View source for Mesker Amphitheatre

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{{Infobox venue |
  stadium_name      = Mesker Amphitheatre |
  nickname          =  Mesker|
  image             = |
  location          = [[Evansville, Indiana]] |
  broke_ground      =  |
  opened            =  1951 |
  closed            = 2012 |
  owner             =  City of Evansville|
  operator          =  |
  surface           =  |
  construction_cost =  |
  architect         =  |
  capacity          = 8,500|
  tenants           =  | 
  publictransit    = {{rint|bus|1}} [[Metropolitan Evansville Transit System|METS]]|
}}
'''Mesker Amphitheatre''' is an inactive historic 8,500-seat [[amphitheater]], located in [[Evansville, Indiana]], [[United States]]. It contained 5,500 chair back seats before they were removed and 3,000 lawn seats and is located at Mesker Park, near the [[Mesker Park Zoo]].

It was built after the death of local philanthropist George Mesker, in 1936, who left $500,000, for park improvements and an additional $250,000, to provide music and entertainment.<ref>{{cite news| title=Philanthropist Henry F. Koch Dies at 72 After Long Illness | publisher=Evansville Courier & Press | date=October 9, 1953}}</ref>

The venue was closed in 2012 due to its deteriorating condition and has sat vacant since.  At one point it was used to house crates of seats that were removed from [[Roberts Municipal Stadium]] that sat on its stage and near its entrance. These have seen been removed from the location.  The amphitheatre's future remains uncertain.<ref>{{cite news| title=Future of Mesker Amphitheater remains on city officials' radar | publisher=Evansville Courier & Press | date=July 31, 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of contemporary amphitheatres]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061111010815/http://www.smgevansville.com/mesker/mesker.html Mesker Amphitheatre website] (archived)
*[http://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/id/1484 Postcard of Mesker Amphitheatre]

{{Evansville, Indiana}}
{{Music venues of Indiana}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Amphitheaters in the United States]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Evansville, Indiana]]
[[Category:Former music venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Theatres in Indiana]]
[[Category:Culture of Evansville, Indiana]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Evansville, Indiana]]


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