Original state legislation forming Greenville Memorial Auditorium District (GMAD), which later became the Greenville Arena District, dates back to 1940. GMAD oversaw the Greenville Memorial Auditorium which opened in 1958 and changed to the Greenville Arena District (GAD) in 1998, upon the construction and opening of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena (first known as the BI-LO Center).

The Lions Club began the Memorial Auditorium project in 1938. Even with the club's active support, it took over twenty years to complete the project, including delays from two wars, lawsuits, and many disagreements over design elements. The Greenville Memorial Auditorium opened its doors, before completion, and held its first event, a basketball game between Furman University and the University of West Virginia on December 1, 1958.

The Memorial Auditorium held concerts for three decades for some of the “who’s who” of American popular music, including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry. On October 19, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd played at the Auditorium and ended their performance by singing “Freebird” for over twenty minutes. The next day, lead singer Ronnie VanZant and band members Steve and Cassie Gaines were killed in an airplane crash.

The Memorial Auditorium stood at the corner of East North Street and Church Street near Christ Church until the late 1990’s. The Bon Secours Wellness Arena (then, BI-LO Center) was opened on September 3, 1998, and has hosted award-winning artists such as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Prince, George Strait, The Eagles and more, as well as events like the Ringling Bros.and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Professional Wrestling.

The Greenville Arena District is a political subdivision of the State of South Carolina, which owns and operates one of the top-selling arenas worldwide, the 15,500 capacity Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Greenville is a vibrant and diverse city hungry for entertainment, the Arena District has continuously answered that call since 1940. Bon Secours Wellness Arena and the Greenville Arena District host over 130 commercial events, well over 600,000 attendees annually. 

“The Well,” a beloved nickname for Bon Secours Wellness Arena, has been an iconic fixture of Greenville’s skyline for decades. Since its opening in 1998, the arena has played host to more than 12 million enthusiastic fans, has created more than 500 full-time jobs, and injected well over $70 million into the Greenville metro area annually.

The arena has showcased some of the biggest names in the music industry including Taylor Swift, Prince, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Pearl Jam, and The Eagles, among many others. Through diverse programming the venue has continuously hosted popular shows such as Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and WWE.

Bon Secours Wellness Arena has become a well-loved basketball hub in the southeast through partnerships with the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, NCAA Basketball Tournament (Men’s 1st & 2nd Rounds, Women’s Regionals), and Furman University Basketball (alternative home court).