Peoria Civic Center

The Peoria Civic Center, located in downtown Peoria, Illinois, is a multifaceted, state-of-the-art facility that serves as a hub for entertainment, business, and cultural events in central Illinois. The Civic Center’s design blends modern architectural elements with functional spaces that are adaptable to various uses. It houses three major spaces; an arena, theater, and exhibition halls.  The Peoria Civic Center has been a cornerstone of the city’s cultural and economic development since its opening. Its construction was part of an effort to revitalize Peoria’s downtown area, bringing in both local and national events to boost tourism and generate economic growth. Over the years, the Civic Center has attracted a wide range of performances, conventions, and exhibitions, becoming a key destination for entertainment and professional events in the Midwest. The Peoria Civic Center is a dynamic and essential venue in central Illinois, combining top-notch facilities with a prime location in downtown Peoria. Whether hosting world-class entertainment, conventions, or community events, the Civic Center continues to play a vital role in the region’s cultural, economic, and social landscape. Its blend of functionality and modern design ensures it remains a top choice for organizers and visitors alike.

Pollstar ranked the Peoria Civic Center Theater as the 96th top selling theater in the world and 3rd in state of Illinois behind Chicago based venues – Chicago Theatre and Rosemont Theatre.

Arena

Carver Arena is home to the Peoria Rivermen as well as the Bradley University Basketball teams. It is also where bands including as Metallica, Eagles, Elton John, Bob Seger, Kiss, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Cher, Janet Jackson, James Taylor, Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown, Godsmack, AJR and Five Finger Death Punch have performed. The Harlem Globetrotters, World Wrestling Entertainment, Monster Jam, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live, Disney on Ice, and basketball exhibition games for the Chicago Bulls have also taken place in the Arena.

Theater

The Peoria Civic Center Theater has been home to many local arts organizations throughout it’s history including the Peoria Ballet, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra as well as the Broadway Theatre Series which became Broadway in Peoria managed by the American Theatre Guild in recent years. With a capacity of approximately 2,000 seats, the venue has 2 balconies as well as box seats.

Convention Center

The Peoria Civic Center also houses a convention center which incorporates a ballroom, meeting rooms, exhibit halls that can be configured to accommodate multiple space sizes up to 108,668 sq. ft., as well as the Lexus Club Room which is designed for intimate corporate meetings or private parties in an adjacent space to the ballroom, exhibit halls and meeting rooms. The Peoria Civic Center offers decorating services through Peoria Expo in the convention center as well as catering for events in the various spaces.

History

Peoria Civic Center opened on June 6, 1982. The first event at the Civic Center was a home and garden show in the Exhibit Hall in February 1982.

Peoria Civic Center is an entertainment complex located in downtown Peoria, Illinois. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Philip Johnson and John Burgee, it has an arena, theater, exhibit hall and meeting rooms. It opened in 1982 and completed an expansion to its lobby and meeting facilities in 2007. On the grounds of the Peoria Civic Center sits the massive “Sonar Tide,” the last and largest sculpture of the pioneer of abstract minimalism Ronald Bladen.

Carver Arena hosted the Illinois High School Association boys’ basketball state finals for two weeks every March from 1996 until 2019. The interactive March Madness Experience took place in the adjacent exhibition hall during the tournaments.

The site of the Civic Center includes the spot at Liberty Street and Jefferson Street, where Moses and Lucy Pettengill lived from 1836 to 1862; that house was part of the Underground Railroad and Moses was also an Underground Railroad “conductor”. In 1862, the Pettingills moved out of downtown and to Moss Avenue, where the present Pettengill–Morron House was built in 1868. The downtown home was demolished in 1910 to make way for the Jefferson Hotel. The hotel, in turn, was imploded in 1978 to make way for the Civic Center.

ASM Global

The facility has been managed by ASM Global (previously SMG or Spectacor Management Group) since 1990. From 1982-1990, the venue was managed by the City of Peoria.