Tacoma Dome edit

 
Tacoma Dome viewed from across the streets

winning an international design competition, local architects McGranahan and Messenger completed the Tacoma Dome at a cost of $44 million; it opened on April 21, 1983.[1] At 530 feet (160 m) in diameter and 152 feet (46 m) in height, the arena seats 20,722 for basketball games, with a maximum capacity of 21,000. It is the largest arena with a wooden dome in the world  by volume[2] (the Superior Dome in Marquette, Michigan, is a larger-diameter geodesic dome at 536 feet (163 m), but is 143 feet (44 m) high and seats a maximum of 16,000).[3] The wood which was used to make the roof came from trees that were downed in the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Unlike most other arenas of its size, the arena contains little in the way of fixed seating, so as to maximize the flexibility of the seating arrangements and the shape of the playing field. It can also host American football, albeit with seating reduced to 10,000. The dome's first event was a concert by American singer/actor Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band as part of the Dome's opening festivities, April 24, 1983.[4] It was the Seattle SuperSonics' home floor for the 1994–95 season while the Seattle Center Coliseum was being renovated,   and was used for various regular Sonics games during other seasons. It also hosted the Tacoma Rockets of the WHL from 1991 to 1995, the Tacoma Sabercats of the WCHL from 1997 to 2002, and the Tacoma Stars indoor soccer team of the MISL from 1983 to 1992. edit

The Dome was also the venue of the gymnastics and figure skating events during the 1990 Goodwill Games, and home to numerous other minor-league ice hockey and indoor soccer teams.[5] The dome also hosted the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship in back-to-back years (1989 and 1990). It was the site of the NCAA Division I-AA football championship game in 1985 and 1986. The Tacoma Dome also hosted National Hockey League preseason exhibition games in 1983, 1984, 1988, 1992,[6] and 1996.[7] Bon Jovi filmed portions of their music video for the song "Lay Your Hands on Me" during their May 10, 1989 show at the Dome. Mötley Crüe performed at the Tacoma Dome on October 15, 1987, as part of their Girls, Girls, Girls Tour. During this performance, drummer Tommy Lee realized his dream of playing a drum solo upside down in a 360-degree rotating cage.[8] Michael Jackson was scheduled to perform three concerts there on October 31 and November 1 and 2, 1988, during his Bad Tour. Although all the shows sold out, the concerts were cancelled because of the performer's serious health problems.[9] Billy Graham hosted one of his crusades in the Dome's first year of operation. He returned to the venue in 1991. During both crusades, Graham averaged 30,000 spectators every night.[citation needed] The Professional Bull Riders hosted an annual Built Ford Tough Series bull riding event at the dome between 2003 and 2009. World Championship Wrestling held their Spring Stampede pay-per-view at the dome on April 11, 1999. Diamond Dallas Page defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, Hollywood Hogan and Sting (with Randy Savage as special guest referee) in a Four Corners match to win the title. During a Monster Jam event at the Tacoma Dome in January 2009, a piece of debris from a truck flew into the stands during a freestyle performance, killing a six-year-old spectator and injuring another spectator.[10] This is so far the only fatality to occur at a Monster Jam event. On February 2, 2016, the Tacoma Dome started new security procedures in light of its sold-out AC/DC concert. The new enhancements included metal detector wands at each entrance, a bag size restriction, the prohibition of backpacks, and the search of all bags before entry.[11] In November 2016, the City of Tacoma approved a two-year, $21.3 million renovation project.[12] The renovations took place over the summer of 2018, with the cost rising to $30 million,[13] and were completed on October 8, 2018.[14] Now estimated to cost nearly over $32 million the Tacoma Dome feature new highlighted update with wider seats throughout the arena. Showgoers having 6 inches of extra legroom and replacing the bygone benches in the upper level[15]. edit

The venue hosted WWE's Stomping Grounds pay-per-view event on June 23, 2019, the first professional wrestling pay per view since Spring Stampede 20 years earlier. In addition, the qualifying matches for the eleventh and thirteenth seasons of American Ninja Warrior took place at the Dome. edit

Arts edit

The Tacoma Dome is also known for its controversial neon art. In 1984, a work by Stephen Antonakos displayed inside the dome became the subject of intense debate over public funding of artworks for public works projects.[16]

Concerts edit

Political Events edit

Bernie Sanders - 2020 rally over 17,000 people in the Tacoma Dome. [19]

Dome District edit

Tacoma Dome has a great deal of community connection in the northwest the dome is visible coming near the Tacoma city. With a great view of mount Rainer on a sunny day. The website "Dome District Tacoma" provides useful information on the Tacoma dome to the popular area to visit for food, activities and easy Transporation.[20]

References edit

  1. ^ "Tacoma Dome opens minus team". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 17, 1983. p. B4.
  2. ^ "HISTORY". Tacoma Dome Official Website. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  3. ^ "Superior Dome". NMU.edu. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  4. ^ Cafazzo, Debbie (January 11, 2016). "Rick Nelson played Tacoma as first rock performer at the Dome". Tacoma News-Tribune. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Traffic Impacts During the Goodwill Games" (PDF).
  6. ^ "vintage Ice Hockey Programs memorabilia for sale from Gasoline Alley Antiques". GasolineAlleyAntiques.com. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Canucks 4, Sharks 1". APNewsArchive.com. Associated Press. September 19, 1996. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  8. ^ "Motley Crue, Tommy Lee Drum Solo (Tacoma Dome, 1987)". Spin. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  9. ^ Barnes, Brooks (June 26, 2009). "Michael Jackson: A thrilling pop icon, a troubled soul". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 30, 2018. He was scheduled to appear at the Tacoma Dome in October 1988 — selling more than 70,000 tickets over three nights — but canceled the day before the opening show, due to the flu.
  10. ^ "Child dies after being struck by flying debris at monster truck show". January 17, 2009.
  11. ^ "Security Update". TacomaDome.org. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  12. ^ Bryant, Tammi (November 30, 2016). "CITY OF TACOMA ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RENOVATE THE TACOMA DOME" (PDF). TacomaDome.org. Retrieved February 6, 2017. Renovations will begin in summer of 2017. New seating will be installed during summer of 2018, with all renovations completed by fall of 2018.
  13. ^ Riedtmulder, Michael (April 17, 2018). "My Favorite Things, Part II". The News Tribune. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  14. ^ King, Jennifer (October 8, 2018). "Tacoma Dome reopens after $30 million renovation". KING-TV. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  15. ^ Tacoma Dome returns after $30 million renovation. (2018). Real Estate Monitor Worldwide, pp. Real Estate Monitor Worldwide, 2018-10-29.
  16. ^ "NEON WARS Part 2". Tacoma History. 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2021-09-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Iron Maiden Tacoma Dome Tickets: QueenBeeTickets.com Kicks Off Iron Maiden Ticket Sales with Lower Prices for Concert at Tacoma Dome in Washington on April 11, 2016. (2015). M2 Communications, pp. M2 Communications, 2015-10-12.
  18. ^ Mims, T. (2018). New Day For The Tacoma Dome: With performances by Drake and Migos on Nov. 1, the iconic 23,000-seat venue in the Pacific Northwest reopened for concerts after a $32 million top-to-bottom renovation. Billboard (Cincinnati, Ohio. 1963), 130(26), 87.
  19. ^ "Bernie Sanders tells big Tacoma Dome crowd the Democratic establishment 'should be getting nervous'". The Seattle Times. 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  20. ^ "About : Dome District History and Community". www.tacomadomedistrict.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.