Alliant Energy Center Alliant Energy Center ( formerly Dane County Coliseum ) is a multi - building complex in Madison , Wisconsin , United States . It comprises 164 acres of greenspace and includes the 255 , 000 square foot Exhibition Hall , the 10 , 000 - seat Veterans Memorial Coliseum , the 29 acre Willow Island and the 22 , 000 square foot Arena . After completing various stages of planning throughout 2013 , it was announced on November 26 that Dane County would be awarding a $ 20 . 7 million contract to Miron Construction for the construction of two new multi - use pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center . The exhibition pavilions , which total 290 , 000 square feet , will be replacing the nine current agricultural barns . Construction began following the Midwest Horse Fair in April 2014 with completion set in time for the 2014 World Dairy Expo in late September . . The Center welcomes more than one million people attending more than 500 events annually , ranging from local meetings and banquets to large sporting events and major concerts . Location . The Alliant Energy Center campus is located on the southern edge of Madison , Wisconsin , on John Nolen Drive . History . In 1895 the Agricultural Society and Dane County purchased 250 acres of land at the current site to provide an area that could be used for the Dane County Fair . This area was known as " Lakeside Park Farm " , but some thought it merely represented a worthless swampland . Because of financial difficulties , the Dane County Fair was halted on the site in 1938 and did not return until 1951 . During this time , even though the Dane County Fair was held in an alternate location , the County board did not abandon the site and Dane County managed to pay off the mortgage for the property in 1941 . As a major turning point towards the advent of a full - service venue , roads , parking lots , sewer and water , a heating plant and kitchen / bathroom facilities were built on the grounds in 1949 - 51 . In 1951 , the Dane County Fair moved back to the present Alliant Energy Center ( formerly the Expo Center ) and remains there today . Over the ensuing years , the first buildings were erected on the site . In 1954 the Arena was built ; it remains the only building still standing from this era . The Youth Building was constructed in 1962 and housed the offices for 4 - H in Dane County . This area now serves as the administration building for the Alliant Energy Center . In 1967 , Veterans Memorial Coliseum was built . Its early clientele included the Zor Shrine Circus , World Dairy Expo , Dane County Junior Fair , The ABC National Bowling Tournament , Frank Sinatra , Bob Hope , Tony Bennett and Duke Ellington . In 1974 , the first Exposition Center Commission was appointed . This Committee headed construction and development for the present Alliant Energy Center ( formerly Expo Center ) . With the Coliseum schedule reaching 160 event days in 1977 , it was clear that the demand for trade and consumer shows and conventions was competing with concerts , sporting events and family shows . Over time , the market area had expanded well beyond Wisconsin and the committee recognized the need for expansion . In 1978 , an addition to the Youth Building was built ( now the Administration Building ) and the new facility was named the Forum . At the time , this facility offered the area ' s largest facilities for trade shows , banquets and other public functions . The forum was replaced with the construction of Exhibition Hall in 1995 Veterans Memorial Coliseum celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1992 . At this point , over 16 million people had entered the Coliseum doors to attend a vast array of events . As a consequence of the large demand for exhibit space , the 255 , 000 square foot Exhibition Hall was built at Alliant Energy Center in 1995 as the largest unobstructed facility for trade / consumer shows and conventions in the state . The naming rights for the campus , previously the Dane County Exposition Center , were sold in 2000 to Alliant Energy Corporation , which holds the naming rights to the Expo Center for 20 years . The agreement does not include the naming rights of individual buildings on the campus , which have all retained their original names . Although the naming rights belong to Alliant Energy , the Center is owned and operated by Dane County . The Alliant Energy Center operates without the use of County general fund monies - it is run as a business using facility - generated revenues to cover the expenses incurred to operate the Center and its facilities . The Center has operated in this manner since 1990 . In 2013 Dane County completed plans for the construction of new multi - use pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center . Pavilions totaling 290 , 000 square feet replaced nine agricultural barns . Construction began in April 2014 and was completed by late September for the 2014 World Dairy Expo . A multi - million dollar naming rights deal for the facilities with New Holland Agriculture & Construction , along with other public / private funding partnerships with the State of Wisconsin , World Dairy Expo , the Midwest Horse Fair / Wisconsin Horse Council , and AEC food service provider , Centerplate , financed the expansion . Veterans Memorial Coliseum . Veterans Memorial Coliseum , built in 1967 , is a 10 , 231 - seat multi - purpose arena located on the Alliant Energy Center campus . Previously known as Dane County Coliseum , it is a site for concerts , family shows , sporting events , consumer shows , conventions and assemblies . The building was completely renovated in 2004 - 2005 . The Coliseum has a long - standing history as a hockey venue . The building was home to the Wisconsin Badgers men ' s hockey team from the 1967 - 68 season to the 1997 - 98 season . It was one of the largest college hockey arenas in the nation , as well as one of the loudest . Reportedly , the " sieve chant , " which is now commonly heard in nearly every arena to taunt the opposing goalie after a goal , was first started at the Coliseum . The environment for Badger hockey games was such that it was nicknamed " the Montreal Forum of college hockey . " Badger fans still call the arena " the Great Dane . " The Wisconsin Badgers women ' s hockey team also played a number of games on the Coliseum ice in their first two seasons ( 1999 - 00 and 2000 - 01 ) . The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association ( WIAA ) boys ' and girls ' state hockey tournaments also take place each year in Veterans Memorial Coliseum . State tournaments for boys ' hockey have been held in the Coliseum since 1971 , except in 1974 and 1975 when they were held in Green Bay . All state tournaments for girls ' hockey have been held in the Coliseum since 2001 - 02 . The Coliseum was also home to two minor league hockey franchise teams , the Madison Monsters from 1995 - 96 until 1998 - 99 , and the Madison Kodiaks in 1999 - 00 . The Madison Mad Dogs , an indoor football team , also played in the Coliseum from 1998 to 2000 . In 2009 , indoor football returned to the Coliseum as the Continental Indoor Football League ' s Wisconsin Wolfpack played the 2009 season there . However , the following season the Wolfpack moved to the Hartmeyer Ice Arena . Currently , it is the home ice of the Madison Capitols hockey team .