Houston Field House
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1949 |
| Location | 1900 Peoples Avenue |
| Capacity | 4,800 seated |
| Teams |  RPI Engineers
|
The Houston Field House is the location of the RPI Engineers men's and women's hockey teams[1]. Opened in 1949, it is the second oldest rink in college hockey (behind Princeton's Hobey Baker Arena, opened in 1923), and its 4,800 seats make it the largest rink in the ECAC Hockey conference.
Despite popular belief, the Field House was not originally an aircraft hangar. Instead, it was a Navy warehouse in Rhode Island[2]. Following World War 2, the Institute purchased the warehouse as surplus, had it moved to Troy, and refurbished it. It was opened in October 1949 as the RPI Field House by Institute President Livingston W. Houston, during festivities for the Institute's 125th anniversary. Following Houston's death in 1977, the Field House was renamed in his honor.
Upon opening, the Field House could be converted for use as a basketball court. In addition, the playing surface could be converted to seating for large ceremonies. Many commencements were held at the Field House until ECAV was completed in 2009.
For many years, the Field House was the largest arena in the Capital District. As such, it has hosted concerts from many notable artists, such as