Oracle Arena

If you’re a sports fan in the Oakland area, you know there aren’t as many stadiums as amazing as Oakland Arena. Located at 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA 94621, this basketball stadium that houses a whopping 19,596 people originally opened November 9th, 1966. Ever since, it’s been a stunning symbol of local culture and sportsmanship providing entertainment to those from and not from the Oakland area. Here’s a brief history of the events and activities that have transpired at Oakland Arena, and how it came to be.

You might know Oakland Arena for the times the NBA has played there, but the first team to play there was the California Seals, who were apart of the Western Hockey League. They first played there when the arena opened in 1966. It is because of this that the team took on the name, the “California Seals”, after being formerly known as the San Francisco Seals. The reason for the name change was because of their desire to appeal to Oakland locals, where they would be playing now.

But of course, the Oakland Arena wouldn’t be living up to its name if they didn’t host the Oakland Oaks. In 1967, shortly after the stadium opened, they took on the American Football Association and hosted the Oakland Oaks until that team was sold 1969. They showed strong performances at the stadium during their games and managed to defeat famous teams like the Denver Rockets and Indiana Pacers.

Of course, it can’t be understated how extensively the arena was used for basketball games with the Golden State Warriors. The Golden State Warriors played at Oakland Arena for almost 5 decades, from 1971 all the way to 2019. The only break they took in this extended legacy with Oakland Arena was for one year while the building was being renovated.

Oakland Arena served the sports community’s needs for many decades since the 1960s, but as seating and other amenities became more sophisticated at newer stadiums, it became obvious by the time of the 1990s that Oakland Arena was overdue for an update. As such, in 1996 Oakland Arena was temporarily closed while the building was renovated and brought up to modern standards. 

$121 million dollars was budgeted for the renovation, and it was decided to keep original aspects of the building, such as the roof, walls, and foundation. Over the course of the project, they managed to expand the seating the stadium provided, from it’s measly 15,025 seats it had in 1996, to a more modern number at 19,596. In one year, they managed to complete all of the necessary upgrades and overhauls so that the stadium could be reopened again, and host the Golden State Warriors again for that year’s season of games. 

Oakland Arena has a long legacy with sports fans of all stripes and is a major landmark of the Oakland area. While the building continues to grow old with the decades, it’s sure to remain apart of the Oakland area for years to come. 

Getting to Central Bay Roofing & Restoration from Oakland Arena

via I-880 N

• Continue to Coliseum Way
• Head southwest toward Coliseum Way
• Turn left toward Coliseum Way
• Take I-880 N to Clement Ave in Alameda
• Sharp right onto Coliseum Way
• Use any lane to take the Interstate 880 N ramp
• Merge onto I-880 N
• Take the 39A/29th Ave exit toward Fruitvale Ave
• Keep left at the fork and merge onto 29th Ave
• Turn right onto Ford St
• Slight left to stay on Ford St
• Turn left at the 1st cross street onto 23rd Ave
• At 7-Eleven, continue onto 29th Ave/Park St
• Turn right onto Clement Ave