
The Sports City was conceived as a complex that included race tracks; swimming pools; fields for different sports, including football; a small baseball stadium, and a coliseum at the forefront, which is covered by a great reinforced concrete dome. It has a seating capacity of 15,000 people and one of its novelties was the exit system, allowing spectators to leave the place in five minutes. The construction of the originally called Sports Palace began in 1952 and opened in 1958. Since then, it has hosted many sports events, including boxing and volleyball world championships, as well as cultural events, such as performances by the Cuban National Ballet, the Soviet Circus and famous international and local musicians.