Construction concluded in March 1917 and the Coliseum was formally dedicated April 18, 1917, right around the time the United States was joining World War I.

[2] The neoclassical coliseum was designed by Shopbell & Company and provided the community with its first modern facility for conventions and other public gatherings.

[3] Once considered the premier location for events in Evansville, the Coliseum was seen as dated and small when Roberts Municipal Stadium was built in the mid-1950s.

In 1919, a 4,000 pipe concert organ was installed as a memorial to Prof. Milton Z. Tinker, for years supervisor of music in the local public schools.

The Veterans Council leases out the venue for sporting events, exhibitions, stage plays, wedding receptions, musical productions, bingo, concerts, and philanthropic organizations.