Leon County Civic Center
Encyclopedia
Donald L. Tucker Center is a 13,800 seat multi-purpose arena
in Tallahassee, Florida
, located within the Tallahassee-Leon County
Civic Center. The arena opened in 1981 and was built at a cost of $33.8 million, financed by the city. It has hosted WCW and WWE, and men's and women's basketball including the 1996 MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament. The most it has ever held was 15,000 WWE Fans on January 12, 2008. In 2008, another 1,700 seats were added to the top rim of the arena bowl to increase the capacity to 13,800. It is also home to the Florida State University
Seminoles men's and women's basketball
teams. Before they moved, it was also host to the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
ice hockey
team of the ECHL
. Other professional teams that called the center home included the Tallahassee Thunder
of arenafootball2 and the Tallahassee Scorpions
soccer team of the EISL
. In 2007 it was home to the Tallahassee Titans
of the American Indoor Football League
. The team then left the AIFL for the World Indoor Football League
but then folded after the owner failed to acquire enough capital to finance the team. The WIFL then folded as other members jumped to other leagues.
The arena was re-named, in accordance with a 2004 act of state
legislation
, in honor of Donald L. Tucker
, Esq., a former Speaker
of the Florida House of Representatives
and Special Ambassador
for the United States
to the Dominican Republic
.
In early 2009, The Donald L. Tucker Center confirmed the official amount of upholstered seats (Arena Seats) in the arena as 13,800. Covering 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²), the arena can accommodate banquets and receptions for up to 2,000 people.
The arena can be configured in a variety of seating arrangements for each type of event. As a concert
venue, the Tucker Center can seat between 2,372 and 12,041. As a convention center
, the Tucker Center can accommodate 18,900 square feet (1760 m²) in the main arena plus 35,000 square feet (3300 m²) at the adjoining exhibit hall, in addition to 16,000 square feet (1500 m²) of space at the meeting rooms. Concerts, sporting events, trade shows, Broadway shows, conventions, ice shows, circuses, and other events are held here annually.
Prior to the opening of the Tucker Center, Florida State's basketball teams played on-campus at Tully Gymnasium
.
The theater setting available at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center provides not only a traditional counterweight system for shows accustomed to a conventional theatre venue, but also a setting for musical artists that prefer a more intimate performance space.
The Civic Center is equipped with a sound system capable of providing reinforcement for upper level and club seat fill, as well as motorized clusters that may be utilized for additional support.
The Center Theater hosts the Tallahassee Broadway Series and has presented such tours as Les Misérables, Riverdance, Cats, Chicago, Fosse, and Spring Awakening. In addition, numerous musical artists have chosen to perform in this configuration.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, located within the Tallahassee-Leon County
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
Civic Center. The arena opened in 1981 and was built at a cost of $33.8 million, financed by the city. It has hosted WCW and WWE, and men's and women's basketball including the 1996 MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament. The most it has ever held was 15,000 WWE Fans on January 12, 2008. In 2008, another 1,700 seats were added to the top rim of the arena bowl to increase the capacity to 13,800. It is also home to the Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
Seminoles men's and women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams. Before they moved, it was also host to the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
The Tallahassee Tiger Sharks were a minor professional ice hockey team that played in the ECHL from 1994–2001. Under this period they served as a minor league affiliate to New York Islanders , Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens....
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. Other professional teams that called the center home included the Tallahassee Thunder
Tallahassee Thunder
The Tallahassee Thunder is a now-defunct charter member af2 arena football team from Tallahassee, Florida. The Thunder played from 2000 until 2002, playing their home games at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee...
of arenafootball2 and the Tallahassee Scorpions
Tallahassee Scorpions
Tallahassee Scorpions were an indoor soccer team that played in the EISL during both the leagues, 1997-98. The team won one Division Title but failed to advance past that in the first season and had a losing record in its second and final season....
soccer team of the EISL
Eastern Indoor Soccer League
The Eastern Indoor Soccer League was an attempt to create a regional minor indoor soccer league. The league featured teams from the Southeastern United States...
. In 2007 it was home to the Tallahassee Titans
Tallahassee Titans
The Tallahassee Titans were an American Indoor Football Association team that began play as a 2007 member. The team played its home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida.-History:...
of the American Indoor Football League
American Indoor Football League
American Indoor Football is a professional indoor football league that has gone through various incarnations since 2005.The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United States in 2005; after a rapid, and largely failed, expansion effort in 2006, most of the...
. The team then left the AIFL for the World Indoor Football League
World Indoor Football League (2007)
The World Indoor Football League was an indoor football league founded by Harry Pierce, owner of the Rome Renegades and Raleigh Rebels of the American Indoor Football League...
but then folded after the owner failed to acquire enough capital to finance the team. The WIFL then folded as other members jumped to other leagues.
The arena was re-named, in accordance with a 2004 act of state
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
legislation
Statutory law
Statutory law or statute law is written law set down by a legislature or by a legislator .Statutes may originate with national, state legislatures or local municipalities...
, in honor of Donald L. Tucker
Donald L. Tucker
Donald L. Tucker was a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and Special Ambassador for the United States to the Dominican Republic.Tucker earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Florida in 1962...
, Esq., a former Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
and Special Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
In early 2009, The Donald L. Tucker Center confirmed the official amount of upholstered seats (Arena Seats) in the arena as 13,800. Covering 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²), the arena can accommodate banquets and receptions for up to 2,000 people.
The arena can be configured in a variety of seating arrangements for each type of event. As a concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
venue, the Tucker Center can seat between 2,372 and 12,041. As a convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
, the Tucker Center can accommodate 18,900 square feet (1760 m²) in the main arena plus 35,000 square feet (3300 m²) at the adjoining exhibit hall, in addition to 16,000 square feet (1500 m²) of space at the meeting rooms. Concerts, sporting events, trade shows, Broadway shows, conventions, ice shows, circuses, and other events are held here annually.
Prior to the opening of the Tucker Center, Florida State's basketball teams played on-campus at Tully Gymnasium
Tully Gymnasium
The Bobby Tully Gymnasium is a 2,500 seat multi-purpose arena, in Tallahassee, Florida, that opened in 1956. It is the home of the Florida State University Seminoles volleyball team. Prior to the Donald L. Tucker Center opening in 1981, it was home to the men's basketball team as well...
.
The Center Theater
The Center Theater at The Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center is a 6,000 seat Multi purpose arena/theater underground of the arena. The Center Theater is for small concerts, sermons, and other types of events.The theater setting available at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center provides not only a traditional counterweight system for shows accustomed to a conventional theatre venue, but also a setting for musical artists that prefer a more intimate performance space.
The Civic Center is equipped with a sound system capable of providing reinforcement for upper level and club seat fill, as well as motorized clusters that may be utilized for additional support.
The Center Theater hosts the Tallahassee Broadway Series and has presented such tours as Les Misérables, Riverdance, Cats, Chicago, Fosse, and Spring Awakening. In addition, numerous musical artists have chosen to perform in this configuration.