The Aud – or, more formally, Memorial Auditorium– was a fixture in downtown Buffalo for 70 years. It was home to the Braves. It was home to the Sabres. And for many Buffalonians, it was home to many, many memories. Relive those memories here through a series of photos and clips from The Buffalo News' archives.
Remembering the Aud
1940: "New auditorium, $2,700,000." Memorial Auditorium is shown; nearly erased through the use of white-out are two cars of the era. The red line indicates where the photo was cropped for print at the time. The Aud debuted Oct. 14, 1940.
Remembering the Aud
1938: A front-page article on Oct. 14 trumpets the debut of the new auditorium, which replaced the Broadway Barns.
Remembering the Aud
1938: Coverage of the Aud took up most of an entire page.
Remembering the Aud
1938: The picture page was devoted to the Aud, too.
Remembering the Aud
1941: Memorial Auditorium.
Remembering the Aud
June 1955: "Broken pylon on the Terrace entrance to the Aud.
Remembering the Aud
March 1957: "VETERANS PROTEST THIS SIGN ON MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM -- Adam Plewacki Post 799 of the American Legion unanimously endorsed a resolution Tuesday evening supporting Councilman Russell M. Leech's stand against this welcome sign atop Memorial Auditorium -- officially the War Memorial Auditorium. Councilman Leech charged the sign fails to give consideration to veterans in the lettering."
Remembering the Aud
November 1960.
Remembering the Aud
April 1970: "NEW ERA FOR DOWNTOWN: It was a special kind of ceremonial earthbreaking today in what Mayor Sedita predicted would be a new central city growth around a new Memorial Auditorium sports and convention center. From the left are Councilman-at-Large Delmar L. Mitchell, Mayor Sedita and Council President Chester Gorski, getting things going for the expanded Auditorium. The public will get its first look at the new structure on Nov. 5."
Remembering the Aud
October 1970: "The icing: Ice-maker Shorty Lalonde sprayed water on the floor of Memorial Auditorium todya, building a rink for the Sabres' home opener Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens."
Remembering the Aud
January 1971: "ESCALATING THE AUD -- This steel tower on the Main St. or east side of the Aud in the fall will house an escalator, the shaft of which may be seen between the girders. This entrance will become the main entrance to the renovated and enlarged building, but another escalator also will be available on the west side of the building, offering easy access to all levels."
Remembering the Aud
April 1971.
Remembering the Aud
August 1973: "AUD JOB: Sprucing up area around Memorial Auditorium, these workers are laying new sidewalk on Pearl St. side -- and area trod by many persons walking from parking lots. Also part of refurbishing job are planting of shrubbery and replacement of light standards. Everything should be finished by the time the busy fall-winter auditorium schedule gets started."
Remembering the Aud
1973: Fans fill the seats in the aud.
Remembering the Aud
November 1972: "NEW TEAM IN TOWN -- Workmen spread blacktop over the crumbling walkways in front of Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. The men showed up less than a week after The News printed a story outlining the shoddy conditions both outside and inside the Aud. Now if they'd fix that lamp post at the left ..."
Remembering the Aud
August 1975: "Buffalo Memorial Auditorium gets new seats and increased capacity as carpenters William Behm, left, and James Male bolt down chair supports on a new concrete apron at the rear of the first balcony, near exits."
Remembering the Aud
August 1975: "Buffalo Memorial Auditorium gets new seats and increased capacity as ironworker Edward Beitz checks level of new steps and Patrick McCusker starts to weld one of four new stairways to connect balcony to main floor."
Remembering the Aud
April 1975.
Remembering the Aud
May 1976: "Appearing daily ON the Aud -- Employees of the Grove Roofing Co. appeared tiny in comparison with Memorial Auditorium as they went about the job of repairing the Aud roof Tuesday. Aud manager Joseph Figliola said the roof was installed more than 20 years ago and weathered everything Lake Erie could hurl at it as well as the roof-raising in 1970 to add more seats. This year, however, it started to leak."
Remembering the Aud
August 1977: "NEW FLOOR FOR THE AUD -- Workmen today began the task of pouring the 270 cubic yards of concrete that will form the new floor of Memorial Auditorium."
Remembering the Aud
September 1977: "NEW LOOK -- Faster action is in store for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans in the coming hockey season with new icemaking equipment in Memorial Auditorium. The $281,774 job of replacing the concrete floor and its maze of brine pipes was started in mid-June and finished by Mollenberg-Betz Machine Co. in time for the start of the preseason exhibition schedule. Fans also will see bright new dasher boards."
Remembering the Aud
December 1977.
Remembering the Aud
November 1978: "STEAMED UP -- What first appeared to be a roof fire on the southeast corner of Memorial Auditorium this morning turned out to be steam escaping from a broken connection in the building's heating system, on for the first time this season. The steam was turned off briefly for repairs."
Remembering the Aud
January 1981.
Remembering the Aud
March 1985: "MOVING IN -- Workers gradually move a trailer bearing an eight-ton boiler toward the garage opening of Memorial Auditorium Monday. The 21-foot gas-fired boiler is one of two being installed in the basement of the auditorium to replace two coal-fired boilers that were converted to gas. The old boilers are being left in the basement because of the trouble and expense of removing them. The second new boiler is scheduled to arrive today."
Remembering the Aud
December 1987: Fans watch from the stands as the Sabres held their annual open practice. "About 10,000 appreciative fans showed up to cheer on their heroes."
Remembering the Aud
August 1990: Finisher Dan Fluter rubs out the concrete in the orange section of the Aud, where renovations are underway to make the Aud handicapped accessible.
Remembering the Aud
April 2000: The scenic crew is working hard at the Memorial Auditorium to get the scenery painted for a Studio Arena production in the Aud. They used the floor of the Aud for 12 days.
Remembering the Aud
December 2004: An aerial photo of Buffalo includes the Aud alongside HSBC Arena, the skyway and the waterfront.
Remembering the Aud
December 2007: Standing between Sabres legends Rene Robert, left, and Larry Playfair, right, Mayor Byron Brown announces the details of the transfer of the Memorial Auditorium to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation.
Remembering the Aud
December 2007: A 30-second exposure of the now-dark Memorial Auditorium reveals a hint of the once-bright colors in the dilapidated structure. Journalists and workers in the site for a news conference were advised to wear surgical masks because of a mold problem.
Remembering the Aud
October 2008: One final tour of The Aud shows it is ready for demolition
Remembering the Aud
October 2008: Debris surrounds one of the old turnstiles in the Aud after 12 years of disuse.
Remembering the Aud
October 2008: One final tour of the Aud shows it is ready for demolition.
Remembering the Aud
November 2008: Rich Reling of Charlotte, N.C., searches for the perfect seat from the Memorial Auditorium to purchase with the help of volunteer Dennis Hewer, left, during the "Farewell Old Friend" event at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
Remembering the Aud
January 2009: Workers from Highland Masonry and Restoration carefully disassemble and remove the seal of Buffalo from the north side of Memorial Auditorium.
Remembering the Aud
February 2009: Demolition crews broke through the north side of the Aud.
Remembering the Aud
February 2009: Demolition is underway on the north side of Memorial Auditorium.
Remembering the Aud
March 2009: A view of the Aud as demolition continues.
Remembering the Aud
April 2009: Demolition continues on Memorial Auditorium with the dropping of a portion of the roof.
Remembering the Aud
April 2009: Another truss is removed at the Aud.
Remembering the Aud
May 2009: The north wall of the Aud comes down.
Remembering the Aud
June 2009: Demolition continues on Memorial Auditorium.
Remembering the Aud
Dec. 2019: T-shirts cover the seats at KeyBank Center to evoke the seating colors of the old Memorial Auditorium for "80's Night" during the game against Nashville Thursday, Dec. 11, 2019.
Remembering the Aud
Dec. 2019: T-shirts cover the seats at KeyBank Center to evoke the seating colors of the old Memorial Auditorium for "80's Night" during the game against Nashville Thursday, Dec. 11, 2019.
State officials Wednesday asked developers to submit proposals to redevelop the nearly 2-acre, fenced-in hole north of the canals. Developers have until Sept. 1 to respond, with the selection of the designated developer expected in early 2023.
