ArenaCrookstonCivic

Crookston Winter Sports and Civic Arena's

The Crookston Civic Arena located on the banks of the Red Lake River at 220 Robert St. E in Crookston Minnesota opened in 1937 initially with one rink called the Winter Sports Arena featuring natural ice, a vintage domed wood truss barrel roof with wooded beams throughout the arena. The Winter Sports Arena boasts a smaller than usual ice surface measuring at 180ft. x 80ft. and has seating for only 700 spectators. In 1971 -some 34 years after it opened its doors- the Winter Sports Arena saw the addition of artificial ice with the installation of an ice plant. 7 years later, in 1977-1978 to roomier Crookston Civic Arena was added adjacent to the Winter Sports Arena with a standard sheet of ice at 200ft. x 85ft. and enough room to "pack" some 1189 people in to cheer on the Crookston Pirates high school boys and girls hockey teams, as well as the Crookston Golden Eagles college hockey team whom call these 2 rinks their home.

In 2008 Governor Pawlenty passed a budget bill as initially introduced in the state's 85th Legislative Session for 2007-2008 that Pawlenty decided to use his line-item veto authority rather than taking down an entire $925 million bonding bond bill. He's letting $717 million worth of projects stand, including $10 million to re-locate the Crookston Ice Arenas, which will be torn down and then a new three sheet ice arena complex to be built in the north end of Crookston. "Crookston's request was tied to a flood prone area and near the river and why it is in the bill," said Governor Pawlenty. The Governor also included and did not cut the $30 million flood mitigation money which Crookston also is included in as they continue the city's flood projects. "It looks pretty good for Crookston and some other projects in the area," said State Representative Bernie Lieder, a DFL-er from Crookston.

Funding for three construction projects and facility repairs are included in the bonding bill Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed April 9 in Brown Hall auditorium at the SCSU campus, including plans for St. Cloud and the National Hockey Center renovations and improvements, University of Minnesota Duluth to receive a new home ice rink, and a new modern sized D1 rink to be constructed for Bemidji State University. Pawlenty has already been given the nickname -in Minnesota hockey circles- as the "Rinks Governor"

After numerous years of sitting in a flood plain on the banks of the Red Lake River, with fear of flooding over come each spring, the City of Crookston will finally see the addition of a new 3 sheet ice rink facility near the Crookston high school. Vintage Minnesota Hockey.Com wishes to keep the memories of the vintage wooded-truss arena alive forever here in the photos of this historic 1937 built arena.

Rear Photo of Arena Flooded-1950**

City of Crookston Arena Re-location Map

**More Photos to come this October (when ice is re-installed in the Ice Rinks)