Memorial Gymnasium

Kokomo Memorial Gymnasium was dedicated on October 20, 1949 to honor Kokomo men and women who served in World War II and stands as a lasting tribute to all Kokomo war veterans. The Kokomo High School class yearbook, Sargasso, 1950, called it a symbol of the principles many alumni died to preserve. It became the long-time home of the Kokomo Wildkats basketball team, including the 1961 State Champions, and followed the former C.V. Haworth Gymnasium, which had stood about one block west on Superior Street. When it opened in 1949, its 7,200 seats made it one of the largest high school gymnasiums in the United States, though later renovations reduced capacity to about 5,000. The facility has accommodated thousands of Indiana basketball fans with Hoosier Hysteria, hosted top Indiana high school athletes, and continues to serve athletic, recreational, and physical education programs. It is also an excellent example of Art Moderne architecture and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Kokomo, Indiana · United States