Bradley Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Bradley Center of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was constructed with funds from just one philanthropic family. It is the only major facility of its kind to have this recognition. Jane Bradley Pettit donated the money for the construction and operation in honor of her late father, Harry Bradley. The facility was completed in 1988 and hosted the Edmonton Oilers and the Chicago Blackhawks on October 1, 1988.

There are four sports teams that use Bradley Center. They are the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, the AHL Milwaukee Admirals, Milwaukee Iron the AF2 Arena Football team and the Marquette Universities Golden Eagles NCAA men's basketball team. Approximately two million people go through the turnstiles each year. Bradley Center is the main entertainment venue in the downtown area of Milwaukee.

Bradley can accommodate over eighteen thousand people for basketball games, more than seventeen thousand for hockey and about twenty thousand people for concerts. There is 550,000 square feet of space at the center. The designers made sure there is enough room for the fans to be comfortable and see from every seat. The seating is in three tiers and the suites are located on the second tier. The facility has sixteen escalators and two elevators. Twelve concessions stands are permanent and there are more portable stands throughout the building. Fans can purchase merchandise from four stands. The Bradley Center has twenty four public restrooms.

Some of the artists that have performed at the Bradley Center include the Rolling Stones, Garth Brooks, Aerosmith, Alan Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Hannah Montana, Backstreet Boys and Mannheim Steamroller. Upcoming events at the Bradley Center are Creed, the World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions and Sugarland. The legend Bruce Springsteen is going to perform in the near future. Family events include Sesame Street Live 123 and Imagine with Elmo & Friends.

The concession stands at the Bradley Center are run by Levy Restaurants. They are run by a part time paid staff and many not for profit volunteer organizations. The permanent stands and kiosks are on the 200 and 400 levels of the complex. Popcorn, soft drinks, ice cream, hot dogs, hamburgers, bratwurst, fries, pretzels and beer are also served.

In the four merchandise stands fans can purchase jerseys, hats, t-shirts, polo's, outerwear, shorts, pants, socks, ladies wear, kids wear and novelties. The three teams that have their merchandise for sale at the Bradley Center include the Admirals, Bucks and Marquette University.

Hotels that are close to the Bradley Center are the Hyatt Regency, the Intercontinental Downtown, Best Western Inn Towne, Staybridge Suites Downtown, Hilton Milwaukee Center, Hampton Inn and Suites, Doubletree Hotel, Courtyard, Residence Inn by Marriott and the Ramada Milwaukee City Center. Some boutique hotels are also available such as the Hotel Metro, The Pfister Hotel, The Knickerbocker on the Lake, and The Iron Horse Hotel.

There are restaurants in many of the hotels, but there are many others in the vicinity of the Bradley Center. They include the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, Milwaukee Chophouse, King & I Thai, George Webb Restaurant, Mader's German Restaurant and the Capital Grille.