The arena was to have a capacity of 5,000 and was to be used for ice skating, curling, horse shows, and a variety of sporting events.

Charles C. Abbey was the first president and treasurer of the Boston Arena Company and William T. Richardson was the building's first general manager.

In 1927, Homer Loring, chairman of the Boston & Maine Railroad, announced that the construction of a new sports arena at their North Station facility.

[15] The Boston Garden opened in 1928 and replaced the Arena as the city's venue for premier boxing, wrestling, and track events.

[17] Boston Arena general manager George V. Brown was able to keep the venue running with college hockey and figure skating.

[20] Three months later, the building was purchased by the Metropolitan District Commission for $280,000, which planned on using it for high school sports and other athletic events.

[2] In May 2024, Northeastern University filed a letter of intent to the Boston Planning & Development Agency to construct a new multi-purpose athletics facility designed that would tear down and replace the historic Matthews Arena.

[43] In 1952, the Arena served as the first home to the annual Beanpot tournament between Boston's four major college hockey programs.

[40][48] On May 4, 1958, the Boston Arena hosted a rock 'n' roll concert headlined by Alan Freed and Jerry Lee Lewis.

After the show, one man was stabbed and a dozen others were robbed, which led to Mayor John Hynes declaring that he would not authorize anymore licenses for rock concerts and arena manager Paul Brown stating that "the next rock 'n' roll show at the Arena will be presented over my dead body".

[49][50] Freed charged with inciting a riot, but the case was dropped due to the death of the chief investigator and difficultly of bringing in witnesses from outside Massachusetts.

Lead singer Jim Morrison, who appeared to be intoxicated during the entire latter show, wanted to continue and smashed a microphone stand into the floor before being escorted off the stage.

[55] The arena has hosted receptions for Jess Willard (1915), Clarence Ransom Edwards (1918), Harry Boland (1921), Charles Lindbergh (1927), the crew of the Bremen (1928), and Amelia Earhart (1928).

Commencement speakers included Hamilton Holt, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Garfield Bromley Oxnam, Basil Joseph Mathews, Karl Taylor Compton, Roscoe Pound, George F. Zook, John Erskine, Alessandro Ghigi, Alf Landon, and Paul V.

The formal session was held at the Boston Arena and featured speeches from Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover, Governor Leverett Saltonstall, and Mayor Maurice J.

Speakers included fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Governor Maurice J. Tobin, and Congressmen Joseph W. Martin Jr. and John W.

[75][76][77] Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts with Jack Sharkey and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

[78][79] In 1993, the arena hosted the funeral service for Boston Celtic captain and Northeastern alum Reggie Lewis.