1960s: UNC's Indoor Track Facility

The old "Tin Can" building, just west of Woollen Gym contained a 10-laps-to-the- mile (176 yard) wood-planked track. Four lanes. (At least the curves were banked!) The ceiling seemed low and the lighting spotty and inadequate. The air was cold and dusty. Noise was loud with poor acoustics due to the tin and steel construction. No room for spectators. Note to the right the raised "sandbox" pit with the accordingly raised wood plank runway for the LJ/TJ. Also notice intramural basketball going on apparently during a meet. There was one meet each winter when high school teams could compete. The building opened in 1924 and was demolished in 1977. Someone might spot their grandpa in this old photo. UNC would temporarily move the track into Woollen Gym when hosting the ACC Indoor Meet. I also recall the ACC Indoor once being held inside Dorton Arena (?) on the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. This track, or a similar one was moved to Raleigh for ACC Meets. Most indoor tracks back during the '60s were 10, 11, or 12 laps to the mile, made of wood, and could be disassembled into segments and transported by truck. An improved Tin Can (located where the current Eddie Smith Field House is now) was used during the '80s and '90s. The track was still wood boards, and 10-laps-to-the-mile. The current facility opened on the same site in December 2001. More on the old Tin Can - Wikipedia.org