum (gone), the 1924 Dairy Cattle Building, and the 1926 Agricultural Building.

One structure that is being saved, however, is a modest house on Bauman Street where future president Ulysses S. Grant and his wife lived from 1849-1850. That house was moved in 2020 and relocated to Eastern Market to be used as an educational center.

Take a last look below at the empty insides of the 'abandoned' Michigan State Fairground Coliseum.