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| Metrodome (Minneapolis) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Metrodome |
| Nickname | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| Location | Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| Broke ground | 1979 |
| Opened | 1982 |
| Closed | 2013 |
| Demolished | 2014 |
| Owner | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| Operator | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| Surface | FieldTurf (later), Tartan Turf (original) |
| Capacity | 64,091 (football), 46,564 (baseball) |
| Tenants | Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Golden Gophers football, Minnesota Timberwolves (occasional), Minnesota Kicks (indoor), WBA Minnesota |
Metrodome (Minneapolis) The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was an enclosed multi-purpose stadium in Minneapolis that hosted professional, collegiate, and international sporting events and concerts from 1982 through 2013. Funded and owned by Hennepin County, Minnesota, it served as a home venue for the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, and Minnesota Golden Gophers football, and staged major events such as the Super Bowl XXVI, World Series, NCAA Final Four, and Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The facility's inflatable roof, adaptable playing surfaces, and urban location made it a focal point in debates over stadium design, public financing, and urban redevelopment in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities region.
Planning for the Metrodome began amid debates among Hennepin County, Minnesota, City of Minneapolis, and private stakeholders including the Minnesota Vikings ownership after the team's lease at Metropolitan Stadium near Bloomington, Minnesota expired. Groundbreaking in 1979 followed approval from county commissioners and negotiations with civic leaders associated with the offices of Hubert H. Humphrey and state legislators in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The venue opened in 1982 with an inaugural Minnesota Vikings game and hosted its first Minnesota Twins season after the team relocated from Metropolitan Stadium. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the Metrodome drew visitors for Super Bowl XXVI, multiple World Series contests, and high-profile NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament events, while controversies over public financing and maintenance periodically involved Hennepin County Judge rulings and legislative reviews in Minnesota Legislature sessions.
The Metrodome featured an air-supported fabric roof engineered by firms with portfolios including Eero Saarinen-era influences and contemporary stadium architects linked to projects like Astrodome renovations. The dome's white Teflon-coated fiberglass exterior was supported by a constant positive air pressure system managed by county-operated mechanical plants. Internally, the venue accommodated conversion between American football layouts for the Minnesota Vikings and diamond configurations for the Minnesota Twins using retractable seating systems and movable turf technologies akin to FieldTurf and legacy Tartan Turf surfaces. Ancillary facilities included club-level suites used by corporate partners such as 3M Company and event infrastructure compatible with touring productions by artists associated with Live Nation and AEG Presents. Transportation access linked the stadium to Interstate 94, Interstate 394, and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport corridor, and public transit via Metro Transit bus lines.
Primary tenants included the Minnesota Vikings (NFL), Minnesota Twins (MLB), and Minnesota Golden Gophers football (NCAA). The Metrodome also accommodated the Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) for select games, indoor soccer teams affiliated with North American Soccer League successors, and wrestling cards promoted by organizations like World Wrestling Entertainment. Major events included Super Bowl XXVI (1992), the 1991 World Series and 1987 World Series, the 1992 NCAA Final Four, MLB All-Star Game (twice), international soccer friendlies featuring Brazil national football team fixtures, and concerts by touring acts managed by promoters such as AEG Presents and Live Nation. Political rallies and civic gatherings occasionally brought elected officials from Minnesota and neighboring states to the venue.
Memorable moments included the Minnesota Twins' 1987 and 1991 World Series home games that energized regional fanbases and civic leaders, and the Minnesota Vikings' playoff contests including dramatic games against opponents from the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. The Metrodome stage for the 1992 NCAA Final Four featured renowned coaches from programs like Duke Blue Devils, Kentucky Wildcats, and UCLA Bruins. Hockey exhibitions, international soccer friendlies with squads such as United States men's national soccer team and Brazil national football team, and landmark concerts by artists affiliated with Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group added to the venue's cultural footprint. Operational incidents—most famously roof collapses due to heavy snow in 2010 that affected scheduled games involving the Minnesota Vikings and caused county emergency responses—also shaped public perception and policy.
Over its three-decade lifespan the Metrodome underwent surface upgrades from Tartan Turf to more modern synthetic systems similar to FieldTurf, seating reconfigurations to improve sightlines for Major League Baseball and National Football League play, and mechanical overhauls of the HVAC and air-pressure systems. Renovation plans involved consultants with past projects for venues like Candlestick Park and RFK Stadium, and funding discussions engaged Hennepin County, Minnesota commissioners, state lawmakers in the Minnesota Legislature, and private ownership groups representing the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins. Maintenance challenges—particularly roof membrane wear, snow-load management, and aging mechanical controls—intensified calls for replacement stadiums among local leaders including Minneapolis Mayor offices.
Following lease agreements and public referendums involving Hennepin County, Minnesota and state officials, demolition of the Metrodome commenced in 2014 to make way for the open-air U.S. Bank Stadium, a project led by architects with portfolios that included modern NFL venues and supported by financing deals involving the Minnesota Vikings ownership, county bonds, and state contributions. Demolition involved phased dismantling, salvage of materials for museums such as the Minnesota History Center, and site preparation coordinated with City of Minneapolis planning staff. The replacement stadium aimed to address prior criticisms by providing fixed-roof architecture, expanded premium amenities for corporate partners like Target Corporation, and multimodal access improvements tied to Metro Transit light-rail expansions.
The Metrodome's legacy encompasses athletic triumphs and municipal debates over stadium economics, influencing subsequent public policy in Hennepin County, Minnesota and legislative approaches in the Minnesota Legislature to funding sports infrastructure. Its role in hosting championship moments for the Minnesota Twins and playoff runs for the Minnesota Vikings contributed to civic identity narratives promoted by city marketing campaigns and tourism partnerships with Explore Minnesota. Urban planners and scholars studying venues comparable to the Astrodome and AstroTurf era facilities reference the Metrodome in analyses of adaptive reuse, stadium financing, and downtown redevelopment strategies tied to sports-led revitalization projects. The site’s transformation into U.S. Bank Stadium symbolizes a shift in architectural preferences and ongoing debates among public officials, team owners, and community stakeholders in Minneapolis and the broader Twin Cities region.
Category:Sports venues in Minneapolis