In 1988, William Wirtz, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Jerry Reinsdorf, majority owner and Chairman of the Chicago Bulls, formed a new partnership to create an arena that would take sports and entertainment into the 21st century.
The United Center, home to the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls, is the largest arena in the United States. Construction began in April 1992, with the ribbon cutting ceremony hosted on August 18, 1994.
Since opening, the United Center has hosted more than 200 events each year. Some of the events the arena has been proud to host include the 1996 and 2024 Democratic National Convention, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, U2, The Who, The 3 Tenors, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, the Big Ten Basketball Tournament, the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the 2017 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four and the University of Illinois men’s basketball.
The United Center has hosted over forty million guests since its opening in 1994.