Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was a multi-purpose domed stadium located in downtown Minneapolis. It was named in honor of former U.S. Vice President and Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, a prominent political figure from Minnesota. For over three decades, it served as a major sports and entertainment venue in the Upper Midwest, hosting professional football, baseball, and basketball, as well as numerous large-scale events.

History

The push for a new downtown stadium gained momentum in the late 1970s, driven by the desire to keep the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins from relocating. The Minnesota Legislature authorized its construction in 1979, with the Minneapolis Sports Facilities Commission overseeing the project. Designed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with a pioneering air-supported Teflon-coated fiberglass roof engineered by Geiger Berger Associates, construction began in late 1979. The stadium opened on April 3, 1982, with an exhibition game between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies. Its naming for Hubert H. Humphrey was a tribute orchestrated by then-Governor Rudy Perpich.

Design and features

The Metrodome's most distinctive feature was its air-supported, dome-shaped roof, made of white Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric and held aloft by stadium air pressure. This design required a system of powerful blowers and airtight gates, creating a notable pressure differential when entering the building. The stadium utilized an asymmetrical configuration to accommodate both baseball and football, employing a massive, wheeled grandstand to convert the seating layout. The original playing surface was AstroTurf, replaced in 2004 with a next-generation FieldTurf system. Its compact design and loud, reverberating environment, particularly during Minnesota Vikings games, earned it a reputation as one of the noisiest venues in the NFL.

Major events

The Metrodome hosted a wide array of significant national events beyond regular season games. It was the site of Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, where the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills. The stadium twice hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, in 1992 and 2001, with the Duke Blue Devils winning the championship on both occasions. It also served as the home for the 1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Other major events included the 1999 NCAA Division I-A Football National Championship game, concerts by major acts like the Rolling Stones and U2, and the 2008 Republican National Convention which nominated John McCain for President.

Tenants and usage

The Metrodome's primary tenants were the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL and the Minnesota Twins of MLB. The University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers football team also played its home games there from 1982 until moving to TCF Bank Stadium in 2009. The Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA played their inaugural 1989–90 season at the Metrodome before moving to the Target Center. The Twins' tenure ended after the 2009 season when they moved to Target Field, while the Vikings remained as the sole full-time professional tenant until the stadium's closure.

Closure and demolition

The Metrodome's fate was sealed by the roof's infamous vulnerability and the desire for modern, sport-specific facilities. A catastrophic collapse occurred on December 12, 2010, under heavy snowfall, forcing the Minnesota Vikings to relocate games to Ford Field in Detroit and TCF Bank Stadium. This event accelerated plans for a replacement. After the Vikings' final game on December 29, 2013, the stadium was permanently closed. Demolition, involving deliberate deflation of the iconic roof, began in early 2014. The site was cleared to make way for U.S. Bank Stadium, a new state-of-the-art venue that opened in 2016 and later hosted Super Bowl LII.