Today in Texas History: American Airlines Center Set Two World Records

20 years ago on July 27, 2001, the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas set two world records during their opening ceremony.

The American Airlines Center was a 420 million dollar project designed to replace the Reunion Arena in Dallas. The area officially opened with a massive ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2001, followed by an Eagles concert the next day. However, it was not your average ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The event set two world records at the same time. The first record was for the three-mile-long ribbon they used in the ceremony. The second record was for the 2,000 people that participated in cutting the ribbon.

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The American Airlines Center is located in downtown Dallas, in the Victory Park neighborhood. It is a multi-purpose arena that is home to both the NBA Dallas Mavericks and the NHL Dallas Stars. The venue is also used for concerts and other live events in Dallas.

The area has hosted many musicians, sporting events, and even political rallies. Some of the musicians that have come through this venue include Fleetwood Mac, Beyonce, Garth brooks, Elton John, P!nk, and more. In the case of political rallies, they hosted the 2015 and 2019 Donald Trump Republican Party rallies.

The Arean was designed by David M. Schwarz and HKS, Inc. It features retractable seating that allows the space to change from a 20,000 seat basketball arena into an 18,532 seat hockey rink. This versatility makes it a great venue for various events.

The Mavericks currently hold a lease with the American Airlines Center until 2031. Once that lease is up, the owner Mark Cuban is planning on a new arena to replace the American Airlines Center.