Anaheim Convention Center

The Anaheim Convention Center is a convention center in Anaheim, California, United States. It is found across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. The original parts of the center, designed by Adrian Wilson & Associates and built by the Del E. Webb Corporation, opened in July 1967. It started with a basketball arena and soon added a convention hall.

Over the years, the Anaheim Convention Center has hosted many exciting events. Some of these events include Star Wars Celebration, VidCon, BlizzCon, Anime Expo, D23 Expo, WonderCon, NAMM Show, Pokémon World Championships, and even wrestling competitions during the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The center has grown a lot since it first opened. It has had six major expansions, happening in 1974, 1982, 1990, 1993, 1999–2000, and 2016–2017. Today, it is the largest exhibit facility on the West Coast of the United States.

Hostings

The arena was once home to a basketball team called the Anaheim Amigos in the American Basketball Association during the 1967–68 season. The team later moved to Los Angeles, then to Salt Lake City, where they became known as the Utah Stars and won a championship.

The largest event held at the Convention Center in recent years has been the Winter NAMM Show, a big music equipment event for industry professionals. It has taken place here since 1977, with a break for renovations and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other big events include the Anime Expo, BlizzCon by Blizzard Entertainment, the Medical Design and Manufacturing Show, wrestling at the 1984 Summer Olympics, college basketball tournaments, and many more.

The venue has also hosted the VidCon since 2012 and WonderCon since 2012 (except in 2016). It has been the site of robotics competitions, Disney fan events like D23 Expo, and gatherings such as Lucasfilm's Star Wars Celebration.

During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, it was used for an NBA playoff game. It was also a COVID-19 vaccination site for Orange County in early 2021. More recently, it has hosted events like the 2025 Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference and the 2025 Pokémon World Championships.