The complex was first proposed in 1944 by the city's mayor. The idea was to create a war memorial to honor veterans of World War I and World War II. The building was approved by city officials in 1956, followed by a groundbreaking in January 1958. With its opening in 1959, the complex held four venues: War Memorial Auditorium, Town Hall Auditorium, The Blue Room and the Greensboro Coliseum. The complex opened on October 29, 1959, for historic show, "Holiday on Ice". Shortly after its opening, the Coliseum began to scout for a hockey team. Partnering with the EHL, the city formed the "Greensboro Generals". The team's first match was November 11, 1959, against the Washington Presidents. The Generals won the game 4–1. The Generals would go on to win the EHL Championships.

Over the years, the complex hosted several conventions, sporting and musical events. The Coliseum was part-time home of the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association from 1969 to 1974 after the Houston Mavericks moved to North Carolina in 1969. The Cougars were a "regional franchise," playing "home" games in Charlotte (Bojangles' Coliseum), Greensboro (Greensboro Coliseum), Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum and Raleigh (Dorton Arena and Reynolds Coliseum). Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown began his coaching career with the Cougars in 1972. Billy Cunningham was the ABA MVP for the Cougars in the 1972-73 season. Despite a strong fan base the Cougars were sold and moved to St. Louis in 1974.

To meet demands, the Coliseum expanded its seating to 15,000 in 1972. Six years later, the complex expanded to include an exhibition center, known at the time as the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Exhibition Building (shortened to Exhibition Building). The building's first event was "Super Flea", a flea market for the Triad area. In 1991, the Coliseum's manager (Jim Evans) proposed an additional expansion of the complex. This expansion would raise the seating capacity of the Coliseum an additional 8,000 (adding a third tier) to 23,000. It would also see The Blue Room demolished to make way for a small arena in the Exhibition Hall (now called the Special Events Center).

The venue reopened on December 28, 1993, for the "Reunion Classic", a men's basketball game between the UCLA Bruins and NC State Wolfpack. This game was met with controversy as the Coliseum was not fully complete at the time of the game. City officials paid $200,000 to have firefighters on stand by during the game. The Coliseum and the newly expanded exhibition hall did not meet state and city building codes nor fire regulations, because of incomplete construction. Additionally, the Coliseum did not hold the permits to host the event. This decision resulted in city council firing both the Coliseum manager and its contractors, Huber, Hunt and Nichols, Inc. (known for the Spectrum Center, BB&T Center and the PPG Paints Arena). It was later determined it would take an additional ten months to have the complex comply with regulations. The city added an additional $20 million to the budget to renovate the Coliseum and the auditorium.

Additional expansion came in 2003 when the complex added The Fieldhouse (formerly the GCC Pavilion). Two years later, the complex renovated the old Town Hall Auditorium into the smaller Odeon Theatre. In 2011, the complex added three additional venues: the White Oak Amphitheatre, the Greensboro Aquatic Center and the ACC Hall of Champions. Since its opening, the complex has been visited by nearly 57 million people and hosts over 800 events per year. In September 2014, the War Memorial Auditorium closed its doors.

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