Operator City of Tacoma General contractor Merit Co. Opened 21 April 1983 Owner Tacoma | Broke ground July 1, 1981 Capacity 23,000 Phone +1 253-272-3663 | |
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Location 2727 East D StreetTacoma, Washington 98421 USA Construction cost US$44 million($106 million in 2017 dollars) Architect McGranahan Messenger Associates Address 2727 E D St, Tacoma, WA 98421, USA Similar KeyArena, The Palace of Auburn Hills, Moda Center, Rogers Arena, America's Car Museum Profiles | ||
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The Tacoma Dome is an indoor arena located in Tacoma, Washington, United States, approximately 30 miles south of Seattle.
Contents
History
Upon winning an international design competition, local architects McGranahan and Messenger completed the Tacoma Dome for $44 million; it opened on April 21, 1983. The arena seats 17,100 for basketball; 530 feet (160 m) in diameter and 152 feet (46 m) tall, and able to seat 23,000, it is the largest arena with a wooden dome in the world when measured by volume. (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.) 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 of the shape of the playing field. It can host American football, albeit with seating reduced to 10,000.
The Dome's first event was a concert by British musician David Bowie as part of his Serious Moonlight Tour on August 11, 1983.
The arena hosted the Seattle SuperSonics from 1994 to 1995 while the Seattle Center Coliseum was being renovated into the venue now known as KeyArena as well as various regular season Sonics games during other seasons. It also hosted the Tacoma Rockets Western Hockey League team from 1991 to 1995, the Tacoma Sabercats of the West Coast Hockey League from 1997 to 2002, The Tacoma Stars indoor soccer team of the MISL from 1983 to 1992, gymnastics and figure skating events during the 1990 Goodwill Games, and numerous other minor league ice hockey and indoor soccer teams. The Dome also hosted the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship in back-to-back years (1989–1990).
The Tacoma Dome hosted National Hockey League (NHL) preseason exhibition games in 1983, 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996.
Michael Jackson was scheduled to perform three concerts 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.
Also in the Dome's first year, Billy Graham hosted one of his crusades. He returned to the Tacoma Dome in 1991. In both crusades Graham averaged 30,000 spectators every night.
The Professional Bull Riders hosted a Built Ford Tough Series bull riding event at the Dome annually between 2003 and 2009.
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) 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.
On February 2, 2016, the Tacoma Dome started new security procedures for entering the venue at the 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.
In November 2016, the City of Tacoma approved a two-year, $21.3 million renovation project.
Art
The Tacoma Dome is also known for its controversial neon art. In 1984 the Stephen Antonakos piece displayed inside the Dome was the subject of intense debate over public funding of artworks for public works projects.