Fargodome facts for kids
Exterior view of venue (c.2009)
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| Address | 1800 University Dr N Fargo, ND 58102-2241 |
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| Location | North Dakota State University |
| Owner | City of Fargo |
| Capacity | 18,700
Concerts
Gate City Bank Theater: 3,500
Half house: 11,000 3/4 house: 16,000 End stage: 22,000 Center stage:26,700 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 26, 1990 |
| Opened | December 2, 1992 |
| Construction cost | $48 million ($108 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect |
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| General contractor | Industrial Builders, Inc. |
| Main contractors | Meinecke-Johnson |
| Tenants | |
| Fargo-Moorhead Fever (CBA) (1992–1994) North Dakota State Bison (NCAA) (1993–present) Fargo Freeze (IFL) (2000) |
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The Fargodome is a large indoor stadium in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located on the campus of North Dakota State University (NDSU). The City of Fargo owns the stadium, which opened in late 1992. It can hold 18,700 people for football games. For concerts, it can hold over 25,000 fans.
The Fargodome is the home field for the North Dakota State Bison football team. This team plays in NCAA Division I football. Before 1993, the Bison played at Dacotah Field. The Fargodome also hosts NDSU graduation ceremonies. Many big concerts, other sports events, and trade shows happen here too.
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History of the Fargodome
The Fargodome was first planned to have a roof that would inflate, like a big balloon. But as the plans changed, they decided to build a strong, fixed roof instead. Even with the new roof, the name "dome" stayed.
Here are some important moments in the Fargodome's history:
- November 1987: City leaders suggested building new facilities for events and sports.
- January 1988: The plan changed to one big stadium on NDSU land. A special sales tax would help pay for it.
- December 1988: People in Fargo voted to approve the sales tax.
- April 1989: Architects were hired, and construction began.
- December 1992: The Fargodome officially opened its doors.
- January 1994: The Fargodome hosted the Snow Bowl, a college football all-star game, until 2000.
- December 2002: The Fargodome celebrated its 10th birthday.
- March 2009: During a big flood, the Fargodome became a place where volunteers filled and stored sandbags. This helped protect the city.
- August 31, 2012: A new playing field, called AstroTurf, was installed. Gate City Bank helped pay for it, so the field was named after the bank.
- October 10, 2012: The Fargodome hosted a professional basketball game. The Indiana Pacers played against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- August 2016: The stadium got new, large HD video screens. This was a big upgrade for fans.
Exciting Events and Shows
The Fargodome hosts many different kinds of events. These include exciting shows like the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It also has loud events like Monster Jam with huge trucks. You can also find food festivals like Rib Fest here.
College Wrestling Events
Every July, the Fargodome hosts a big national wrestling competition. It's called the Asics/Vaughan Cadet and Junior National Wrestling Championships. Young wrestlers from all over the country come to compete.
Concerts and Entertainment
Many famous music artists have performed at the Fargodome. Some of these include Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, Garth Brooks, Justin Timberlake, AC/DC, and Pink. The Fargodome can also host ice shows like Disney on Ice. Sometimes, even traveling Broadway shows come to perform.
Gate City Bank Theater
Inside the Fargodome, there is a special area called the Gate City Bank Theater. This theater is used for plays and other stage shows. Both local groups and touring shows perform here.
Stadium Upgrades and Changes
The Fargodome is always looking for ways to improve. They are thinking about adding more permanent seats. This would make the stadium even bigger for football games. The goal is to increase the seating to about 25,000 people. This would mean making some big changes to the stadium's structure.
In 2016, the Fargodome got a major upgrade to its video screens. They installed 12 new, bright LED displays. This included two huge 30-foot by 100-foot HD video screens in each end zone. There are also four large HD screens in each corner. These new screens make watching games and concerts much more exciting for everyone.
Loud Crowd Noise
The Fargodome is known for being one of the loudest college football stadiums. When the North Dakota State Bison football team plays, the fans make a lot of noise. This makes it very hard for visiting teams to play.
Experts have measured the sound inside the Fargodome. During a big playoff game in 2012, the crowd noise reached over 111 decibels. That's louder than a rock concert! In another game in 2013, the noise reached an amazing 115 decibels. The loud crowd helps the Bison team and makes games very exciting.
