Nationwide Arena

Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus is the home of the Blue Jackets, built on the site of the old Ohio State Penitentiary and now the anchor of the lively Arena District. Its signature tradition, a replica 1857 Napoleon cannon that fires after every Blue Jackets goal, sends a jet-engine-loud crack through the building and is one of the NHL's most recognizable in-game touches. The Arena District around it has grown into one of the best sports-and-entertainment neighborhoods in the Midwest, packed with bars and restaurants on game nights. It's a genuinely modern, hockey-first building in a city still building its NHL identity.

The arena opened in September 2000, giving Columbus its first major-league franchise as the expansion Blue Jackets took the ice that October. It has hosted the NHL All-Star Game, numerous NCAA hockey and basketball events, and a steady stream of major touring concerts. The building's cannon celebration, inspired by Civil War-era artillery, quickly became a franchise trademark recognized across the league. Two and a half decades in, it remains the cornerstone of downtown Columbus's redevelopment and the Blue Jackets' only home.