A Piece of Omaha History Comes Home to Villa Terra
Kurt Goetzinger, founder, Benson Community Garden
At this year’s St. Pius X church sale, I stumbled across something unexpected — a set of antique double folding chairs. At first glance, they looked like simple vintage theater seats. But when I flipped them over and saw the tag, I realized I was holding a genuine piece of Omaha’s rich cultural history: original seating from the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum.
Built in 1929, Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum was once the beating heart of entertainment, sports, and civic life in Omaha. For more than 70 years, it hosted a remarkable array of events — from world-class boxing and rodeos to presidential campaign speeches and legendary concerts. Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke there during his 1936 campaign. General Eisenhower took the stage during his run for president in 1952. The venue saw the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, Nirvana, and hundreds of other iconic performers grace its stage.
Double Folding Chairs from the historic Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum
Personally, I have a strange and goofy connection to this place. In the 1980s, I was an extra in a stage production of the infamous opera Aida at the Coliseum — the same production where, infamously, a live bull elephant got loose in the auditorium.
You can’t make that up…
These humble chairs may have been just a small part of the venue, but imagine the stories they hold. The laughs, the music, the cheers, the quiet conversations before the lights dimmed — it’s an incredible thought. And now they’ll live on in the studio at Villa Terra, our new creative and community-centered project being built in 2026 alongside the Benson Community Garden.
Vintage interior photo of the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum auditorium.
The Rise and Fall of Ak-Sar-Ben
Ak-Sar-Ben wasn’t just about concerts and events — it was home to Omaha’s premiere ice rink, a place where the Omaha Knights hockey team (affiliated with several NHL teams over the years) battled on the ice, and later home to the Omaha Lancers and Omaha Racers.
It also served as one of the Midwest’s major horse racing venues, with record-breaking attendance and betting in the 1980s. But competition was coming. In 1986, greyhound and horse racing began in nearby Iowa. Legalized dog racing followed in Kansas. Then in 1993, Missouri opened its doors to casino gambling. Attendance at Ak-Sar-Ben sharply declined. By August 1995, just a decade after its most successful season, the horse racing era at Ak-Sar-Ben came to a close.
The Coliseum’s final chapter began in the early 2000s. After decades of decline, the grandstand and remaining buildings were torn down in 2005. But the land didn’t vanish into obscurity. First Data Resources purchased a portion of the property and donated part of it to the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) for the creation of the Aksarben Campus — now home to UNO’s College of Information and Technology. Out of the dust, a new vision emerged: Aksarben Village, a mixed-use development that blends business, education, and residential life.
Areal photo of the Ak-Sar-Ben Campus and Coliseum
Preserving the Past, Planting for the Future
Villa Terra is going to be about rethinking what’s possible — whether it’s transforming vacant lots into eco-friendly homeownership opportunities or blending old-world craftsmanship with modern sustainability. So when I found this set of Ak-Sar-Ben chairs, it felt like a perfect fit.
They’re more than just furniture — they’re a reminder of what Omaha has been and what it can become. They’ll serve as a place to sit, rest, reflect, and spark conversations for visitors and guests. And like Villa Terra itself, they’re about creating new stories without forgetting the old ones.