The auditorium opened on May 30, 1930. It was designed by Favrot and Livaudais Architects, and constructed by contractor
George A. Caldwell. It has hosted many concerts and events, perhaps being best known as the site of many of the
New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe balls. On August 24, 1956,
Joe Brown defeated
Wallace “Bud” Smith to win the lightweight title in a fifteen-round split decision. It hosted the
New Orleans Buccaneers of the
American Basketball Association during the 1969–70 season. It also hosted the
New Orleans Jazz basketball team, during its inaugural 1974–1975 season, before the team moved to the
Louisiana Superdome. The arena was also home ice to the minor-league hockey franchise, the
New Orleans Brass, from 1997 to 1999, before they moved into the
New Orleans Arena. It has also hosted
LHSAA wrestling and
professional wrestling matches. On October 29, 1988, the
Road Warriors defeated the
Midnight Express (professional wrestling) to win the NWA World Tag Team titles at the auditorium. In 1994, the Municipal Auditorium was officially renamed the Morris F.X. Jeff Auditorium in honor of the creator of many of local recreational programs for Black children during the
Jim Crow era. The venue was a temporary
casino before the new
Harrah's New Orleans building on
Canal Street was opened in 1999. In August 2005 the auditorium suffered damage from
Hurricane Katrina and associated flooding (
see: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans). Future usage of the arena is currently uncertain. As of 2024, redevelopment to reopen the auditorium has not yet begun. ==Gallery==