Giant Center

The Interior of Giant Center in May 2016
Giant Center Location within Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Giant Center Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Address	550 West Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Location	Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates	40°17′11″N 76°40′9″W / 40.28639°N 76.66917°W / 40.28639; -76.66917
Owner	Derry Township Industrial and Commercial Development Authority
Operator	Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company
Capacity	12,500 (concerts) 10,500 (hockey)
Field size	17,000 square feet (1,600 m2)
Construction
Broke ground	November 8, 2000
Opened	October 15, 2002
Construction cost	$65 million ($106 million in 2022 dollars[1])
Architect	HOK Sport
Project manager	Reynolds Construction Management, Inc.[2]
Structural engineer	Century Engineering[3]
Services engineer	Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.[4]
General contractor	Hunt/Whiting-Turner[5]
Tenants
Hershey Bears (AHL) (2002–present) Harrisburg Stampede (PIFL) (2014)

Giant Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place in the Harrisburg metropolitan area. It is home to the Hershey Bears ice hockey team, the longest-existing member of the American Hockey League since 1938. Giant Center replaced the Hersheypark Arena as the Bears' home venue in 2002.

Giant Center is owned by the Derry Township Industrial and Commercial Development Authority, as much of the money for its construction was provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is operated by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, with the naming rights owned by the Giant-Carlisle grocery store chain based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Giant Center has 7,700 seats in the Lower Level and 2,800 seats in the Upper Level. The arena also has 688 Club Seats and 40 Luxury Suites. Wheelchair and companion seating is available on all levels.

Notable events

In addition to serving as the home arena for the Hershey Bears ice hockey team, Giant Center hosts an annual concert series and attracts well-known entertainers. Notable events and developments at Giant Center have included:

• October 15, 2002: Cher held the first concert at Giant Center during her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour, which sold 9,406 tickets.

• 2003: Giant Center held the WWE's Unforgiven.

• October 28, 2008: Giant Center hosted the Road to Victory rally for Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, and his running mate, Sarah Palin.^[6]

• November 23, 2009: WWE Raw was held at Giant Center with a three-hour Thanksgiving themed episode, and returned for a three-hour Old School-themed episode on November 15, 2010. WWE has also held several episodes of Raw and WWE Friday Night SmackDown episodes at Giant Center.

• January 30 and January 31, 2011: Giant Center hosted the 2011 American Hockey League All-Star Game and Skills Competition.

• 2014: Giant Center hosted the Harrisburg Stampede of the Professional Indoor Football League.

• 2015: Elizabethtown College hosted the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at Giant Center.

• 2015: Prior to the 2015-2016 Hershey Bears hockey season, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts made a $4.7 million upgrade to the production system, a new four-sided, center-hung HD scoreboard, a new LED standings board and a new LED fascia ribbon surrounding the bowl, manufactured by Daktronics. The new scoreboard's video screens measure 13.52 feet high and 23.92 feet wide.

• October 1, 2016: Carrie Underwood appeared at Giant Center during her Storyteller Tour: Stories in the Round. The 360-degree angle of the stage stretched across the arena floor, providing all viewers with a good show. She returned on June 13, 2019, during her Cry Pretty Tour 360.

• October 25, 2016: Giant Center hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions.^[7]

• November 4, 2016: President Donald Trump held a 2016 campaign rally at Giant Center. On December 10, 2019, Trump returned to Giant Center for a campaign rally during the 2020 presidential campaign.^[8]

Photos of the arena

• 
  Panoramic View of Bears Game
• 
  Giant Center before the start of a game against the Lake Erie Monsters
• 
  Front of Giant Center
• 
  Inside Giant Center from the ice

Concessions

In 2007, the Giant Center Food and Beverage Department finalized a deal with PepsiCo, with all food and drink stands in the building switched from Coca-Cola products to Pepsi products. The switch was made to equalize operations with the rest of the Hershey Entertainment Complex.

Giant Center's concessions include traditional fast food items such as Chicken tenders, hamburger, french fries, and hot dogs, as well as various Italian items. Additional concessions available include Common Coffeehouse treats such as flavored coffee and pastries. The Smokehouse offering Smoked Pork BBQ, Burrito Bowls, Chicken and Beef Brisket. Cross Check Cafe offers made-to-order Berks Deli Sandwiches, Soup, Salad and Daily Specials for Bears Hockey games. Most locations also offer children meals. Turkey Hill, a local company from nearby Lancaster County, provides its own brand of ice cream products. In 2014 Arooga's Wing Shack (Local Company) opened offering chicken tenders, regular and boneless wings with a variety of different sauces.

Nodding to their presence nearby, various Hershey's chocolate products are available at most of the concession stands.

Concerts

The arena has hosted a number of musical acts, including: Cher, Rush, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Tim McGraw, ZZ Top, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, TobyMac, Third Day, Green Day, New Found Glory, Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Josh Groban, Kelly Clarkson, Elton John, Fall Out Boy, Michael Bublé, Hilary Duff, The Who, Taylor Swift, George Strait, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Justin Moore, Van Halen, Brad Paisley, Delirious?, Eagles, Theory of a Deadman, Mötley Crüe, New Kids on the Block, Jason Aldean, Skillet, Goo Goo Dolls, Meat Loaf, Flo Rida, Korn, Royal Tailor, Tenth Avenue North, Miranda Lambert, Chris August, Carrie Underwood, Fifth Harmony, Selena Gomez, For King & Country, Casting Crowns, Avenged Sevenfold, MKTO, Demi Lovato, Randy Houser, Gaither Vocal Band, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Wiz Khalifa, Alice Cooper, Lady A, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Charlie Puth, Slipknot, Phil Wickham, Five Finger Death Punch, Unspoken, Danny Gokey, Volbeat, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Chris Stapleton, Amy Grant, Bethel Music, Social Club Misfits, Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Zach Williams, Tesla, Styx, Why Don't We, Dan + Shay, Ryan Stevenson, Jordan Feliz, Aaron Cole, We Are Messengers, Jon McLaughlin, 2Cellos, Alan Jackson, Kidz Bop, Disturbed, Pentatonix, Post Malone, Swae Lee, James Taylor, Ghost, JoJo Siwa, Toto, Journey, Rick Astley, and Greta Van Fleet.