The El Paso County Coliseum was originally built to host rodeo events in the city of El Paso. The original plan for the building, which was backed by El Paso County, and could be supported by a Public Works Administration (PWA) grant, estimated that it would cost $100,000. The final cost for the building was $321,000. The building's architect was Percy McGhee. At first it was called the "El Paso County Live Stock & Agricultural Exhibition Building," or referred to as the "Livestock Exposition Building." It is located in South El Paso, near Washington Park. When it was dedicated, it was the largest coliseum between Los Angeles, Fort Worth and Denver. Behind the main coliseum, which was equipped with an air-cooling system, are several livestock buildings.