At more than 120 years old, the crown jewel of the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the Coliseum of Champions, was never built to operate year-round – lacking boilers and an HVAC system.
The limestone and brick amphitheater itself was condemned in 2016 owing to structural issues caused by deferred maintenance. This in turn caused the livestock and equestrian shows that would come through the iconic venue to go elsewhere – including Iowa’s livestock pavilion, which is built in much the same style, but underwent a full climate-controlled retrofit earlier in the millennium.