Mellon Arena (The Igloo)

Address:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Interestingly enough, Mellon Arena, the oldest arena in the National Hockey League, was not originally built for hockey. It was actually built in 1961 for the Pittsburgh Opera because they wanted a facility with a roof. Few realize that Mellon Arena's roof is retractable, as it is almost never opened anymore. The first sports team in the arena was the Pittsburgh Hornets, a minor league hockey team. Then, in 1967, the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins moved in, and they haven't left since. Hosting the NHL All-Star Game in 1990, and Stanley Cup Championships in 1991 and 1992, the early '90s era was the golden era of Mellon Arena, or "The Igloo," as it is also known. Superstars like Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis led a mini-dynasty for Pittsburgh's hockey team.

Now, the Penguins have been restored to the level of NHL contenders, with young superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the way. However, with renovations for The Igloo becoming increasingly expensive, and the arena not generating sufficient funds, plans are in the works to build a new home for the Penguins to be ready in late 2010. In the meantime, you can still visit a place that has hosted minor league and college hockey games, Atlantic Ten and NCAA Tournament games in men's basketball, major pro wrestling events, and a variety of big-name and local concerts. Mellon Arena is also currently home to the Pittsburgh Xplosion of the Continental Basketball Association.

Two relatively well-known movies have been filmed at Mellon Arena - the 1979 basketball flick called "The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh" and the 1995 action film "Sudden Death," starring Jean Claude Van Damme which takes place during a fictitious Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Mellon Arena is located in the eastern part of Pittsburgh. It is accessible via car, or by mass transit on buses 81A, B, or C.