Tacoma Dome facts for kids
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The arena viewed from the Pacific Avenue overpass, 2024
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| Address | 2727 East D Street Tacoma, Washington 98421 |
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| Coordinates | 47°14′12″N 122°25′36″W / 47.23667°N 122.42667°W |
| Public transit |  Amtrak Sounder commuter railLink light rail at Tacoma Dome Station |
| Owner | City of Tacoma |
| Operator | Venues & Events Department |
| Capacity | 21,000 Detailed capacity
Indoor Soccer: 20,824
Basketball: 20,722 Hockey: 19,106 Football: 10,000 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 1, 1981 |
| Opened | April 21, 1983 |
| Renovated | 2018 |
| Construction cost | $44 million ($142 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | McGranahan Messenger Associates |
| General contractor | Merit Co. |
| Tenants | |
| Tacoma Stars (MISL) (1983–92) Tacoma Rockets (WHL) (1991–95) Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) (1994–95) Tacoma Sabercats (WCHL) (1997–2002) NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship (1989–90) Seattle Sounders (USL First Division) (1994) WIAA state football tournament (1995–2019) WIAA boys' state basketball tournament (2001–present, partial schedule) |
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The Tacoma Dome is a large indoor building in Tacoma, Washington, USA. It's a "multi-purpose arena," which means it can be used for many different things. You can find it just south of Downtown Tacoma, right next to Interstate 5.
Today, the Tacoma Dome is a popular spot for basketball tournaments, especially for high school teams through the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). It also hosts many concerts and other fun community events. When it first opened, it was mainly used for minor league ice hockey and indoor soccer. Later, it even hosted professional sports teams from nearby Seattle for a while.
Contents
History of the Tacoma Dome
People in Tacoma wanted their own large stadium for a long time. They voted on ideas in 1967, 1972, and 1976, but each time the plans were turned down. After Seattle built its own big stadium, the Kingdome, Tacoma residents decided they really needed "a dome of our own."
In 1980, voters finally approved a plan to spend $28 million to build the Tacoma Dome. Construction started on July 1, 1981. The city hoped to attract a professional National Hockey League team, but that didn't happen. Local architects McGranahan and Messenger designed the dome, and it cost $44 million to build. The Tacoma Dome officially opened on April 21, 1983, with a big celebration attended by 25,000 people.
Dome's Unique Design and Size
The Tacoma Dome is quite impressive! It measures about 530 feet (160 meters) across and 152 feet (46 meters) high. For basketball games, it can seat 20,722 people, and its maximum capacity is 21,000. When it first opened, it was the largest arena in the world with a wooden dome.
The dome's roof is very heavy, weighing about 1.44 million pounds (650 metric tons). Interestingly, some of the wood planks used for the roof came from trees that were knocked down during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Unlike many other large arenas, the Tacoma Dome has very few fixed seats. This design makes it super flexible, allowing for many different seating arrangements and playing field shapes. It can even host American football games, though with fewer seats.
Early Events and Changes
The very first event at the Tacoma Dome was a concert by Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band on April 24, 1983. Over the years, the stadium's playing surface was updated in 1992 and again in 2006.
After 2002, the dome didn't have a professional sports team calling it home. This was partly because it lacked some modern features like luxury boxes. Newer venues in the area also started attracting touring artists who used to perform at the Dome.
Renovations and Safety Updates
In 2000, a report suggested the Dome needed upgrades like private suites and better locker rooms. A $42 million renovation plan was proposed in 2004, but voters didn't approve the funding.
In January 2009, during a Monster Jam event, an incident occurred that led to new safety rules. Following this, the Tacoma Dome put in place new security procedures. These included using metal detector wands at entrances, limiting bag sizes, and searching all bags before people could enter.
In November 2016, the City of Tacoma approved a $21.3 million renovation project. These upgrades happened in the summer of 2018 and ended up costing $32 million. The renovations were finished on October 8, 2018. They added wider seats, giving showgoers more legroom, and replaced old bench seating in the upper levels.
Sports and Events at the Dome
The Tacoma Dome has been home to many different sports teams and events over the years. Its flexible design allows it to host a wide variety of activities.
Indoor Soccer Action
The first professional team to play at the Tacoma Dome was the Tacoma Stars. They were part of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Dome was the biggest stadium in the league, with seats for over 20,000 fans for indoor soccer games. In 1987, a record 21,728 people watched the final game of the MISL Championship Series there.
Outdoor Soccer Matches
The Tacoma Dome also hosted some outdoor soccer games. The Seattle Sounders played a match there in 1983. In 1986, the Dome hosted the championship game of the NCAA men's soccer tournament, called the College Cup. The Seattle Sounders also played several games at the Dome in 1994 before moving to another stadium.
Basketball Games
The Tacoma Dome has seen a lot of basketball action. The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament championship game, known as the Women's Final Four, was held there in 1988 and 1989.
The Seattle SuperSonics, a professional NBA team, played some exhibition games and even regular season games at the Dome in the 1980s. They returned for a full season in 1994–95 while their home arena in Seattle was being renovated. The Seattle Storm, a WNBA team, has also played exhibition and playoff games at the Dome.
Goodwill Games
In 1990, the Tacoma Dome was a key venue for the 1990 Goodwill Games. It hosted events like ice hockey, gymnastics, and figure skating.
American Football Events
The Dome has hosted the NCAA Division I-AA football championship game in 1985 and 1986. It also hosted scrimmages for the Seattle Seahawks and a yearly rivalry game between two local universities, Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound.
Ice Hockey Teams
Several ice hockey teams have played at the Tacoma Dome. The Tacoma Rockets played there from 1991 to 1995. The Tacoma Sabercats also played at the Dome from 1997 to 2002. The Dome even hosted some National Hockey League preseason games in various years.
Lacrosse Events
In August 2022, the Premier Lacrosse League played four games at the Tacoma Dome. The National Lacrosse League also considered the Dome for a new team in 2006.
High School Sports Championships
Since 1985, the Tacoma Dome has been the host for the Washington state championships for high school basketball, organized by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). It was the first place in the country to hold both boys' and girls' tournaments at the same time. The WIAA also held the state championship games for high school football at the Tacoma Dome from 1995 until 2019.
Art at the Dome
When the Tacoma Dome was built, the city set aside $280,000 to add public art to the arena. This was part of a program called "percent for art."
One famous artist, Andy Warhol, suggested painting a giant orange flower on the roof. Another artist, Stephen Antonakos, proposed installing abstract shapes with neon lights on the roof. The city council rejected the neon idea at first because people were worried about the lights affecting the wooden roof and because of public complaints.
Later, a different version of Antonakos's art, called Neons for the Tacoma Dome, was approved. It had four indoor panels with abstract neon shapes, some as long as 72 feet (22 meters). Even though some people tried to stop it, Neons was installed near the Dome's exits and shown to the public on July 31, 1984.
Naming Rights for the Dome
The city of Tacoma has thought about selling the naming rights for the Dome several times. This means a company could pay to have their name added to the stadium, like "The [Company Name] Dome." The money from this could help pay for renovations or attract major sports teams.
In 2002, the city looked into selling naming rights for the Dome and other public buildings. In 2003, Comcast offered $3.5 million for a ten-year deal to rename it the "Comcast Dome." However, Comcast pulled out of the deal after many people in Tacoma were upset about removing "Tacoma" from the name.
Another offer to sell naming rights to the city's own power company, Tacoma Power, was rejected in 2009. The city continues to look for a sponsor that would keep "Tacoma" in the name.
See also
In Spanish: Tacoma Dome para niños
