Winston–Salem Memorial Coliseum was a multi-purpose arena

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 Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...

. The arena, which opened in 1955, held 8,500 people and was eventually replaced by the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,407-seat multi-purpose arena, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Construction on the arena began on April 23, 1987 and it opened on August 28, 1989...

 in 1989. It was home to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball

Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference and their homecourt is the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Their only Final Four appearance was in 1962 and through the years they have produced several NBA players. The Demon Deacons have...

 team from 1956 to 1989, though from 1959 onward the Deacons played a large number of their games at the Greensboro Coliseum

Greensboro Coliseum

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is an entertainment complex located in College Hill neighborhood of Greensboro, North Carolina. Opening in 1959, the arena was one of the largest venues in the South, with a seating capacity of over 7,000...

 as well.

It also hosted the Carolina Cougars

Carolina Cougars

Carolina Cougars was a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from late 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful...

 of the American Basketball Association during some but not all of the team's tenure in North Carolina from 1969 through 1974. It also hosted the Winston-Salem Polar Twins

Winston-Salem Polar Twins

The Winston-Salem Polar Twins is a name held by two professional hockey franchises in Winston-Salem, NC. The first Polar Twins franchise operated in the 1970s before folding. They were followed by the Carolina Thunderbirds...

 when they played in the Southern Hockey League and the Carolina/Winston-Salem Thunderbirds

Carolina Thunderbirds

The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989...

 of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League

Atlantic Coast Hockey League

The Atlantic Coast Hockey League was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey....

. In addition, it was the site of the MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament from 1980 to 1982.

Wake Forest basketball

Here are some notable games at the old coliseum (Source: Wake Forest Media Guide):

• February 12, 1962: Len Chappell
  Len Chappell
  Leonard R. "Len" Chappell is a retired American basketball player.A 6'8" power forward/center, Chappell was a star at Wake Forest University, were he was named ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1961 and 1962. He was the ACC tournament's all-time leading scorer until Duke University's J....
  
   scores a then school record 50 points against Virginia
  University of Virginia
  The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
  
  .

• December 11, 1966: North Carolina State and Wake begin what becomes the longest game in ACC
  Atlantic Coast Conference
  The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
  
   history after the lights at the coliseum are blackened due to a transformer fire with 10:02 remaining in the first half. The two teams resumed the game on February 23 with State taking a 101-75 win.

• February 15, 1969: Charlie Davis scores a school record 51 points in a game against American
  American University
  American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
  
  .

• December 17, 1985: Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues
  Muggsy Bogues
  Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the now-defunct Charlotte Sting of the Women's National Basketball Association . The shortest player ever to play in the NBA, the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his...
  
   ties a school record he set earlier in the month for the most steals in one game, 8, vs. Georgia Southern
  Georgia Southern University
  Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
  
  .