Welcome to the indoor sports arena on the West Side of Chicago known as United Center, the home of the NBA Chicago Bulls and NHL Chicago Blackhawks. William Wirtz, owner of the Blackhawks, and Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Bulls, came together to create an arena that would take sports and entertainment into the 21st century with grace, finishing with the ribbon-cutting ceremony in 1994. This 960,000 square foot, or 46 acre, sized arena is considered to be the largest arena in the United States, but not as far as capacity goes, seating at most 21,000 guests at one time.
The United Center sees over 200 events per year, ranging from popular sports to high demand concerts and entertainment events. In the past United Center has seen such things as the 1996 Democratic National Convention, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, U2, The Who, Ringling Brothers, Disney on Ice, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Tournaments, and the Great 8 Classic. The arena has hosted over 40 million guests since its opening, making it an astounding economic and entertainment addition to the city.
You can shop at the two team stores while visiting, or take part in some of the best dining in Chicago, literally. As a new part of the ‘Chicago’s Plate’ project, the arena allows fans to experience world-class dining options highlighting some of the city's best loved menu items inside this building. Have a plate from Big Star, Lillie’s Q, Sweet Baby Ray's, Goose Island, or Madison St Eats, plus so many more! Enjoy the acoustics of this arena before you go too, designed to amplify the noise level to recreate ‘the roar’. There is even a 300 foot Allen Organ within to test out how truly amazing it sounds in here!
