Pop Culture
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, built in Exposition Park beside the University of Southern California, opened in 1923 as both a civic monument and a sports venue honoring the city’s World War I veterans. Designed by John and Donald Parkinson, it became Los Angeles’s largest stadium and later expanded for the 1932 Olympics, when the Olympic torch was added above the peristyle. Long associated with USC football, it also hosted major professional teams, baseball, championship games, concerts, ceremonies, and commencements. Repeated renovations, including a major 2019 overhaul, preserved its dual role as a historic landmark and modern event venue, recognized by National Historic Landmark status in 1984.
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Los Angeles, California · United States
