It is located at the corner of Union Drive, just north of the site of the former Clyde Williams Stadium.

It was intended for use as an armory and fieldhouse, something for which the school had been attempting to get funding since the early 1890s.

The Iowa State basketball team played in the arena from 1913 until 1946.

Beginning in 1946, home games were held in the Iowa State Armory, which continued until the construction of Hilton Coliseum in 1971.

State Gym has since been renovated into recreational facilities, including four basketball courts, a swimming pool (the original home of the swimming team), tennis courts, a 1/12 mile indoor track, and other facilities for recreational sports.