A Look Back At The History Of The Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is seen at right with the Mercedes-Benz stadium at left, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. The Georgia Dome will be imploded Monday Nov. 20.
Mike Stewart / Associated Press
The Georgia Dome, which first opened in 1992, has been home to many historic moments. Now, its run is about to come to an end.
On Monday, Nov. 20, the Georgia Dome will be imploded, and the land will later be used for a park.
Construction began Nov, 22, 1989, and it took two and a half years to complete the facility. The total cost of the dome was around $210 million, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
Before it officially comes down, here’s a look back at some of the moments that have taken place at the dome.
Sporting Events
In addition to hosting Falcons football games, the Georgia Dome hosted many different sporting events including the 1996 Olympic Games and two memorable Super Bowls (1994 and 2000). The Atlanta Hawks played two seasons at the dome while the basketball team’s nearby home, the Phillips Arena, was under construction, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
In 2005, the Georgia Dome hosted the Chick-fil-A bowl, and tens of thousands of fans watched as the Louisiana State University Tigers defeated the Miami Hurricanes 40-3.
According to the Georgia Dome’s fact sheets, Super Bowl XXXIV was memorable to the dome because an ice storm cast doubts on Atlanta’s ability to host the event. However, the game between the Tennessee Titans and the St. Lois Rams had many iconic moments and was the first to go overtime in Super Bowl history.
The Falcons played their final game at the Georgia Dome in January 2017.
Within its lifetime, the Georgia Dome hosted 256 Falcons games, 298 high school football games and 152 college football games. During the 1996 Olympic Games, the dome hosted gymnastics, basketball and team handball.
Concerts
Many artists have performed at the Georgia dome including Backstreet Boys, Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift.
The first concert was the “Olympic Flag Jam” hosted on Sept. 17, 1992, according to the Georgia Dome’s fact sheets. It featured many performances, including Whitney Houston, James Brown, Alabama, Travis Tritt, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Santana, TLC, Lee Greenwood, Trisha Yearwood and Gladys Knight. The first headlining concert was U2’s Zoo TV Tour on Sept. 25, 1992.
Other Functions
According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the Georgia Dome has been used for wrestling events and various religious gatherings, including some that were led by Billy Graham, a famous Christian evangelist.
Do you have a favorite memory of the dome? Share it below and we may use it in our reporting.
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