Exploring Hara Arena after the Tornado | Abandoned Ohio (2020)
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- In this video we explore the Abandoned Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. A huge convention center featuring a hockey arena, concert stage, bar, ballroom, and much more.
This massive 165K SQFT event center in Ohio closed in 2016 after serving the local community for 50 years. It was named Hara Arena after its founders Harold and Ralph Wampler. So what happened? The Wampler Family empire collapsed do to an interfamily feud over the founders estate. A 20 year battle. But the community had hope of a triumphant return with a new investor but then in May of 2019 its fate was sealed. An EF4 tornado ripped through the property leaving only a shell of memories. Since 1956 Ohioans came for hockey games, home shows, concerts, professional wrestling, and let's not forget Hamvention.
Check out our original Hara exploration with everything inside: • Exploring Hara Arena i...
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Sadly Hara Arena going to be demolished. If you are from the area an have been to Hara leave us a comment what your most fond memory is! Mine was working the Homeshow.
Nice video. Thanks for posting it
Oh that is awesome that you got to work the home show there one of my dog racing friends used to go to the Hamvention when it was there
Saw kiss there in 1991. Job shadowed at arena dodge while I was in school at mcjvs
Just remembering watching this I also had been to a car show there and several gun shows
Grand funk Railroad around 1971. And Alice Cooper around same time.
Sesame Street on ice was lit in the 90s..but that was back when Lazarus was alive n well at the Salem Mall...ahhhh back n the gap..
I'm from Dayton and saw so many concerts, White Zombie, The Ramones, Marilyn Manson, Soundgarden, Nirvana etc etc. The ninties were great.
Romney Wordswerth you think so? I was there in the 70’s! Talk about awesome!
@@Luvlacegrl I'm sure it was. I was only 2. I could only imagine.
Romney Wordswerth Doobie Brothers, Aerosmith, Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, so many more! I know, I’m showing my age. 😊 I still have all my ticket stubs. None of them more than $8.50 a show. Those were the days.
@@Luvlacegrl that is awesome I love all those bands. I wish I could have seen Rush.
I would love to meet you. And talk classic rock ☺️
Hara was still open when I left my home state of Ohio years ago. I saw many concerts and attended many shows there with my dad. The Scorpions w/ Whitesnake & Dokken in 2003, The Nightmare Before X-Mas (Mudvayne, Sevendust) tour, etc... Dayton losing Hara is both an emotional and physical loss. Many of us grew up in that Arena, making memories that can never be relived again.
I grew up 5 miles from Hara on Dog Leg road.. I have so many memories of this place. My father took my brother and I to monster truck shows, tractor pulls, Dayton Bomber hockey games, my dad played hockey here. Car shows, 1st time I saw Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage live. So many memories.
Thank you for the video!
Very sad to see the arena here, rmember going there to see the Ice Capades when I was a little kid in the '60's. I was there with friends in the 80's and I also saw the Kinks with an ex boyfriend. That tornado did so much damage to a large part of Dayton. It is still recovering from it. My heart sank to see the arena got hit even though I knew it had closed many years ago. It was such a fun place to go.
I’m from Columbus and I don’t remember you guys ever getting a F-4 tornado. That’s crazy
@@jasonvoorhees6416 yes it has been on the local news the last couple of weeks reminding us that this happened 2 yrs ago the last part of May.
This video means a lot to me! i am 32 years old and I grew up going to many events here from the knife and gun shows to seeing many many rock bands here!! I cried when they closed it and been back many times since the tornado hit just to stare at the place. Even been to watch them tear some of it down 😭 I will always Love The Hara Arena.
You need to check out the Remembering Hara Arena facebook page.very cool,with a ton of pictures
I spent so much time at this place. Went to my first hockey game there in the 60's. Attended many trade shows there with my dad who owned a marina and snowmobile sales place in Xenia. Saw the batmobile and the Dukes of Hazard car there. Saw concerts. A little bit of everything happened there. Sad to see it like this, but I was in the 1974 Xenia tornado so I know what they can do to structures. Thanks for one last look.
I would have loved to went there and seen a hockey game I think that would have been so cool even more cooler with a place that has and has had so much history and famous history behind it and so many famous Ventures and events that were there
Rip To the Original Owner of Carl’s Body Shop for giving us great moments with the bat mobiles, and other fine automobiles..
I saw my very first rock concert here. In 1978 I was 17 years old, the show was billed as a Rock n Roll Marathon. Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush, Angel, Humble Pie, and Mothers Finest. I think that show had a lot of tour dates around the country, many people my age remember that line up. Kinda sad to see it like this, I have good memories of the place. Hopefully something good can be done with the property.
- I was at that same concert, it was actually April 3, 1980 known as Shaner’s Rock Festival. Awesome show, I was in the front row watching my favorite band Angel perform. I grew up in Dayton in the 60s 70s and early 80s. I moved to San Diego in 1982. Some of the Best goddam days of my youth were spent at Hara Arena and Salem Mall.
Thanks for sharing this, one last look at a true piece of dayton history
So many concerts there...including my first! I'm sure I suffer hearing loss due to the shows I saw at Hara. Worth it! Sad how it ended.
The only times I went to Hara was for Computerfest in the 80's and 90's. Those were some great memories.
Dude, I would have taken a stack of those plates as a souvenir!!
My dad isn't very good with technology and I showed him this video and he wanted me to comment- I saw my first concert here in the early 70s. I saw the Doobey Brothers and several other shows and games. I lived in Huber Heights back then and it was a long trip to get there but we always did.
Just far enough to get toasted🤤
I have so many memories of concerts here. It breaks my heart that its the end of an era. Thank you for this walk down memory lane.
If I remember right I went there for a circus when I was young. I've been for many trade, flea and expo shows, watched hockey games, attended a woman in sports banquet, went to the Dayton library book sale and took ballroom dance classes. This building was the areas jack-of-all-trades.
Made it to Hamvention every year from 1987 through the last year, 2016. I had so many good memories of that place. I did make one last Hamvention in 2017 but it just wasn't the same. It seems like every year there was some unique event that happened there (including a swarm of honey bees that covered some guy's stand) and there were always interesting treasures to be had. RIP HARA.
I got to see Van Halen on their 5150 tour and Pantera on their FBD tour. Good times! 🤘 🔥
Def Leppard
I briefly played for the Dayton Gems during the 11-12 season. I had many former teammates play for them and the franchise that existed after they did.
This brought back so many memories. I took my girls there to see Wizard of Oz on ice. At one point you were standing right next to where we sat. We attended many wood carving shows there as well.
I went there from about 1988 to its closure in 2016. I attended gun shows, Hamventions, trade shows, home shows, etc. Even with the advanced destruction of the facility, my mind had flashbacks to all the times in my life at that facility. For instance like the ballroom with the heaved up the floor. That was where I went to my first Bill Goodman Gun And Knife Show, with my father, and bought my first brick of .22 ammo for my first real firearm as a 16-year-old kid.
Needless to say, until the legal battle began the facility could have used some updating, but was OK, but in later years it became a international emberassment to the Dayton area during Hamvention, the utter lack of maintenace and up keep killed it.
Sad to see it in such shape, but now is time to let go and return the land to green space, ready for possible redevelopment or to let nature reclaim the area if the City of Trotwood contiunes to decline.
Attended Hamvention there every year from 1994 till close, alot of great memories. I miss that place. Sad to never walk that property again.
I remember going to the circus at Hara Arena several times when I was a kid in the 90’s. Got stuck going with my mom and sister one time to a Bridal Show at Hara in the early 2000’s. My mom and I seen President George Bush give a speech at Hara Arena in 2004 when he was running for re-election. I had tickets to Trace Adkins & Montgomery Gentry here around 2006 but wound up not going and gave them away. I can’t remember why I didn’t go now. Wish I would’ve. I seen Comedian Rodney Carrington in 2009. I think the last time I was at Hara Arena was in 2014 for Monster Trucks. I wish the place was still there. I never attended a concert or wrestling there. I’ve heard plenty of stories over the years from my family about different wrestling events and awesome concerts at Hara Arena. It’s a shame how the place ended up. Thank you so much for these videos. Brings back many memories.
Just found this video. Saw many concerts at Hara, even more hockey games, car and gun shows. I live less than a quarter mile, and the tornado hit my house just before it hit Hara. As bad as our street was, Hara was in better shape than I expected, at least for when the video was made. It's completely gone now.
I’m a ham radio operator. And back in the 90s I went to the hamvention. It was a huge place. Thanks for the last look. 😃👍
I loved the concerts and Carl Casper’s auto shows there.
Many memories there. Countless times at the gun and knife show, bought my first gun there when I turned 18 there. Saw Pantera 3 times, met my wife in 2001 at there last show. Seen lots of concerts. Saw WWF for the first time.
I saw Bob Dylan there in 2002, a great concert; I still have my poster and ticket stub. In 2016, during the final event, a comic and toy convention, I went back and got a few photos of the place on its last day.
Thanks for the video. I grew up in Dayton, but moved away in 1985. Hadn't been in Hara Arena since the late 70s. Makes me sad that it's now gone. I attended many great rock concerts here in the 70s when I was a teenager. Also saw many great hockey games with the Dayton Gems here when I was a kid. It was a cool place. I intend to watch the other video you mentioned prior to the tornado.
The dayton Gems , Carl Casper car shows ,,big time wrestling ,,Alabama, my high school graduation...could learn to dance in the Ball arena....ice skating..private parties... the Dayton Hamvention... the Dayton Gun shows ...and many many more ... Thank You !!!!
I use to go to the Bill Goodman gun and knife show on the weekends with my husband, I also took my son to a Hot wheel convention there once.
Did you call a buddy? Did you bring a friend?
I saw RUSH and maybe a couple of skateboarding contests there in the 80's.
I remember that tornado. Did a lot of damage. Great video
I'm from AR, but have heard of this Arena, but back in the late 80s early 90s arena concerts were famous. I think this is how I heard of this arena. Concert t-shirts, lol. Sad to see it the way it is today. Lost but not forgotten to those who enjoyed it the most. Sometimes change sucks big time.
Thank you for downloaded this video. I had my high school graduation ceremony here on Aug 4, 1977. It's so very sorry sad to see it this way and to see it demolition this hara arena property...
I’ve been somewhat familiar with this place since the early 80s. I grew up in Columbus, and I still live in Columbus. Since both of my parents are from the Dayton area, I always used to spend a few weeks in Dayton with my grandparents in the summer.
I only ever went there once, in 1994, to see smashing pumpkins. I was 20.
My band, The Goody Two Shoes played a sideroom there several years ago for a paranormal convention.
Many memories from the seventies. From seeing Alice Cooper, Carl Caspers auto show, Dayton Flyers, Holiday on ice, Boat shows, home shows and some shows I have forgotten over the years. So sad to see it come to an end, thanks for the last look and bringing back some awesome memories!!
I can not tell you how many concerts that I went to there... in the 70's & 80's that is where you went to see all the big ROCK shows
I was there for concerts Hank williams Jr. REBA MCINTYRE. ALAN JACKSON JUST TO NAME A FEW LOTS OF COOL MEMORIES THANKS FOR SHARING THIS
RIP Hara Arena! And RIP to the Salem Mall, roughly one mile due West of Hara! I grew up just over a mile and a half due North of the mall. It was a great place in the '70s and '80s and a little beyond...
I saw several car shows, circuses, and hockey games, many concerts, and even wrestling once for a few minutes at Hara. It was the second place I ever drove a car - the first being the street immediately behind the complex to the North. (Su Casa?) Dayton really was a special place in the 20th century, full of happy people who were doing good things.
My grandparents took me to the circus at Hara Arena when I was about 6 years old, around 1968. We lived in Xenia at the time.
Thanks for giving us a last look inside.This is awesome!
I appreciate it Mark! I enjoy hearing people stories about the places we visit!
No.problem.you mentioned being in touch with the former owners.did they have input on the situation?I know they tried very hard to keep it up and running but had the deck stacked against them
I reposted this on my Facebook page called'Remembering Hara Arena'Hope you dont mind.
i miss my dad rip Robert C Lewis jr we have been to car shows, monster truck shows,model train shows, i i had my HS. Military Ball in the conference room you showed, my uncle went to many Jerry Lewis Telethons here..😥😥😥😭😭
I went there for several HAM Fests. They were an amazing electronic flee market.
So sad to see it in such a mess. Was there last year of hamfest. Building still in good shape then. The collapsed seats I gears was due to scrappers cutting beams. Seen bunches of concerts, car shows, hamvention, super sales, monsyer trucks demo derbie. Lots of memories.
I saw a few concerts there. I recall seeing the late Andre The Giant walk out of the one tunnel heading towards the ring. ❤
It says no views, but I'm viewing it now!! 😁
You were the first! I hope you like it. When I watch the video that I made a couple years ago I think this one is better quality. It took me two years to realize shaking the camera like crazy looks awful 😂
I did enjoy it, thanks! It always breaks my heart to see places like this that held so many memories for so many people. Our arena around here is called Taxslayer Center. Which hasn't hosted anything in 6 months. They just said on the noon news that there out 100 million in revenue. 😳
We were stationed at Wright Patterson AFB 1967-1970. We got tickets to many Dayton Gems Hockey Games in Hara Arena.
What great memories, sorry to see this demolished
Seen the previous video and was curious to what it looked like after Tornado. Looks much better now.😀
Sooooooo sad!!! I lived in Dayton for 42 yrs before I moved south........ biggest memory - bill goodmins gun and knife show, abt 20 of them...... I also saw the home show many times, circuses, golf shows, banquet dinners, WWF many times, hockey games, and so much more. I never saw a concert, most of them were before my time, at least the really good ones.
If I remember right, it was originally a ballroom dance hall. The area where the floor buckled was called either ball arena or silver arena. I think the main arena came later. I remember the computer fest, hamvention, train shows, Carl Caspers car show, home shows, gun shows, my wife and I even went to a bridal show right before we got married. Thanks for posting. I really appreciate it. And remember, STAY SAFE OUT THERE!
I believe it was called Wamplers Ball Arena
The 80s were great there also. I saw my first concert there, KISS, and a couple more times. Rush, Scorpions, Dio, Megadeth, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, GNR. Many of Carl Caspers Car shows, gun shows, bought my first car stereo system there in 1990.
Wow my son and I were there the year of the poop explosion. Haggling with a woman who wouldnt sell me an Astron power supply for a reasonable price in the parking lot. 15 minutes later. Right in front of her booth the asphalt opened up and the river was made. Had a great time in addition to that memory. Camping at buck creek state park having the best signal EVER in that remote campsite. Throwing a bag of chicken bones in the fire ring to burn in the morning and the horrible sounding Raccoon fight at 2am. I think we went twice in total. Sad to see this place go.. but if you are lucky enough to hit 50 years old like me you see a lot of things disappear in your lifetime. Thanks for the video. I am watching and I just remember the time I bought 4 chili dogs.. omg.. they were so big and messy.. I thought it would be a normal sized thing.. Nowhere to sit. I didnt want to eat THAT much so I just threw all 4 in the trash.. lol Good times. 73 De NA8Y
I saw many great rock concerts at Hara in 1973-1975. Those were great times
Coached several youth hockey games there. Saw Rodney Carrington in concert there as well. As a DJ, I provided services for a few weddings there too. Since I only moved to the area in the early 2000's, I never got to see the arena in its hey day. Guys in my adult hockey league speak very highly of it and of the great memories they have.
A bit of trivia...not sure if anyone has already mentioned this in the comments...this was the site of Wayne Gretzky's first ever professional hockey game. So it was a piece of hockey history.
Went to Hamvention '89 there. Don't remember a lot but it was a fun experience. Sorry to see it go.
I attended so many concerts around 1980. Dayton could pull in the big-name acts. Dayton had been in decline the late sixties and 70s. When the job market collapses to minimum wage you cannot maintain your home and lives. I don't have a single family member left in Ohio.
I’ve been there once for Sesame Street live when I was about I think 9 or 10 years old. That was about 1999-2000ish I think. My aunt was working on the show and got us tickets for it. Front row too.
I would love to have some of those plates out of the kitchen as a souvenir of Hara Arena. I can't believe they left all that stuff behind. A lot of good stuff left to rot and decay. But I've heard the arena has been completely demolished now.
lived about a 1/4 mile from there behind the old mumaw's/fulton fruit farm. so many memories at that place from the 80's and 90's. Bombers games, globetrotters, ham-vention, and my dad teaching me to drive in the parking lot, and we def cant forget the pub! So sad to see it go, and worse i wont be around to watch it happen. Great video
Lots of memories here starting back in the 70s. Carl Caspers car show, Bill Goodmans gun and knife show, WWF wrestling, Ice capades, RC swap meets, Conserts, moster truck shows. It was a place used for so many different things. Its a shame to see it go.
I worked there from 1996 to 2002. Worked some concession for the concerts and Christmas shows. Met a lot of celebs because I was a runner for the food servers. Met some wrestlers, the Dixie Chick's, and a few others. Bought a lot of CDs from concerts if I worked a particular show. A lot of the celebs would sign the ceiling tiles in the pub.
Really sad to see this place gone now...
Wow so many memories and so sad 😔
I rented halls in HARA a number of times for the Dayton Modelrama. A regional Radio Control buy, sell, swap and trade show event. Lots of memories. It was semi rough every time we used it. Too bad it died out.
I was there for Dayton Bombers Hockey. The games against the Cincinnati Cyclones were crazy.
its sad to see this all gone and looking at this I went with my mom when I was like 5 or 6 the only things I remember was the dinosaur event and having a soft pretzel and seeing bouncy houses and possibly getting on it I dont remember and stuff. little did I know that that would have been my 1st and last time being there. makes me feel a bit nostalgic.
I live in tornado alley, I know what damage they can do.It can destroy a brick and steel building and leave an old wood shack.They are truly scary and amazing.That was a huge place.🖒🖒
If I had a dollar for all the concerts/gun shows I went to there.....I would would be rich! First concert ever in '84...Forghat! Triumph....AC/DC....David Lee Roth...Molly Hachet...John Mellencamp...Krokus...Accept....DIO! and honestly.....some I've forgotten. Last concert was Mongomery Gentry in I believe '04. So Thank You Hara Arena for 30yrs of memories.
Went with my dad to a Dayton Gems hockey game there, maybe mid-1960s. Also, just a few years ago my wife and I went to a gem/mineral show there. It was a sad place then. I remember the ceiling tiles were all stained and falling down.
My dad took me to hamvention here sometime in the 2010s. Resently my friends and I have been getting into urbex and went to explore the abandoned arena post tornado. We've been there twice now, and the first time we went we parked somewhat far away and it started storming out of nowhere, so we had to wait out the storm inside. It was really hard trying to find a dry spot where the roof didnt leak. We also visited the concrete factory and the same thing happened with a random downpour which also flooded most of the woods which we had to go through to get out. Both trips we ended up all muddy, wet, and laughing. Those explorations are the most memorable for sure lol
The only time i went to Hara arena was when they had those Disney on Ice events. Those were always fun to go to, i think ive only went to two of those events though
Saw RHCP with Foo Fighters opening. Also saw Aerosmith here. Amazing times
So many great childhood memories for sure.
i grew up around the area for Hara Arena, my self and friends, and family members went to all kinds of shows there. Car Shows, Wrestling (ECW), Gun and Knife Show, Concerts I believe mom saw Moody Blues there, at the time it was the place to be.
I grew up approx. 7 miles away near Little York road and seen all aspects of what the Hara complex could provide. My parents took me to home shows and boat shows there, and I went to junior hockey and also seen the Dayton gems and the Dayton Bombers play plus numerous concerts most notably to me Lynard Skynyrd in 1985 at age 13 , my first concert ever. Just sad to see !! That's all I can say.
Saw Disturbed & Sevendust there with my wife.
I volunteered for ComputerFest a lot, attended many a Hamvention, and helped run Dayton LanFest. I've been all over Hara. This really makes me sad.
Hara was a staple for large events. Childhood memories throughout adulthood.
I saw Prince there twice. His tour with The Time and Vanity 6 was probably the best concert I ever saw. As well as the Commodores, Rick James, Beastie Boys and Dayton’s own Roger Troutman. He got added on so many R&B bills during the 80s. We would SAY we were sick of seeing him but he NEVER EVER gave a bad show. He would win the biggest skeptics over.
For a long while Dayton got better R&B tours than Cincinnati or Columbus. The large number of R&B top charting act from Dayton didn’t hurt.
I'm 66 and from the area, I remember the Arena as I was growing up. Don't think I've ever been in it. Our parents did take us to see Barnum and Bailey Circus once. But I'm not sure if this was where we went. I don't think it was.
Saw a lot of Dayton Bombers hockey in the 90’s. Hara Arena was the place to go for conventions, shows, concerts and sporting events. Sad to see it like this and how it was in the last video.
My wife had her high school graduation ceremony on the floor of the hockey rink (over 40 years ago).
I have tons of pictures from the hamvention, as a amateur radio operator. Going to hamvention was amazing. The new grounds are good but not like the Hara was.
Watched great American bash here on my 15th birthday . It was 100 degrees that night. Great place for wcw shows
It's amazing how greed and egos destroyed what could have remained a profitable enterprise. So sad.
Well, the arena would have been destroyed anyway, so...
That tornado missed our house by 3-40 yards and did significant danage 100 yards to each side of its path. That is 2 miles from Hara Arena.
I'd been there many times as a kid for car shows and whatnot. The last time I was there was in 97 to see Korn. I haven't been to that side of town for years so I haven't seen the damage in that area until I found this video just now
I grew up in Dayton Ohio area. I went to a few concerts and Stars on Ice and Disney on ice.
In 1975 saw Frank Zappa there with Bob Seger opening.....my first hit of microdot....it was an all night adventure to say the least....so sad to see this....time changes everything..!! We are just living dust.....wonder sometimes what is the point of our experience....shit is just sad sad sad...!!
Interesting, I remember Zappa but not the opening act. Thx.
Thank you for your videos! Just subscribed today after watching a couple videos . I appreciate your informative narration, but most of all I appreciate that you keep it classy with no swearing! I can watch this channel with my 12 year old and not worry that something offensive is going to be said! I will definitely share share your videos with my friends! Thank you
I appreciate that you noticed. In real life I am a bit of a potty mouth but after people mention that they watch with their kids I scaled it back. I slip every once in a while but I do try 😜. That’s awesome that you’re teaching the next generation to be nostalgic about the past!
I was there in the 90s for the big ham fest. Crazy.
I watched a Heart concert in late 80's. I won tickets by being the 1st caller on WEBN's morning radio show.
I live on valley street n was hit by the memorial day tornadoes it' cause too many building to b gone
By the way great recommendation on your other comment. I removed it to keep it on the down low but you should see something coming out after a while! 🙏🏻
Thanks dude u should have started ten years ago there was so many more building in downtown that was vacant now they r apartment I used to go-to the top of platt iron works n u could see the dragons games
I lived by Stebbins at the time and we were so lucky not to be hit. I live in Northridge now and I'm still not used to seeing everything that's gone now.
Attended many Hamventions there first one in 1977 a lot of good memories.
I went ice skating when I was 12-14. Then many concerts the last concert I went to the night I went in the Navy was ZZ Top. Dayton Gems was fun along with so many fights
April Wine, Foghat, Ozzy, Billy Squire, Nugent, Lee Greenwood, Rick Springfield....sigh.... Good Times. Sweet memories....it was just yesterday... it seems.
I saw Ted Nuget in 1998 there. He opened his show playing a Jimmy Vendor song! Thanks for the great videos.
Jimmy Hendrix
I watched them back to back. Tornado did a number on it for sure so sad
I had been to many Hamventions at Hara, this is sad. My buddy and I would either drive or lately fly from Philadelphia.
I attended Hamvention several times in the '70's. I was curious as to why Hamvention changed location.