Louisiana Superdome
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The Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Superdome is the home of the NFL's New Orleans Saints and was once the home of the New Orleans Jazz (now Utah Jazz) NBA franchise.
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Construction started on the Louisiana Superdome on August 11, 1971 and was finished in November 1975. An old cemetery was demolished to make space for it; some superstitious locals attribute the poor record of the New Orleans Saints to bad luck produced by disturbing the tombs. New Orleans' older major sports arena, venerable Tulane Stadium, was condemned on the day the Superdome opened.
The New Orleans Saints opened the 1975-1976 NFL season at the Superdome.
The Superdome is a massive structure located on 52 acres (210,000 m²) of land; the dome has an interior space of 125,000,000 ft³ (3,500,000 m²), a height of 253 feet (82.3 meters), a dome diameter of 680 feet (210 meters), and a total floor area of 269,000 ft² (25,000 m²), making it the largest domed structure in the world.
The Superdome has a listed maximum football seating capacity of 72,003(expanded) or 69,703(not expanded), a maximum basketball seating capacity of 55,675, and a maximum baseball capacity of 63,525; however, published attendance figures from events such as the Sugar Bowl have exceeded 79,000.
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In addition to sporting events, the Superdome hosts other large events, notably music concerts by national acts, as well as trade shows and conventions. The 1988 Republican National Convention was held in the Superdome.
Overall, the Louisiana Superdome has withstood the test of time; it has a surprisingly undated look to it, even as fixed domed stadium construction began to fade in the early 1990s and others having even been closed. The Superdome is built to withstand catastrophes; the roof is built to stand up to 200 MPH wind and even deep flood water wouldn't reach the second level 35 feet from the ground. It has thus been used as an emergency shelter but is not designed for the task; in 1998 during Hurricane Georges problems included looting and supplying 14,000 people with necessities.
The New Orleans Arena, a smaller indoor arena adjacent to the Lousiana Superdome, opened on October 19, 1999.
External link
- Official Louisiana Superdome website (http://www.superdome.com/site.php)