The original components, designed by Adrian Wilson & Associates and built by Del E. Webb Corporation,[2] opened in July 1967—including a basketball arena followed shortly by the convention hall.

[4] Originally, the arena was home to the Anaheim Amigos of the American Basketball Association during the first ABA season, 1967–68.

[8] According to frequent news reports, the largest exposition held at the Convention Center in recent years has been the Winter NAMM Show.

This music-equipment convention (trade only, not open to the general public) had over 2,000 exhibitors and a record-breaking 115,888 attendees during the 2020 show.

It was briefly home to the Anaheim Arsenal basketball team in the NBA Development League from 2006 to 2009 before it relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts, for the 2009–10 season.

[15] The new venue offered a much larger capacity than the previously used Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles.

In 2013 the VEX Robotics World Championship returned to the Anaheim Convention Center, occupying 3 exhibit halls as well as the arena.

[28] The convention center hosted the 2019 Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference.

The convention center was a filming location for Star Trek: Picard and will make an appearance in the show as a part of Starfleet Headquarters.

[30] The convention center served as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site for Orange County workers and residents from February to June 2021.