Man this takes me back. So sad to see all the rare memorabilia, old tapes of high school championships, WNBA fliers, and all that stuff was demolished with the arena. So much history there.
Oh, America-the land of the free, the home of the brave, and the realm of constantly upgrading sports stadiums like they're iPhones. Who needs a perfectly functional multimillion-dollar arena when you can bulldoze it for a new billion-dollar palace, fully equipped with a rooftop pool, a climate-controlled field, and Wi-Fi so good you can stream a movie while the game bores you? I mean, what's another billion between friends when the taxpayer is footing most of the bill? Take the typical cycle: A shiny, cutting-edge stadium goes up, making headlines for its groundbreaking design and state-of-the-art facilities. And then, a decade or two later, someone points out that the parking lot’s asphalt has faded just a little, or, heaven forbid, the VIP lounge only has three sushi options. So, out come the bulldozers, because apparently, if the stadium isn't the crown jewel of every architectural magazine, we might as well be sitting on fold-out bleachers in the middle of a cornfield. Of course, these stadiums aren’t just for sports-they’re versatile “community hubs” where families can come together and… pay $18 for a beer and $50 for a T-shirt. Ah, the American dream! And when that stadium is paid off in, oh, fifty years, it’ll already be a crumbling relic because by then, of course, we'll need a holographic one. It’s tradition! Why settle for good enough when we can have slightly-better-than-good enough-for a mere billion or two more?
This is pretty sad as someone who grew up in Sacramento, not going to lie. I grew up watching Kings games here from 1999-2016. Went to my first game in 1999 against the Vancouver Grizzlies, saw the Kings in their hey-day in 2002-2005. Also saw a few wild events like Bobby Jackson awarded the 6th Man of the Year, witnessed John Stockton’s final game with the Jazz, some monster jams/circuses/2005 WWE Smackdown V. Raw. I saw Kevin Martin hit the game winner against Dallas in 2008, saw Tyreke Evans get awarded the Rookie of the Year in 2010. I even got to sit behind the Charlotte Bobcats bench in 2010 & made eye-contact with Michael Jordan (definitely an intimidating guy). I graduated from high school here in 2010 & a few years later had my Sacramento State graduation here in 2015. I shook DeMarcus Cousins’ hand near the training facility next door, received Carl Landry’s shoes in 2011 after a game & met Coach Paul Westphal. I saw Tyreke Evans hit that full-court shot V. the Grizzlies in Dec. 2010, met Walt Frazier in 2011, sat behind the visiting bench seeing a young Steph Curry, prime Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant play in December 2014. I got to witness Peja Stojakovic’s jersey retirement in 2014 and got to see DeMarcus Cousins dominate the league for a few years here. These are just some of the many great memories I’ve experienced here and I know so many from this area would feel the same as this was a place where friends and family felt a lot of joy, heartbreak and memories alike. The site should have been preserved as a historical grounds but ultimately, it is what it is.
Kevin Martin is from my hometown Zanesville Ohio. A year younger than me. Used to see him all over town when we was kids. Nobody knew hed make it to the NBA til he started doing good in college.
@@Flow-oscar-7 Andre has at least two documented matches at Arco, both against Randy Savage in 88 at a Saturday Night's Main Event, and a house show match in 1989.
As sad as these arenas/facilities are to see abandoned. It makes me even more so happy to see somebody exploring these places, BUT the initial respect of “We don’t break anything, and leave no trace”. Loving and respecting these places should be our priority if visiting these sacred places of memory and history ❤️
It is sad when I do explore places, most of them just become graffiti covered shells. I'm glad we got to see this place pretty close to pristine besides some broken stuff.
@@vvarietyshow , you know, with all of these smaller indoor arenas, they could easily be converted into smaller concert venues, as well as places for boxing, MMA, kickboxing, and professional wrestling cards to take place. Japan literally does this all the time.
I lived in Sactown for most of my life (916 Baby), went to many Kings games at Arco Arena. Seen the good years and the bad...but Kings fans were some of the loyalist fans in the world. There was something about that little Arena called Arco that got rocking during Kings games. I will miss it very much, kind of like Candlestick park for the SF Giants. Thanks for making this video. God Bless
This is amazing. I’ve live in Sacramento my whole life, been though it all from the Kings almost leaving Sacramento to witnessing the Golden 1 Center being built from the ground up. You got the history and facts on point.
Complete nostalgia, goosebumps, happiness, mixed with a ton of sadness. Arco Arena was my home away from home for over two decades of my life growing up! My grandparents (that raised me) both worked at Arco Arena from the mid 80's all the way up until 2006 when they retired. Because of my grandmother being in a management position at Arco, she received season tickets for Kings games from the mid 80's all the way until she retired. I'm 39 now and was born back in 1983. I've been to thousands of Kings games going all the way back into the 80s. I was there for Lebron James very first ever NBA game. I saw Jordan at least a dozen times or more live at Arco Arena. I saw the LEGENDS AMONG ALL LEGENDS perform at Arco Arena over the years! I saw a young Kobe Bryant come into Arco a hundred times and leave Sacramento fans speechless more times than I could possibly count! I was even there for the entire playoffs when the Sacramento Kings were going after an NBA title back in 2003/2004. It doesn't end with me going to just Kings games either! I've been to dozens of concerts, dozens of Monster Truck events, Disney on Ice, everything an Arena could possibly host.. I've been there! Even saw Garth Brooks live on back to back sold out nights and got to meet him and hung out with Garth Brooks throughout the day and got to hang out on his Tour Bus. I've played horse and shot around on the court with C. Webber, Mitch Richmond, and dozens of other Kings players over the years. I've been to a dozen different Christmas parties where Kings players and their families would show up with presents for all the kids that attended the Christmas parties. Seeing Arco Arena turn into nothingness is like taking away a huge chunk of my life and burying it in a deep grave! The memories I had at Arco Arena were amazing! So many nights of going home heart broken from a close Kings game. So many nights of losing my voice during a Kings game where I was screaming my ass off all game! I've been in the catwalk, every elevator, the basement, the security area, the built in prison/jail cells they had there in case any fans needed to be arrested. I've been in the tunnel that was initially built so there could be a football field connected to Arco Arena. I've been inside every single place in Arco Arena imaginable! I used to walk the building freely as though I worked there even when there were events going on that I didn't have tickets for! I used to love exploring the building and going into different suites and eating the food left behind from people that paid for a suite during the different events. I know this is a ton of text but I could easily write a book on my memories of Arco Arena. Instead of babbling for another 10 minutes I'll end this with a list of all the famous celebrities I've met over the years due to Arco Arena being my home away from home for well over 20 years of my life. Garth Brooks Wayne Gretzky (Even have a signed hockey stick from him!) Chris Webber Mitch Richmond Spud Webb Billy Graham Lil Wayne Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan Lebron James The Rock Hulk Hogan Andre The Giant Bone Thugs N Harmony Britney Spears As well as hundreds of other celebrities that I don't care to sit here and list!
And they say Time Machines don't exist! Thank you boys! I was in tears for most of this video. It's hard to say goodbye. Honestly hurts me more than losing some of the friends/loved ones I've lost over the years. Arco was always my homie!
Man you got the VIP experience. So many great memories and experiences. It's cool that you cherish them and remember all of them as well. Wish I could have experienced some of that too. Thank you so much for sharing your memories 🙏🙏🙏
Insane explore!!!! Soooo much merch left behind, paperwork. The vhs tapes were crazy to see too. This video should blow up bigger then your charger one. Blows my mind that there's no alarms or security. I can only imagine the time you guys spent in there off camera just going through all the paperwork and stuff. The clown tunnel was beyond creepy, was just waiting on pennywise to be at the end.
I'm glad you enjoyed. I don't know if I would call it comedy tho 😂🤣... Naw but for whatever reason me and my brother have this thing where making the most obvious, corny joke is extremely funny to us so we let em fly. Nice to hear someone appreciated it 🙏
as someone who lives 20 minutes away from the arena, this is quite a sad moment for kings history I remember my first kings game was 2014 and they were playing the Detroit Pistons. All I can remember was the fans and how loud and loyal they were.
This place was like home. I grew up with a dad that worked there that would take us to see the games and shows. Got to see the spurs with their amazing line up in 2012 court side. Just different seeing it all trashed. Thanks for sharing it. Really took me back
I explored here a couple years back and man there was so much memorabilia most locked up but the tunnel to the Raiders practice field was very sketchy 😂
Yeah I'm Sacramento born and raised, seen many wwf wrestling events here growing up in the mid late 80s. I miss this place and was at one point the loudest arena in the league. Great memories
This place when I came with family to watch my first NBA game when Lakers came to town and take on the Kings, best memory of this place and it's sad the place no longer stands
I was born in 1987 in Sacramento. My dad was a season ticket holder my whole childhood. I went to that LeBron James opener. It was electric!! Thanks for making this awesome nostalgic video. Cool to see the areas of the arena I never got to see.
I grew up in the Sacramento area, but my family came from LA so we were Lakers fans. I remember going to Arco all the time to see the Lakers and the Kings. Some great memories there. I remember seeing Kobe there a number of times, watching some of his best moments. There really wasn't a bad seat in the arena. I sat in the nosebleeds, sat in the mid level, even sat close to courtside, and no seat was bad. Also saw some of my first concerts there in the early 2000s. Linkin Park and Slipknot. What a shame it's gone now.
I am surprised the stuff we see in the video were not taken with the team. That's some priceless memorabilia. Maybe someone or some people can come in and take this stuff and donate it to fans.
I'm amazed with how much stuff was left behind and now demolished :(. Gotta say from top to bottom this video is amazing. Appreciate the time it took to make great content.
Watched many concerts here and experienced many great Kings games over the years. CWebb, JWill, Bibby...Jordan, Kobe, Lebron. Some great memories in that building. Thanks for the video tour! Cheers
taking a moment to just say. i love these videos you’ve done on arco arena/park. i grew like an attachment you could say to the property and the arena when i was young just from being a sports fan. in its final four years i took many photographs and sent so many letters to the kings and the council in natomas to let me look inside. it makes me really happy that you got in there and documented this so it’s never lost thank you so much
This is very nostalgic, I grew up watching the Kings in the 90s, and seeing this place just abandoned is really sad specially with all the souvenirs left behind, years of history just left there wow
@@vvarietyshow exactly! I wonder What’s going on in the minds of the staff and organization,and mainly the owners, I would pick everything up. And put it in a museum or even at the NBA stores across the nation OMG!
So dope guys! I never been inside at all, never had the chance to, But I love old Areas. I do wish that the old stadiums were around . a lot of things were left behind it looks like and a lot of history in the building. it was nice to see you guys together again and having fun........GREAT video!
I know you mentioned the "leave no trace" mantra... but the historical preservationist in me really hopes you rescued some of those game tapes and miscellaneous discs, documents, etc..
Another great video Dylan! My favorite memory was seeing Mitch Richmond after he won all star mvp. That was the pinnacle of Sacramento basketball at the time. 87-98 my mom and her boss both had season passes section 114 and the boss who sometimes gave us the visiting team bench floor seats. I remember after a foul happened Karl Malone looked over at me and asked what just happened? I was dumbfounded. I never got to see the early 2000’s kings tho. Had moved to vegas by then. So many memories. I remember seeing Metallica on Lars ulrich bday there. They pranked him (and the audience) with a fake fire on stage. Lights went out. Then, a tiny lightbulb came down from the rafters and lit up the stage, they crew rolled out some old Marshall amps and the band played another hour of classics under the dim bulb for Lars birthday. No matter how bad the team was, the fans loved having the kings in Sacramento. We called it echo arena! Still a kings fan to this day and sport my Doug Christie jersey still! Thanks for the memories! Go niners!!
@@vvarietyshow Mitch Richmond really was the one guy who turned the franchise around. Kings fans love hustle. Keegan Murray is the best hope we have had in 16 years.
I grew up going to many games at Arco and have so many great memories. My favorite is probably the here we stay game when Sacramento was on the verge of moving to Seattle. The team was trash but it didn’t matter. The place was sold out for a game on TNT and the point was to be as passionate and raucous as possible to let the league know and see firsthand how much we loved our kings. I still don’t know if I’ve heard a building so loud as that night. It was just one of the amazing memories I have there and will always mean a lot to me. Awesome video!
@@vvarietyshow should have gone through the back like you guys did, we got too cocky and entered through the front only to get booted a few minutes in by security, still kicking myself every day about how we fumbled the location lmao
I loved watching this. Brought a tear and smile to my eye. Started going to games at the old arena as a 5 year old then to this arena when they opened it. My mom would take me to as many games as we could section 111 row J. Then I started working as an intern for the sports station 1140 and worked my way up to going to games and assisting with locker room interviews and halftime show. Also worked as an assistant to the equipment manager for the pro soccer team that played there, the Sacramento Knights. It was so awesome to see parts of the arena that most fans never saw.. Always laid claim to fame, had to use the facilities during the game and used the visiting locker room stall but it had one of the smallest locker rooms/bathrooms in the league...so I said I crapped in the same toilet as Michael Jordan. Then as an adult I was so proud, I got my own season tickets. I recognized many of the back stage areas but was so sad to see so much memorabilia and merchandise going to waste. Would have loved to keep some of that. Thanks for the show...it was a great walk down memory lane.
Thank you SO much for all this additional personal history. One of my favorite things about making these videos is the response and the folks these places meant a lot too giving me extra context. Appreciate it!
1st time seeing your channel. One if the best urban explorations I've seen. I thought you were going to have at least a million subscribers. Keep it up.
Very kind of you! Our channel is all over the place and we do a lot of vids that aren't trendy or cool like historical places and every video is different. The algorithm does not like us, and some people just don't like my face haha
I went to my first of many games at Arco Arena in 1993 vs the Utah Jazz and went to my last game in 2015 against the Bulls. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Sad to see ARCO abandoned and I am glad I got to play there in 1994 against the Sacramento Knights in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). Thanks for the memories!
Growing up with player jerseys, cards, and awaiting Sunday NBA match ups were some of the fondest memories of my childhood. This video made my morning. Now being a local in Natomas, I empathize with the true NBA fans.
So sad to see a place with so much history go… and just sit and rot.. thanks for this documentary. Im not even a Kings fan and this struck my interest seeing it on my youtube homepage.
I’m shocked they didn’t disassemble this and auction off some of it. When the Detroit Pistons left the Palace of Auburn Hills they had an auction. I got seats, some club tables and signage in my man cave. I’m sure some kings fans would love some of that logo flooring and signage.
So many crazy memories at this place with my mom, kids and wife. My son and I were at the record breaking indoor arena night. Sadly a few years later he took his life but I will always have that memory. Sad to see this place gone. Golden one is nice but it has nothing on the days of super fans at Arco and standing room only years watching the games standing at the top of the arena.
I love the respect you show the place and the meaningful tribute you showed with the flashbacks and skits. First video in your channel and I think I’m hooked.
I was born in 87 I grew up going to Arco. I remember when Arco was literally all by itself in the middle of a field haha even then I was confused when they called us cowtown a few years later when we got good 🤣🤣 I went to WWF events in the early 90s and seen Undertaker, Hulk Hogan..all the OGs. Monster truck events, Ringling brothers, my HS went to the state title game there, College graduation. Arco was a big part of my life growing even outside of Kings games. I got clean ass pic of Charles Barkley with the Suns in his warm-ups before the game he's turning around looking at us. It was sad to see it go.
I was a season ticket holder for 11 years here, have some amazing memories. Had tickets the first year of Jason Williams career, our seats were in kings row 2 and Jason dove for a loose ball into my 8 year old sons’ lap - I’ll never forget that. Brought my kids to many, many games here. Some great memories that’ll last a lifetime. My daughter performed in a halftime show and was shown on TV, my other daughter did this spin/jump helicopter move with her hair and was on the Jumbotron in a loop for afar seemed like 10 minutes 😂. My oldest boy and I were here for LeBron’s first nba game, saw Michael Jordan play several times…all the greats really. Bittersweet end to the arena, but mostly sweet memories 😊
Grew up in that Arena. Parked down in the players/team parking area there a few times. (friends dad knew someone important) Was talking to Mitch Richmond down there and asked him if the lady with him was his mom (it was his wife lol. I was a stupid 12 year old) Been outside the locker room area a few times. Saw Spud Webb (and others) drinking a beer down there after games. Interrupted Walt Williams while he was mid interview. (I think it was just a beat reporter) Was at Kevin Garnett's 1st NBA game, which was at Arco as well. Didn't quite have the Lebron hype for that one haha.
Ah man I wish I knew KG's debut was there! He was one of my all time faves, he came straight out of high school too so I would have mentioned that. At least I got 2 cool shots of him playing at Arco in there
Went to tons of games with my dad there, my favorite memories were our playoff games when we had the greatest show on court! One other special memory was when I got picked to shot the half court shot…. Of course I missed it…. Literally was half in popped in back n forth and then popped out…. Was sooo close but was such a fun experience being on the court as all the players were watching me instead of there coach…. Brad miller looked at me and said almost man…. Great video guys!!! Really enjoyed it!
Love the channel, Dylan. Definitely miss getting off the freeway and seeing “Arco Sports Complex” on the rock entrance columns. Saw a ton of games, events concerts here. And left with a ringing in my ear a lil too often! Even got play a few HS championship games here. Basically was my second home as a kid. My favorite memory is probably the 1996 playoffs Game 3 vs the Sonics (first home playoff game in 10 years). Or 1999 Game 3 vs Utah (the first Kings home playoff win since like 1981 in KC). We were so excited the Kings stole a game from Seattle, fans gave the team a legit 15 minute standing ovation when they came out for warmups until the national anthem. Too bad Mitch got hurt that series. Loudest game I’ve been to this day. Including some of those infamous Lakers/Kings playoff games. You gotta vlog a Kings game at the Golden 1 Center. It’s a fun vibe in there
Appreciate you sharing your memories Jarrad 🙏 definitely will be at Golden 1 Center eventually. We saw some High school tournament DVDs while we were in there, wonder if you were on any of them
@@alejandrobullock7234 I wish I did. I was a little kid then. Only thing I remember bringing were a couple baby rattles to make noise (since the theme was "Rattle Seattle") and earplugs. They should have some videos of 1996 game 3 or 4 on RUclips though
wowwww my dad used to take me here when i was a lil kid. i’ll never forget seeing the legendary dirk nowitski fadeaway live. Kings fan forever cause of this place !
I remember watching my Denver Nuggets play Sacramento at Arco Arena on KWGN-2, when the Kings wore these powder blue/red uniforms with their nameplates underneath the numbers. It was always really electric and loud. Too bad it's now dilapidated and likely set for demolition but .. time goes on. McNichols arena in Denver was amazing but it too couldn't withstand the test of time. Such is life.
I remember going to the first ARCO Arena not too far from there in the early 80's. That area held a little over 10,000 people and you were right in the action. It is now an office building.
I watched my first Kings game there, the impression of Arco was intimidating as a kid, I watched Doug Christie take on the New York Knicks left an impression on me and something that always carried with me. My parents did not have a lot of money but that first game was on the floor in fold out chairs, I even had my kings kid membership stuff with me. Arco was also every Disney on Ice event for me nothing but happy memories.
Fantastic work, love me a good clown cave and what a great time capsule and send off for this arena. Audio is a little hard to hear under the freeway tho.
This should be a historical landmark! LeBron played his first game here! Also, thanks for shouting out the former WNBA Team, the Sacramento Monarchs, and more importantly, Yolanda Griffith! Basketball Hall Of Famer!
Thank you for this awesome tour vid!! One of my fav jobs was working in food concessions for two years at the first Kings arena in 1985; then one year in that arena ‘87-88. My fav experience is how I got FREE “season tix” for all three years! When the Sacramento Kings moved here from Kansas City in 1985, I was 20 years, and thought working part-time for an NBA team would be fun. It was. More than I ever could have guessed. The inaugural home game was against the LA Clippers, and the local excitement in finally having a major-league-level team couldn’t have been any higher. I worked in the food and beverage concessions, selling standard game consumables, from popcorn to beer/sodas to King Dogs. After the historic first tip-off (we weren’t near the game) I loved being in the building, knowing some of the world’s best professional basketball players were downstairs. But we were so busy selling junk food, the other employees never gave it a second thought…they just worked like busy bees. My brain couldn’t stop wanting to be inside the arena watching the action. After intermission, the rush for food was over. Our stand manager, Susan, asked for volunteers to clock out, since the number of workers weren’t needed during the second half. I was willing to leave early. We were given a King Dog and a soda on our way out. Remember, this was the very first Kings game, ever, in Sacramento, so rules were still being figured out. Let me explain. Before exiting with my dinner, I decided to wander downstairs to check out the excitement during the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get in to see the basketball court, so I just stood in the lobby area and chowed down my hotdog, and slurped my soda. As I ate, I noticed people walking by me, out the door and heading to the parking lot. The 3rd quarter had already started, so it took me by surprise that some folks were actually leaving early! I had to ask to confirm this. So, when a mother & child walked by me on their way out, I said, “are you leaving early?” She confirmed that her daughter wasn’t feeling well and they decided to go home. Then, she asked, “would you like to use our seats?” as she handed me her ticket stubs. What?? Really?? Wow…like yes, please!! My body instantly exploded with excitement, as I took it from her, thanked her, and basically ran into the arena into my newly acquired FREE seat! I won’t take the time here to explain how every neuron in my brain was processing this incredible experience, but let’s just say that I was on a high that has not been since replicated, at least in my limited memory. The next game, I repeated the process. In fact, I was able to see the second half (and overtimes) of every game from Sacramento’s first 3 seasons…free! I saw Kareem, Magic, Jordan, Bird, Barkley, Olajuwon, and all the other stars of the day at least three times in person. Eventually, I would stand at the door after halftime and collect multiple ticket stubs, choose the best seat, then trash the others. Heck, sometimes I scored seats two rows from the floor. I took advantage of the situation because there were no rules saying employees couldn’t do what I was doing. Now, I’m told, if they were caught doing that, they’d be looking for other part-time work. Not to mention, tickets are digital and live on our phones. 1985, to me, feels like yesterday.
Went to arco from the day it opened all the way to the last game. I was at the Lebron game. At the first playoff game against Seattle. During the 2000’s saw all the great games. The place was a dump compared to all the other arenas in the NBA. You should have went down arena blvd and you would have seen the first arco, the 10,333 little barn that was constructed to bring the kings here. It was tiny but it was so loud! It’s being used by the state of CA for offices.
This is Arco 2. I went to two events here, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus by myself and Disney on Ice with mother. I lived in Sacramento when they built the mall that Golden 1 Center sits now.
When I was 5 or 6 my cousin new someone that worked there I guess and my whole family got the whole stadium to ourselves and play basketball all day. One of my favorite memories and the photo I have of all of us at center court is the best. Wish I could put the photos in the comments here.
That's so sick! Send it to us @somethinortour on Instagram if you got it, would love to see that. We got to play a pickup game at Candlestick Park (it's one of our very first videos) so I know how you must have felt! Amazing memories
This was the best arena in the NBA, I remember those Kings vs Mavs, Blazers, Lakers games on TNT from Arco in the early 2000s, it looked like the fans were on top of the court.
Awesome work guys. I am in Australia but I reckon I have been to Arco about 10 times over the years and never gotten over 2002. It would have been amazing to be in that stadium with no one else knowing the history of the venue. I was surprised of what was left behind. Great job boys
I work for the Warriors rn and seeing a stadium abandoned like that is crazy. I see an empty chase center all the time but one in disrepair like that is so sad. I really need to get in before it’s gone
Aw this reminds me of Disney on ice, kings games, monster jams, & a panic at the disco concert. When my parents were still together 😢💕 I drove by recently and seen the street sign Sleep Train Arena to turn into the arena. It made me sad. I moved away and when I came back the name was changed, then the new arena was already built. Memories are all that’s left 🙁
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Man this takes me back. So sad to see all the rare memorabilia, old tapes of high school championships, WNBA fliers, and all that stuff was demolished with the arena. So much history there.
So much just left to rot
😂😂😂
WNBA? Cap
Oh, America-the land of the free, the home of the brave, and the realm of constantly upgrading sports stadiums like they're iPhones. Who needs a perfectly functional multimillion-dollar arena when you can bulldoze it for a new billion-dollar palace, fully equipped with a rooftop pool, a climate-controlled field, and Wi-Fi so good you can stream a movie while the game bores you? I mean, what's another billion between friends when the taxpayer is footing most of the bill?
Take the typical cycle: A shiny, cutting-edge stadium goes up, making headlines for its groundbreaking design and state-of-the-art facilities. And then, a decade or two later, someone points out that the parking lot’s asphalt has faded just a little, or, heaven forbid, the VIP lounge only has three sushi options. So, out come the bulldozers, because apparently, if the stadium isn't the crown jewel of every architectural magazine, we might as well be sitting on fold-out bleachers in the middle of a cornfield.
Of course, these stadiums aren’t just for sports-they’re versatile “community hubs” where families can come together and… pay $18 for a beer and $50 for a T-shirt. Ah, the American dream! And when that stadium is paid off in, oh, fifty years, it’ll already be a crumbling relic because by then, of course, we'll need a holographic one. It’s tradition! Why settle for good enough when we can have slightly-better-than-good enough-for a mere billion or two more?
This is pretty sad as someone who grew up in Sacramento, not going to lie. I grew up watching Kings games here from 1999-2016. Went to my first game in 1999 against the Vancouver Grizzlies, saw the Kings in their hey-day in 2002-2005. Also saw a few wild events like Bobby Jackson awarded the 6th Man of the Year, witnessed John Stockton’s final game with the Jazz, some monster jams/circuses/2005 WWE Smackdown V. Raw. I saw Kevin Martin hit the game winner against Dallas in 2008, saw Tyreke Evans get awarded the Rookie of the Year in 2010. I even got to sit behind the Charlotte Bobcats bench in 2010 & made eye-contact with Michael Jordan (definitely an intimidating guy). I graduated from high school here in 2010 & a few years later had my Sacramento State graduation here in 2015. I shook DeMarcus Cousins’ hand near the training facility next door, received Carl Landry’s shoes in 2011 after a game & met Coach Paul Westphal. I saw Tyreke Evans hit that full-court shot V. the Grizzlies in Dec. 2010, met Walt Frazier in 2011, sat behind the visiting bench seeing a young Steph Curry, prime Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant play in December 2014. I got to witness Peja Stojakovic’s jersey retirement in 2014 and got to see DeMarcus Cousins dominate the league for a few years here. These are just some of the many great memories I’ve experienced here and I know so many from this area would feel the same as this was a place where friends and family felt a lot of joy, heartbreak and memories alike. The site should have been preserved as a historical grounds but ultimately, it is what it is.
Thanks so much for sharing your memories! It's always so cool to hear. Hope you enjoyed one last look.
Kevin Martin is from my hometown Zanesville Ohio. A year younger than me. Used to see him all over town when we was kids. Nobody knew hed make it to the NBA til he started doing good in college.
Bro lived through every historical moment in that stadium 😭
Thank you for sharing your experience. 😎
I ain’t reading allat 😹😹🤷♂️💯💀🗿🔥
I saw Ander the Giant wrestle Macho Man in 1988 among countless other games, concerts, wwf events. RIP Arco
Wow that's so cool didn't know Andre wrestled there
@@vvarietyshowhe didn’t it’s cap…
I saw Andre there too. Even have pictures.
@@Flow-oscar-7 he did in the 80s
@@Flow-oscar-7 Andre has at least two documented matches at Arco, both against Randy Savage in 88 at a Saturday Night's Main Event, and a house show match in 1989.
As sad as these arenas/facilities are to see abandoned. It makes me even more so happy to see somebody exploring these places, BUT the initial respect of “We don’t break anything, and leave no trace”. Loving and respecting these places should be our priority if visiting these sacred places of memory and history ❤️
It is sad when I do explore places, most of them just become graffiti covered shells. I'm glad we got to see this place pretty close to pristine besides some broken stuff.
It's completely gone now.
That’s crazy, to think I was 10 years old attending WWE:The Bash in 2009. Was one of my only memories being in the arena
That's awesome man
That was the last event I went to at Sleep Center.
I can’t believe how much stuff was left behind. Could get some cool memorabilia in there
Cool to find a jersey or basketball laying around
Stellar camera work, informative narration, and good back and forth between you two. Great video about an arena I didn't even know was still standing.
That's very kind of you, thank you. We try to make it fun.
It unfortunately completed demolition in November. ):
@@taywoodz thanks for the news!
@@vvarietyshow , you know, with all of these smaller indoor arenas, they could easily be converted into smaller concert venues, as well as places for boxing, MMA, kickboxing, and professional wrestling cards to take place. Japan literally does this all the time.
@@vvarietyshowSomebody CRASHIN OUT❗on that mattress?
I lived in Sactown for most of my life (916 Baby), went to many Kings games at Arco Arena. Seen the good years and the bad...but Kings fans were some of the loyalist fans in the world. There was something about that little Arena called Arco that got rocking during Kings games. I will miss it very much, kind of like Candlestick park for the SF Giants. Thanks for making this video. God Bless
Seemed like an awesome time and I have nothing but respect for Kings fans
Candlestick Park for the 49ers as well. Not a fan of the 49ers but Candlestick was electric for Niners fans
„kings fans were some of the loyalist“ don’t overreact here…do you know another pro team that is located there ? Now you know why they were at arco.
This is amazing. I’ve live in Sacramento my whole life, been though it all from the Kings almost leaving Sacramento to witnessing the Golden 1 Center being built from the ground up. You got the history and facts on point.
Right on Dan 🤘
Complete nostalgia, goosebumps, happiness, mixed with a ton of sadness. Arco Arena was my home away from home for over two decades of my life growing up!
My grandparents (that raised me) both worked at Arco Arena from the mid 80's all the way up until 2006 when they retired. Because of my grandmother being in a
management position at Arco, she received season tickets for Kings games from the mid 80's all the way until she retired. I'm 39 now and was born back in 1983.
I've been to thousands of Kings games going all the way back into the 80s. I was there for Lebron James very first ever NBA game. I saw Jordan at least a dozen
times or more live at Arco Arena. I saw the LEGENDS AMONG ALL LEGENDS perform at Arco Arena over the years! I saw a young Kobe Bryant come into Arco a
hundred times and leave Sacramento fans speechless more times than I could possibly count! I was even there for the entire playoffs when the Sacramento Kings
were going after an NBA title back in 2003/2004. It doesn't end with me going to just Kings games either! I've been to dozens of concerts, dozens of Monster Truck
events, Disney on Ice, everything an Arena could possibly host.. I've been there! Even saw Garth Brooks live on back to back sold out nights and got to meet him and
hung out with Garth Brooks throughout the day and got to hang out on his Tour Bus. I've played horse and shot around on the court with C. Webber, Mitch Richmond,
and dozens of other Kings players over the years. I've been to a dozen different Christmas parties where Kings players and their families would show up with presents
for all the kids that attended the Christmas parties. Seeing Arco Arena turn into nothingness is like taking away a huge chunk of my life and burying it in a deep grave!
The memories I had at Arco Arena were amazing! So many nights of going home heart broken from a close Kings game. So many nights of losing my voice during a
Kings game where I was screaming my ass off all game! I've been in the catwalk, every elevator, the basement, the security area, the built in prison/jail cells they had
there in case any fans needed to be arrested. I've been in the tunnel that was initially built so there could be a football field connected to Arco Arena. I've been inside
every single place in Arco Arena imaginable! I used to walk the building freely as though I worked there even when there were events going on that I didn't have tickets
for! I used to love exploring the building and going into different suites and eating the food left behind from people that paid for a suite during the different events.
I know this is a ton of text but I could easily write a book on my memories of Arco Arena. Instead of babbling for another 10 minutes I'll end this with a list of all the
famous celebrities I've met over the years due to Arco Arena being my home away from home for well over 20 years of my life.
Garth Brooks
Wayne Gretzky (Even have a signed hockey stick from him!)
Chris Webber
Mitch Richmond
Spud Webb
Billy Graham
Lil Wayne
Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan
Lebron James
The Rock
Hulk Hogan
Andre The Giant
Bone Thugs N Harmony
Britney Spears
As well as hundreds of other celebrities that I don't care to sit here and list!
And they say Time Machines don't exist! Thank you boys! I was in tears for most of this video. It's hard to say goodbye.
Honestly hurts me more than losing some of the friends/loved ones I've lost over the years. Arco was always my homie!
Man you got the VIP experience. So many great memories and experiences. It's cool that you cherish them and remember all of them as well. Wish I could have experienced some of that too. Thank you so much for sharing your memories 🙏🙏🙏
A tear came to my eye watching this. A lot of those posters, game programs, single etc. , I designed or worked on. Brings back memories.
that means a lot to me, I'm so glad it meant something to you
and that's soooo cool to be a designer like that
Insane explore!!!! Soooo much merch left behind, paperwork. The vhs tapes were crazy to see too. This video should blow up bigger then your charger one. Blows my mind that there's no alarms or security. I can only imagine the time you guys spent in there off camera just going through all the paperwork and stuff. The clown tunnel was beyond creepy, was just waiting on pennywise to be at the end.
This was such a fun one man
I love the mix between comedy, and giving facts about what happened in the arena. Great video.
I'm glad you enjoyed. I don't know if I would call it comedy tho 😂🤣... Naw but for whatever reason me and my brother have this thing where making the most obvious, corny joke is extremely funny to us so we let em fly. Nice to hear someone appreciated it 🙏
Same here man
Many years of memories here. Watching the Kings during their prime, concerts etc. bonding with friends and family. I need to explore this asap
I bet it was great times
This was my happy place growing up. Kings playoff games, WCW, WWE, Slipknot and Korn concerts. I’ll miss that place. Great video!
So many great experiences for people
This is one of the coolest videos I've seen in a while and I'm so jealous of this experience you guys got. Thanks for sharing for NBA fans!
That's very kind of you to say
Can't forget about the Maloof Brothers owners of the team 1998-2013. I remember them bringing that attention to the Sacramento kings.
Was surprised I found Maloof paperwork
as someone who lives 20 minutes away from the arena, this is quite a sad moment for kings history I remember my first kings game was 2014 and they were playing the Detroit Pistons. All I can remember was the fans and how loud and loyal they were.
Must have been quite the experience! It was so cool to sit there in silence imagining the roar of the crowd.
So you’re just able to go into the arena whenever or???
As someone who also lives right by that. Why haven’t we gone and loaded up on kings history. 😂
This place was like home. I grew up with a dad that worked there that would take us to see the games and shows. Got to see the spurs with their amazing line up in 2012 court side. Just different seeing it all trashed. Thanks for sharing it. Really took me back
That's so cool! Must have been awesome.
How abandoned places like that never get fully cleaned out??? So many souvenirs haha
It's wild how much they just left
I explored here a couple years back and man there was so much memorabilia most locked up but the tunnel to the Raiders practice field was very sketchy 😂
@@Haaaaaaa420sketchy how ?
I was at Kobe’s last game in Sacramento at ARCO.
That clip of him gave me chills.
That's so dope!
Graduated from high school there in 2008. From the Kings to the Monarchs to the Knights… what a staple it was for us. I’m really sad to see it go.
That's such a cool graduation venue though
I’ll never forget the king-lakers games of early 2000s here. Amazing arena
Absolute battles
Fucking Horry. Still hurts. 😑
Yeah I'm Sacramento born and raised, seen many wwf wrestling events here growing up in the mid late 80s. I miss this place and was at one point the loudest arena in the league. Great memories
Who have you seen wrestle here?
This was a good Era basketball..even a golden era..I miss the days of Kings contention. I even had a Bibby jersey! Great video!
Thanks dude 🤘
Well they’re on their way up now
This place when I came with family to watch my first NBA game when Lakers came to town and take on the Kings, best memory of this place and it's sad the place no longer stands
That's awesome Gabe
I was born in 1987 in Sacramento. My dad was a season ticket holder my whole childhood. I went to that LeBron James opener. It was electric!! Thanks for making this awesome nostalgic video. Cool to see the areas of the arena I never got to see.
I grew up in the Sacramento area, but my family came from LA so we were Lakers fans. I remember going to Arco all the time to see the Lakers and the Kings. Some great memories there. I remember seeing Kobe there a number of times, watching some of his best moments. There really wasn't a bad seat in the arena. I sat in the nosebleeds, sat in the mid level, even sat close to courtside, and no seat was bad. Also saw some of my first concerts there in the early 2000s. Linkin Park and Slipknot. What a shame it's gone now.
I'm jealous! Thanks for sharing your memories
Its always something to think stadium use to be full of life and memories and moments is gone.... like it never happened....
It was so eerie thinking about that while inside, dead quiet.
I am surprised the stuff we see in the video were not taken with the team. That's some priceless memorabilia. Maybe someone or some people can come in and take this stuff and donate it to fans.
They should have just let fans take it all
@@vvarietyshow Yea now it's just rotting in the arena. I am also surprised they didn't tore down the whole arena or anything.
@@bball3048mm they did in November I believe
@@bball3048mm itll be tore down soon to make a hospital and retirement community
I'm amazed with how much stuff was left behind and now demolished :(. Gotta say from top to bottom this video is amazing. Appreciate the time it took to make great content.
Watched many concerts here and experienced many great Kings games over the years. CWebb, JWill, Bibby...Jordan, Kobe, Lebron. Some great memories in that building. Thanks for the video tour! Cheers
Right on 🙏
taking a moment to just say. i love these videos you’ve done on arco arena/park. i grew like an attachment you could say to the property and the arena when i was young just from being a sports fan. in its final four years i took many photographs and sent so many letters to the kings and the council in natomas to let me look inside. it makes me really happy that you got in there and documented this so it’s never lost thank you so much
I wish they were more open to giving fans access. I know how you feel because I was the same with my sports venues too.
This is very nostalgic, I grew up watching the Kings in the 90s, and seeing this place just abandoned is really sad specially with all the souvenirs left behind, years of history just left there wow
Sooo much history just left to rot
@@vvarietyshow exactly! I wonder What’s going on in the minds of the staff and organization,and mainly the owners, I would pick everything up. And put it in a museum or even at the NBA stores across the nation OMG!
What a feeling is must be, having being in a arena like that to explore. Great video my man!
It was incredible. Thank you for checking it out
Dope vid as always. Great find on Kobe’s commentary about the arena
I loved that clip, had to use it
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
So dope guys! I never been inside at all, never had the chance to, But I love old Areas. I do wish that the old stadiums were around . a lot of things were left behind it looks like and a lot of history in the building. it was nice to see you guys together again and having fun........GREAT video!
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
I know you mentioned the "leave no trace" mantra... but the historical preservationist in me really hopes you rescued some of those game tapes and miscellaneous discs, documents, etc..
Well... let's just say I wish we could have backed up a U-Haul.
Another great video Dylan! My favorite memory was seeing Mitch Richmond after he won all star mvp. That was the pinnacle of Sacramento basketball at the time. 87-98 my mom and her boss both had season passes section 114 and the boss who sometimes gave us the visiting team bench floor seats. I remember after a foul happened Karl Malone looked over at me and asked what just happened? I was dumbfounded. I never got to see the early 2000’s kings tho. Had moved to vegas by then. So many memories. I remember seeing Metallica on Lars ulrich bday there. They pranked him (and the audience) with a fake fire on stage. Lights went out. Then, a tiny lightbulb came down from the rafters and lit up the stage, they crew rolled out some old Marshall amps and the band played another hour of classics under the dim bulb for Lars birthday. No matter how bad the team was, the fans loved having the kings in Sacramento. We called it echo arena! Still a kings fan to this day and sport my Doug Christie jersey still! Thanks for the memories! Go niners!!
I remember when Mitch won the AS MVP, nobody expected it. I have some shorts from that All-Star game. Wish I could have seen a game!
@@vvarietyshow Mitch Richmond really was the one guy who turned the franchise around. Kings fans love hustle. Keegan Murray is the best hope we have had in 16 years.
I grew up going to many games at Arco and have so many great memories. My favorite is probably the here we stay game when Sacramento was on the verge of moving to Seattle. The team was trash but it didn’t matter. The place was sold out for a game on TNT and the point was to be as passionate and raucous as possible to let the league know and see firsthand how much we loved our kings. I still don’t know if I’ve heard a building so loud as that night. It was just one of the amazing memories I have there and will always mean a lot to me. Awesome video!
Thank you so much for sharing your memories!
Man! I snuck in during demolition but it would have been 10x cooler to see it like this. Amazing video
same here, im kicking myself in the ass everyday I didn't go earlier
Wish I could have done both haha
@@vvarietyshow should have gone through the back like you guys did, we got too cocky and entered through the front only to get booted a few minutes in by security, still kicking myself every day about how we fumbled the location lmao
I'm kicking myself for a lot of things too... Mainly not taking more time to look thru all the blueprints
@@vvarietyshow Was there anything you guys took? I would have taken so many things😭
So cool, love the clown cave and the montage of old Kings highlights
Clown Cave was awesome
Nice video man I live 50miles away from sac didn’t know it closed down unfortunate that’s definitely history
Did you ever get to go?
I loved watching this. Brought a tear and smile to my eye. Started going to games at the old arena as a 5 year old then to this arena when they opened it. My mom would take me to as many games as we could section 111 row J. Then I started working as an intern for the sports station 1140 and worked my way up to going to games and assisting with locker room interviews and halftime show. Also worked as an assistant to the equipment manager for the pro soccer team that played there, the Sacramento Knights. It was so awesome to see parts of the arena that most fans never saw.. Always laid claim to fame, had to use the facilities during the game and used the visiting locker room stall but it had one of the smallest locker rooms/bathrooms in the league...so I said I crapped in the same toilet as Michael Jordan. Then as an adult I was so proud, I got my own season tickets. I recognized many of the back stage areas but was so sad to see so much memorabilia and merchandise going to waste. Would have loved to keep some of that. Thanks for the show...it was a great walk down memory lane.
Thank you SO much for all this additional personal history. One of my favorite things about making these videos is the response and the folks these places meant a lot too giving me extra context. Appreciate it!
Who is allowed to take home all this awesome stuff they left? Would be cool if some fans would get a chance for it.
1st time seeing your channel. One if the best urban explorations I've seen. I thought you were going to have at least a million subscribers. Keep it up.
Very kind of you! Our channel is all over the place and we do a lot of vids that aren't trendy or cool like historical places and every video is different. The algorithm does not like us, and some people just don't like my face haha
I went to my first of many games at Arco Arena in 1993 vs the Utah Jazz and went to my last game in 2015 against the Bulls. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Sad to see ARCO abandoned and I am glad I got to play there in 1994 against the Sacramento Knights in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). Thanks for the memories!
Growing up with player jerseys, cards, and awaiting Sunday NBA match ups were some of the fondest memories of my childhood. This video made my morning. Now being a local in Natomas, I empathize with the true NBA fans.
Man for sure! I just love the stuff, and so much nostalgia being in this building even without seeing an actual game there.
This was such an amazing episode
Right on Daniel!
All that Wonderful left over souvenirs. I'M SURE THEY COULD NOT RESIST
Never have I watched someone walk through an abandoned building screaming "You should take that shit!!!" so much in my life. Huge Kings fan here!!!
Hahaha... Light the beam!
So sad to see a place with so much history go… and just sit and rot.. thanks for this documentary. Im not even a Kings fan and this struck my interest seeing it on my youtube homepage.
Thanks for checking it out 🙏
The arena the Kings abandoned in Kansas City to move to Arco Arena is now a rec center of sorts, but still looks like it did from the outside.
My boy cole dope dawg 💯🤙
Right on for checking it out
I’m shocked they didn’t disassemble this and auction off some of it. When the Detroit Pistons left the Palace of Auburn Hills they had an auction. I got seats, some club tables and signage in my man cave. I’m sure some kings fans would love some of that logo flooring and signage.
I’m certain the Kings cleaned out all of the memorabilia before the arena was turned into a COVID hospital (which was never used)
This video was well after the covid ward, and there was still a ton of stuff. I don't think they cleared any of it out before demolition.
So many crazy memories at this place with my mom, kids and wife. My son and I were at the record breaking indoor arena night. Sadly a few years later he took his life but I will always have that memory. Sad to see this place gone. Golden one is nice but it has nothing on the days of super fans at Arco and standing room only years watching the games standing at the top of the arena.
Man I'm sorry to hear that. Thanks for sharing your memories with us 🙏
So many memories. I saw Mary j, Toni Braxton, troop and got on stage with Prince at this arena. It defines my youth.
No way! How'd you get on stage with Prince???
Dude that's insane! What an experience 🔥
I love the respect you show the place and the meaningful tribute you showed with the flashbacks and skits. First video in your channel and I think I’m hooked.
NICE!! We had trouble hearing this under the 280 :)
We were whispering lol
Not to be all mushy but…. This was more than an exploration. This was absolutely beautiful. This is art
One of the coolest things I ever got to do, what a fun time 🎆
🤘
Man its always sad seeing a band arena with lots of memories and moments
For sure. It’s sad that it doesn’t get used anymore
Seen my first NBA game there in I want to say 2001. I remember watching Bibby play. The seats were cheap, but good!
Awesome
I'll never forget Mike Bibbys back to back buzzer beater nights from the same 3pt line
He was on a tear
I was born in 87 I grew up going to Arco. I remember when Arco was literally all by itself in the middle of a field haha even then I was confused when they called us cowtown a few years later when we got good 🤣🤣
I went to WWF events in the early 90s and seen Undertaker, Hulk Hogan..all the OGs. Monster truck events, Ringling brothers, my HS went to the state title game there, College graduation. Arco was a big part of my life growing even outside of Kings games. I got clean ass pic of Charles Barkley with the Suns in his warm-ups before the game he's turning around looking at us. It was sad to see it go.
Really cool memories
I was a season ticket holder for 11 years here, have some amazing memories. Had tickets the first year of Jason Williams career, our seats were in kings row 2 and Jason dove for a loose ball into my 8 year old sons’ lap - I’ll never forget that. Brought my kids to many, many games here. Some great memories that’ll last a lifetime. My daughter performed in a halftime show and was shown on TV, my other daughter did this spin/jump helicopter move with her hair and was on the Jumbotron in a loop for afar seemed like 10 minutes 😂. My oldest boy and I were here for LeBron’s first nba game, saw Michael Jordan play several times…all the greats really. Bittersweet end to the arena, but mostly sweet memories 😊
Grew up in that Arena. Parked down in the players/team parking area there a few times. (friends dad knew someone important) Was talking to Mitch Richmond down there and asked him if the lady with him was his mom (it was his wife lol. I was a stupid 12 year old) Been outside the locker room area a few times. Saw Spud Webb (and others) drinking a beer down there after games. Interrupted Walt Williams while he was mid interview. (I think it was just a beat reporter) Was at Kevin Garnett's 1st NBA game, which was at Arco as well. Didn't quite have the Lebron hype for that one haha.
Ah man I wish I knew KG's debut was there! He was one of my all time faves, he came straight out of high school too so I would have mentioned that. At least I got 2 cool shots of him playing at Arco in there
Went to tons of games with my dad there, my favorite memories were our playoff games when we had the greatest show on court! One other special memory was when I got picked to shot the half court shot…. Of course I missed it…. Literally was half in popped in back n forth and then popped out…. Was sooo close but was such a fun experience being on the court as all the players were watching me instead of there coach…. Brad miller looked at me and said almost man…. Great video guys!!! Really enjoyed it!
I've always wanted to do a half court shot! How cool
I agree this is sad 😢 Especially all the stuff that got left behind!!
Agreed 🙏
I had the privilege of watching the Kings played my Rockets at that place back in 2005. It was truly a cool experience
Love the channel, Dylan. Definitely miss getting off the freeway and seeing “Arco Sports Complex” on the rock entrance columns. Saw a ton of games, events concerts here. And left with a ringing in my ear a lil too often! Even got play a few HS championship games here. Basically was my second home as a kid.
My favorite memory is probably the 1996 playoffs Game 3 vs the Sonics (first home playoff game in 10 years). Or 1999 Game 3 vs Utah (the first Kings home playoff win since like 1981 in KC). We were so excited the Kings stole a game from Seattle, fans gave the team a legit 15 minute standing ovation when they came out for warmups until the national anthem. Too bad Mitch got hurt that series. Loudest game I’ve been to this day. Including some of those infamous Lakers/Kings playoff games. You gotta vlog a Kings game at the Golden 1 Center. It’s a fun vibe in there
Appreciate you sharing your memories Jarrad 🙏 definitely will be at Golden 1 Center eventually. We saw some High school tournament DVDs while we were in there, wonder if you were on any of them
You have any pics of the playoff game in ‘96?
@@alejandrobullock7234 I wish I did. I was a little kid then. Only thing I remember bringing were a couple baby rattles to make noise (since the theme was "Rattle Seattle") and earplugs. They should have some videos of 1996 game 3 or 4 on RUclips though
wowwww my dad used to take me here when i was a lil kid. i’ll never forget seeing the legendary dirk nowitski fadeaway live. Kings fan forever cause of this place !
Man we filmed a video at the Mavs last game of the season in Dirk's last season... but he was injured and didn't play :(
I remember watching my Denver Nuggets play Sacramento at Arco Arena on KWGN-2, when the Kings wore these powder blue/red uniforms with their nameplates underneath the numbers. It was always really electric and loud. Too bad it's now dilapidated and likely set for demolition but .. time goes on. McNichols arena in Denver was amazing but it too couldn't withstand the test of time. Such is life.
That's awesome. No lie those throwback Kings jersey are great. Hope to get to Denver for a game eventually.
Had no idea Arco was no more. Those late 90s early 2000s Kings were something else.
As a Sacramento native, I like Arco better than golden one. I seen so many great concerts there. The Acoustics were Amazing!
I think I would feel the same. I liked Oracle Arena more than Chase Center, but I understand things change.
It's been almost a decade since i moved from the 916. I actually had no idea that Arco was abandoned. Wild.
Had one of the best & loudest home court advantages in the nba back during the bibby/webber days...
I could tell just from the design. Such a cool, intimate place.
I remember going to the first ARCO Arena not too far from there in the early 80's. That area held a little over 10,000 people and you were right in the action. It is now an office building.
It is so small, cool you got to see it. We took a look at it in Part 2 (this video is Part 3).
Not a huge sports person but this video is amazing. I love the jail holding cell and the various clips from years past. Macho Man Randy Savage!
Ohhh yeaaaaah
I watched my first Kings game there, the impression of Arco was intimidating as a kid, I watched Doug Christie take on the New York Knicks left an impression on me and something that always carried with me. My parents did not have a lot of money but that first game was on the floor in fold out chairs, I even had my kings kid membership stuff with me. Arco was also every Disney on Ice event for me nothing but happy memories.
Fantastic work, love me a good clown cave and what a great time capsule and send off for this arena. Audio is a little hard to hear under the freeway tho.
It was very quiet in there, mixing this was not easy
This should be a historical landmark! LeBron played his first game here!
Also, thanks for shouting out the former WNBA Team, the Sacramento Monarchs, and more importantly, Yolanda Griffith! Basketball Hall Of Famer!
Monarchs were raw!
First time i went to Sleep Train Arena was a Monster Jam event. It was still Arco arena at the time.
That's sick
Thank you for this awesome tour vid!! One of my fav jobs was working in food concessions for two years at the first Kings arena in 1985; then one year in that arena ‘87-88. My fav experience is how I got FREE “season tix” for all three years!
When the Sacramento Kings moved here from Kansas City in 1985, I was 20 years, and thought working part-time for an NBA team would be fun. It was. More than I ever could have guessed.
The inaugural home game was against the LA Clippers, and the local excitement in finally having a major-league-level team couldn’t have been any higher. I worked in the food and beverage concessions, selling standard game consumables, from popcorn to beer/sodas to King Dogs. After the historic first tip-off (we weren’t near the game) I loved being in the building, knowing some of the world’s best professional basketball players were downstairs. But we were so busy selling junk food, the other employees never gave it a second thought…they just worked like busy bees. My brain couldn’t stop wanting to be inside the arena watching the action.
After intermission, the rush for food was over. Our stand manager, Susan, asked for volunteers to clock out, since the number of workers weren’t needed during the second half. I was willing to leave early. We were given a King Dog and a soda on our way out. Remember, this was the very first Kings game, ever, in Sacramento, so rules were still being figured out. Let me explain.
Before exiting with my dinner, I decided to wander downstairs to check out the excitement during the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get in to see the basketball court, so I just stood in the lobby area and chowed down my hotdog, and slurped my soda.
As I ate, I noticed people walking by me, out the door and heading to the parking lot. The 3rd quarter had already started, so it took me by surprise that some folks were actually leaving early! I had to ask to confirm this. So, when a mother & child walked by me on their way out, I said, “are you leaving early?” She confirmed that her daughter wasn’t feeling well and they decided to go home. Then, she asked, “would you like to use our seats?” as she handed me her ticket stubs. What?? Really?? Wow…like yes, please!! My body instantly exploded with excitement, as I took it from her, thanked her, and basically ran into the arena into my newly acquired FREE seat! I won’t take the time here to explain how every neuron in my brain was processing this incredible experience, but let’s just say that I was on a high that has not been since replicated, at least in my limited memory.
The next game, I repeated the process. In fact, I was able to see the second half (and overtimes) of every game from Sacramento’s first 3 seasons…free! I saw Kareem, Magic, Jordan, Bird, Barkley, Olajuwon, and all the other stars of the day at least three times in person. Eventually, I would stand at the door after halftime and collect multiple ticket stubs, choose the best seat, then trash the others. Heck, sometimes I scored seats two rows from the floor. I took advantage of the situation because there were no rules saying employees couldn’t do what I was doing. Now, I’m told, if they were caught doing that, they’d be looking for other part-time work. Not to mention, tickets are digital and live on our phones.
1985, to me, feels like yesterday.
What an awesome story! Thank you so much for sharing! This made my night!
Went to arco from the day it opened all the way to the last game. I was at the Lebron game. At the first playoff game against Seattle. During the 2000’s saw all the great games. The place was a dump compared to all the other arenas in the NBA. You should have went down arena blvd and you would have seen the first arco, the 10,333 little barn that was constructed to bring the kings here. It was tiny but it was so loud! It’s being used by the state of CA for offices.
We went to Arco 1 in Part 2. This video is Part 3. You got a lot of great memories there!
Did they sneak in?
good stuff bros. congrats in advance
Thanks man
This is Arco 2. I went to two events here, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus by myself and Disney on Ice with mother. I lived in Sacramento when they built the mall that Golden 1 Center sits now.
We went to Arco 1 in part 2. This is part 3.
@@vvarietyshow I only been to Arco 2. I was in jr High when the Kings moved. ARCO Arena I (1985-1988) ARCO Arena II (1988-2016)
Arco 1 is so small it's crazy to think Michael Jordan was in there balling out lol
When I was 5 or 6 my cousin new someone that worked there I guess and my whole family got the whole stadium to ourselves and play basketball all day. One of my favorite memories and the photo I have of all of us at center court is the best. Wish I could put the photos in the comments here.
That's so sick! Send it to us @somethinortour on Instagram if you got it, would love to see that. We got to play a pickup game at Candlestick Park (it's one of our very first videos) so I know how you must have felt! Amazing memories
Very cool!
Right on JP
Arco Arena was so much fun, such a great spirit! RIP
This is amazing y’all good work 💯💯
Appreciate you checking it out
This was the best arena in the NBA, I remember those Kings vs Mavs, Blazers, Lakers games on TNT from Arco in the early 2000s, it looked like the fans were on top of the court.
All that old merch bro that’s insane !! even if i’m not a kings fan, that’s so cool ! did you take it by chance and keep it as a memento ?
👀
My whole childhood right there😪 couldn't help but tear up
You were the person I wanted to reach with this video.
Lakers vs. Kings rivalry 2002 is memorable to me, i am a lakers fan, but props always to the kings they push the lakers to limit, #respect
Great rivalry
Awesome work guys. I am in Australia but I reckon I have been to Arco about 10 times over the years and never gotten over 2002. It would have been amazing to be in that stadium with no one else knowing the history of the venue. I was surprised of what was left behind. Great job boys
Thank you so much and thanks for checking it out
I work for the Warriors rn and seeing a stadium abandoned like that is crazy. I see an empty chase center all the time but one in disrepair like that is so sad. I really need to get in before it’s gone
Yeah I've been in Oracle Arena empty and stuff but to see this place like this was crazy
@@vvarietyshow way cooler this way man! So jealous great video!
The amount of wwe and nba games I’ve seen at arco arena growing up this breaks my hearts seeing it like this 😭
At least you got to experience it though! Gotta be grateful for the good times.
@@vvarietyshow I appreciate you guys for this ❤️
Aw this reminds me of Disney on ice, kings games, monster jams, & a panic at the disco concert. When my parents were still together 😢💕 I drove by recently and seen the street sign Sleep Train Arena to turn into the arena. It made me sad. I moved away and when I came back the name was changed, then the new arena was already built. Memories are all that’s left 🙁