About
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome:  The
idea for a domed stadium was conceived in the
late 1960s when a Minneapolis architect named
Robert Cerny introduced a concept of a domed football
stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Minneapolis city
leaders saw an opportunity to bring professional
sports downtown and put Robert Cerny's vision
to work.
The Dome idea was put in front of
public officials many times between 1972 and 1976
before it was finally approved in 1977. Construction
of the much debated and anticipated Metrodome
started in December of 1979 on 20 acres of land
located at 900 South 5th Street, Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
The Dome was grandly inflated on October 2, 1981
and the stadium was completed in April 1982. The
project was completed on time and under budget.
The final price came in at $55 million. After several
name proposals, Hubert H. Humphrey was the clear
choice. Humphrey was a former Minneapolis Mayor,
U.S. Senator and U.S. Vice President. Because of
his dedication to the state and to teamwork, the
Metrodome was appropriately named in his honor --
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Metrodome
is the country's only public stadium that does not
rely on a continuing tax subsidy to finance operations,
maintenance or debt payments.
The white, air-supported Teflon
roof is 10 acres of Teflon-coated fiberglass 1/16"
thick. The liner is made of 1/32" thick woven
fiberglass. The roof is supported by 20 electric
fans running at 90 horsepower each. The roof has
had four occurrences of minor rips.
The Metrodome is a state resource,
providing a home for the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota
Twins and University of Minnesota Gophers. Since
1982, the combined attendance at Metrodome events
exceeds 55 million people, making it the most
versatile and heavily used stadium in the nation.
Out of more than 300 event days
per year at the Metrodome, less than 100 feature
professional or major college sports. The rest
of the event days are used by high schools and
colleges, concerts, community activities and other
events. The Metrodome hosts boys' and girls' high
schools from throughout Minnesota for athletic
and other events. The Dome is the only major facility
in Minnesota big enough to host major motorsports
events and also draws more than 4,000 runners
and 30,000 inline skaters per year. Co-ed volleyball
and touch football leagues bring in 2,000 people
per week to the Metrodome between October and
February. Other events hosted at the Metrodome
include the International Special Olympics, many
cultural festivals, religious events and charitable
fundraisers. The dome hosts trade shows, police
canine training and fire-fighting recruitment
tests. The dome has even hosted its’ share
of weddings and birthday parties.
The ever-busy Metrodome is the only
stadium in the world to have hosted all of the
following: the NFL Super Bowl (1992), Major League
Baseball's All-Star Game (1985), two World Series
(1987, 1991), and the Final Four of the NCAA Division
I Men's Basketball Championship (1992, 2001).
More than half a million people
have come to the Metrodome to see concerts by
major performers such as Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney,
Guns N' Roses, Faith No More, Metallica, The Rolling
Stones, Bob Dylan, George Strait, Tom Petty and
The Grateful Dead.
There are 64,000 seats in the arena
and 115 suites. Seating capacities are: 48,000
(baseball); 64,000 (football); 50,000 (basketball).
The field can be converted from football to baseball
in less than four hours. The pitcher’s mound,
weighing 23,000 pounds, is powered by an electric
motor and can be raised and lowered at the push
of a button.
The Dome is infamous for its fan
noise level. Baseball fans around the country
will remember the moment during the late innings
of Game 6 of the 1987 Minnesota Twins-St. Louis
Cardinals World Series when ABC-TV's decibel meter
broke because of the mind-numbing fan roar.
Unique in design and legendary for
noise level, the Metrodome is a staple in the
Minneapolis skyline. Hosting the Vikings, Twins
and Gophers is an honor to the Dome and a testament
to the dedication of Minnesota sports fans and
ticket holders everywhere.
|
