Hara Arena, Loew's Theater among Dayton's beloved closed destinations

Hara Arena held its final event last August, which has us thinking about venues whose heydays we miss.

Many attendees’ favorite moments weren’t of huge events, but of intimate moments like a first kiss at a Winterland skate.

Hara recognized that their legacy was of these intimate moments when they asked the public of their favorite memories for their 50 year anniversary in 2014.

Throwback Thursday: Hara Arena through the years

Hara Arena was home to Hamvention and several of Dayton’s hockey teams, and it hosted some of the musical biggest names during its heyday including, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, The Grateful Dead and James Brown.

Here are other entertainment destinations that were favorites in the Dayton area:

Argonne Forest Park

Possum Creek MetroPark is located where Argonne Forest Park once stood. During the 1920s, the park was in its heyday with a go-kart track, swimming pool, baseball fields, canoe and pony rental, concession and a carnival midway, according to Five Rivers MetroParks.

» MORE: 7 amusements parks in southwest Ohio that faded into history

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

Loew’s Theater

The 2,280-seat theater opened its doors to the public on May 4, 1918 and was owned by the Dayton Theater Co. Originally named Dayton Theater, it was advertised as Dayton’s first “Deluxe motion picture house.”

Credit: HANDOUT

Just a year after opening, Marcus Loew, a businessman from New York, was so impressed by the theater he acquired it and renamed it in Loew's Dayton in 1924. Loew's was chosen as one of the few Midwest theaters for nationwide premieres of pictures like Gone With The Wind, The Wizard of Oz and Good-bye Mr. Chips.

The once-impressive theater’s profits began to decline in the late 1960s, most likely due to the popularity of home televisions, and was sold to Third National Bank in April 1972.

Credit: HANDOUT

An independent theater operator, James C. Burt, convinced the new owners to allow him to show family friendly movies and reopened the theater under the name Palace in 1972. In addition to movies, the theater also ran concerts, stage shows and closed-circuit sports presentations, according to Dayton History Books.

The Palace closed permanently in April 1975 after plans fell through for renovations and is now a parking lot.

» Then & Now: Where Dayton's first deluxe motion picture house entertained the city

Hudson Field

In 1933, native Daytonian and Major League player Howard “Ducky” Holmes built Hudson Field at 2400 W. Third St. The park had a seating capacity of approximately 3,500 and operated for nearly a decade before closing in 1942 due to the war.

During the late 1930s, the Brooklyn Dodgers had bought the field, but sold it back to the city in 1945 in support of the Amateur Baseball Commission, according to Dayton History.

» Dayton sports nostalgia: 4 venues that stir fond memories of big events