The Schenley Park Casino was Pittsburgh’s first multi-purpose arena. The facility was considered the envy of the sports and entertainment world during the early 1890s, with amenities that were unsurpassed anywhere on the globe. It was built at the entrance to Schenley Park in Oakland near the Phipps Conservatory, the Schenley Bridge and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh’s Frick Fine Arts Building currently sits on the site of the Casino. The Casino was the first place in Pittsburgh where organized ice hockey was played. The arena's artificial ice surface was the first of its kind in North America.Construction and brief useIn the fall of 1893, The City of Pittsburgh pondered on the idea of multi-purpose facility that would be a place for theater, recreation and social gathering. The idea sputtered through a committee of capitalists until Casino manager, James Wallace Conant convinced political boss, Christopher Magee, that the new building could feature an indoor ice skating rink. The notion of indoor ice skating galvanized the Casino’s construction plan. As a result, investors were quick to agree to the $400,000 financing, and construction of the Casino was completed before opening to the public on May 29, 1895.
