Superior Dome facts for kids
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Yooper Dome
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Opposite sides of the Superior Dome
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| Location | Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, United States |
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| Owner | Northern Michigan University |
| Operator | Northern Michigan University |
| Capacity | 8,000 |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1991 |
| Opened | 1991 |
| Construction cost | $23.9 million |
| Tenants | |
| Northern Michigan University football and other athletics (NCAA) | |
The Superior Dome is a huge indoor stadium located at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan, USA. It opened on September 14, 1991. At the time, it was known as the "world's largest wooden dome".
This amazing building is home to the university's Northern Michigan Wildcats football team. It also hosts their marching band and many other events for the university and the local community.
The dome is about 44 meters (143 feet) tall. It has a diameter of 163 meters (536 feet) and covers an area of about 2 hectares (5.1 acres). The building is a geodesic dome, which means it's made of many small, strong triangles. It uses 781 Douglas fir wooden beams and about 175 kilometers (108.5 miles) of fir wood decking.
The Superior Dome is built to be very strong. It can hold up to 290 kilograms (60 pounds) of snow per square foot. It can also stand strong winds up to 129 kilometers per hour (80 mph). The stadium has seats for 8,000 people, but it can fit up to 16,000 people for big events. In 2010, the Guinness World Records book listed it as the fifth-largest dome and the largest wooden dome in the world.
Contents
Building the Dome
The Superior Dome was built in two main parts. The first part, finished in August 1991, included the main domed area. This phase cost $21.8 million and was paid for by the State of Michigan.
The second part was completed in May 1995. This added important areas like locker rooms for athletes, offices, meeting rooms, and places to buy food and drinks. This second phase cost $2.1 million, with some money from donations and some from loans. The total cost to build the Superior Dome was $23.9 million.
What the Dome is Used For
The first event held in the Superior Dome was a football game on September 14, 1991. The Northern Michigan Wildcats played against the Indianapolis team. Northern won the game 31–20, with 7,942 fans watching.
Later that season, a new record for attendance was set. On October 5, 8,432 people watched Northern beat Ferris State 27–17. The record was broken again on September 18, 2008, when 8,672 fans watched Northern play the Michigan Tech Huskies.
Sports and Activities
The dome has a special artificial turf field that can be rolled up and moved. This is the largest movable turf field in the world! When the turf is rolled out, it can be used for football, soccer, and field hockey.
Underneath this large turf carpet, there is another playing surface. This surface has three basketball or volleyball courts and two tennis courts. There is also a 200-meter (656-foot) track for running. Moving the turf carpet in and out takes about 30 minutes, and setting everything up takes about two hours.
Other Events
The Superior Dome is also used for many other events for the university and the community. These include:
- High school football games, both regular season and playoffs.
- Trade shows, using a large space of about 9,300 square meters (100,000 sq ft).
- Conventions, conferences, and banquets.
- High school track meets.
- The Upper Peninsula "Band Day" competition, where school bands perform.
- Special Olympics events.
- Graduation ceremonies for Northern Michigan University.
In 2004, President George W. Bush even held a campaign rally inside the stadium.
Images for kids
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Superior Dome view from Lake Superior
See also
In Spanish: Superior Dome para niños
