Superior Dome facts for kids
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YooperDome
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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 Wildcats (NCAA) Football 1991–present Women's lacrosse 2016–present Women's track and field 2003–present |
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The Superior Dome is a large, round stadium at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It is sometimes called the "YooperDome." This amazing building opened on September 14, 1991.
When it first opened, it was known as the world's largest wooden dome. Today, it is home to the Northern Michigan Wildcats football team, women's lacrosse, and women's track and field teams. The NMU Wildcat marching band also uses it. Many other school and community events happen here too.
The dome is about 143 feet (44 meters) tall. It has a diameter of 536 feet (163 meters). This means it covers an area of 5.1 acres (2.1 hectares). That's a lot of space!
It is a special type of building called a geodesic dome. This means it's built from many strong triangles that make a curved shape. The dome uses 781 Douglas fir wooden beams. It also has 108.5 miles (174.6 kilometers) of fir wood decking.
The Superior Dome is built to be very strong. It can hold up to 60 pounds per square foot (290 kilograms per square meter) of snow. It can also stand strong against winds up to 80 miles per hour (129 kilometers per hour).
The stadium has seats for 8,000 people. But for bigger events, it can hold as many as 16,000 people. In 2010, the Guinness World Records book said it was the fifth-largest dome in the world. It was also listed as the largest wooden dome.
Contents
Building the Superior Dome
The Superior Dome was built in two main parts. The first part was finished in August 1991. This included building the main dome structure.
The second part was completed later, in May 1995. This added important areas like locker rooms and offices. It also included meeting rooms, snack areas, and a store.
The first part of the project cost $21.8 million. The State of Michigan paid for all of this. The second part cost $2.1 million. This money came from donations and loans. The total cost to build the Superior Dome was $23.9 million.
What Happens Inside the Dome
The Wildcats football team was the first to play in the dome. Their first game was on September 14, 1991. Northern Michigan won against Indianapolis with a score of 31–20. Almost 8,000 fans watched that game.
Later that year, a new record for attendance was set. On October 5, 1991, 8,432 people watched Northern Michigan beat Ferris State. Even more people came on September 18, 2008. A crowd of 8,672 watched a game against the Michigan Tech Huskies.
Flexible Playing Surfaces
The dome has a special artificial turf carpet. This carpet is the largest of its kind in the world. It can be rolled out for different sports. When it is out, teams can play football, soccer, and field hockey.
Underneath this large carpet is another playing surface. This surface has three basketball or volleyball courts. It also has two tennis courts. There is even a 200-meter (656-foot) track for running.
Moving the turf carpet is a cool process. It is pulled in and out on a cushion of air. It takes about 30 minutes to retract the carpet. Setting up the whole area for a new sport takes about two hours.
Other Events and Activities
The Superior Dome is used for many other events. It hosts the Michigan High School Athletic Association 8-man football championship games. The Marquette Marathon also uses the dome.
Many trade shows, conventions, and conferences happen here. High school track meets are held in the dome. The Upper Peninsula "Band Day" competition is also a big event. The dome even hosts the Special Olympics and NMU's graduation ceremonies.
In 2004, President George W. Bush visited the stadium. He held a campaign rally there.
A Special Basketball Game
On October 13, 2024, a historic basketball game took place. Northern Michigan played against Michigan State. Michigan State won the game 70–53. This event was called the Superior Dome Showdown.
It was the first time a game from the Superior Dome was shown on the Big Ten Network. The game was a homecoming for Michigan State's coach, Tom Izzo. He went to Northern Michigan University. His number 10 jersey was retired during the game.
For this special game, the dome was changed. A basketball court was added, and over 3,000 extra seats were brought in. A new attendance record was set with more than 11,000 people watching. The game was completely sold out!
See also
In Spanish: Superior Dome para niños
