Metrodome Stadium

Metrodome Stadium History

Stadium Information:
Name: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Inauguration: 3 April 1982
First match: Minnesota-Seattle 7-3
Cost: $55 million
Capacity: 64,100 seats
Address: 900 S 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN  55415

Pictures:

Stadium Directions:
Metrodome is located in downtown Minneapolis

From the North:
Take I-35W South to the Washington Avenue exit. Turn right on Washington Avenue. Turn left on 11th Avenue, 10th Avenue, Chicago Avenue or Portland Avenue to parking.

From the South:
Take I-35W north to the 3rd Street/U of M exit. Follow 3rd Street past the Metrodome to parking.

From the East:
Take I-94 to the 5th Street exit. Turn right or left on 11th Avenue or continue straight on 5th Street past the Metrodome to parking.

From the West:
Take I-94 to 7th St exit. Continue on 6th or 8th Streets past Portland Avenue to parking.

Stadium History:
After spending more than two decades at Metropolitan Stadium, it was time for a new stadium for both the Minnesota Vikings and the Twins (MLB), who both played at the stadium. Built in the mid 1950’s, Metropolitan Stadium was beginning to deteriorate after two decades of existence. In the late 1970’s, Minneapolis began studying the idea of building a dome stadium for both teams. By mid 1979, a new dome stadium was approved to be built in downtown Minneapolis. On December 20, 1979, construction began on the multipurpose dome stadium. A dome multipurpose stadium was chosen because of the cold weather between fall and spring. Named after former Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey, the H.H.H. Metrodome, was completed in just over two years. The Minnesota Twins (MLB) played the first game ever at the Metrodome on April 6, 1982.

The Vikings inaugural first game at the Metrodome was on September 12, 1982. Over 64,000 seats in two tiers circle the entire field when the Metrodome is in football configuration. The Metrodome is one of the easiest stadium to be converted from baseball to football. The entire process takes around four hours. A section of 7,600 retractable seats make up the 23 foot high right field wall during a baseball game, but the seats are pulled out allowing the capacity to be increased during football games. The dome at the stadium consists of over ten acres of Teflon-coated fiberglass. It is the only air-supported dome, and fans enter the park through revolving doors that prevent the release of the air that keeps the dome upright. The roof requires 250,000 cubic feet of air pressure per minute to remain inflated. The roof has snow melting ducts to prevent a collapse. However, in the fall of 1982, the dome collapsed, but was re-inflated. Very few changes have taken place at the Metrodome since it opened in 1982. After the 2003 season, the Astroturf field was removed and replaced with Fieldturf. Currently, the Vikings and the Twins would like to have new stadiums built.

Over its 40 years of existence, Lambeau Field has been the site of many historical moments including the first NFL Championship game in Green Bay in 1961 and the "Ice Bowl" in December of 1967, when the temperature was 13 degrees

Stadium Tickets:
Tel: 612-338-4537 (Ticket Office) or (651)989-5151 (Ticketmaster)