Why Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory
The Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory, widely known as the Sheboygan Armory, was a historical indoor arena complex situated along the lakefront in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Constructed in 1941, the 52,000-square-foot facility was built in the Streamline Moderne architectural style as a project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Designed by local architect Edgar Stubenrauch, the structure featured concrete exterior walls, a steel bowstring truss roof, and held a seating capacity of nearly 4,000 guests between its fixed balcony seats and floor-level bleachers. It stood on property formerly occupied by a lumberyard, near the historic mouth of the Sheboygan River.
Originally built to house the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Division, the building featured secure vaults and lockers for military equipment and armaments. Over the decades, it evolved into a prominent civic and sports venue. From 1942 through 1951, the arena served as the home court for the Sheboygan Redskins basketball franchise. It also hosted high school basketball rivalries, Lakeland College games, military assemblies, and touring entertainment such as Golden Gloves boxing, All Star Wrestling, circuses, and musical acts. Additionally, the space accommodated civic events including blood drives, job fairs, the Festival of Trees, and cultural gatherings like the Hmong New Year celebrations.
Throughout its later history, several proposals were introduced to adaptively reuse the facility. Concepts included converting the space into a riverfront conference center, establishing an educational science and spaceport facility, and developing a sailing center. Between 2011 and 2013, the building briefly housed Spaceport Sheboygan before the center relocated. Despite earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019, operational costs and structural considerations led local officials to pursue site redevelopment.
Following historic preservation agreements and mitigation efforts to document the building's heritage and salvage select items, the Sheboygan Armory was officially demolished between July and November of 2020.
01 Weather
66°
58°
☔ 31% 
64°
59°
☔ 100%
64°
59°
60°
56°
57°
53°
54°
54°