Broward 100 Moments: The Hollywood Sportatorium
In December 1969, developers Stephen Calder and Norman Johnson began construction of the Hollywood Sportatorium on land directly adjacent to the Miami-Hollywood Motorsports Park in Pembroke Pines.
Built as an indoor entertainment facility, the primary goal of the owners was to attract a professional sports franchise. The true success came as a concert venue of choice in South Florida for virtually all of the top rock bands touring in the 1970s and 80s.
"Hollywood Sportatorium was Broward County's "premier" rock mecca for 20 years.
It leaked, it rattled, it was a dump and I am shocked it did not sink in the muck but the parking lot hosted some of the greatest parties of the 70s and 80s," said "Sporto" Suzzy, Head of Security for the Sportatorium; and the first female ever to run a large venue of this type in South Florida.
The demise of the Sportatorium came in 1988 with the opening of the Miami Arena. The Sportatorium was demolished in 1993 to make way for residential and commercial development and today the Broward County premier sports and entertainment destination is the BB&T Center in Sunrise.
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