History
The Metrodome opened in April 1982 with a fabric roof held up by air pressure, an engineering approach credited to Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It replaced Metropolitan Stadium for both the Twins and Vikings and also became home to University of Minnesota football.
The Twins won World Series titles there in 1987 and 1991. The dome hosted Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, NCAA Final Fours in 1992 and 2001, and a season of Timberwolves basketball. In December 2010, heavy snow tore open the roof panels.
The Gophers left after 2008 and the Twins after 2009, both for new open-air stadiums. The Vikings played the final game on December 29, 2013. The roof was deflated on January 18, 2014, demolition was complete by April, and U.S. Bank Stadium opened on the site in 2016.
Why it matters: Its air-supported roof defined Minneapolis sports for three decades, and it was the site of both Twins championships.
Timeline
- April 3, 1982
The air-supported dome opened in downtown Minneapolis.
- 1987Twins win World Series[1]
The Twins won the World Series in 1987 and again in 1991.
- January 26, 1992Super Bowl XXVI[1]
Washington beat Buffalo 37-24.
- October 11, 2009
The Twins lost an ALDS game 4-1 to the Yankees before moving to Target Field.
- December 12, 2010Roof collapse[1]
Snow load tore three roof panels.
- December 29, 2013
The Vikings beat Detroit 14-13 in the last game.
- January 18, 2014
The fabric roof came down in 35 minutes, and demolition was finished by April 17, 2014.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | U.S. Bank Stadium (opened 2016) stands on the site[1,2] |
| Surviving remnants | Original home plate moved to Target Field[1] |
| Built on the site | U.S. Bank Stadium (Vikings' new stadium built on the Metrodome site; opened 2016) |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Minnesota Golden Gophers | NCAA · 1982–2008 |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | American League · 1982–2009 |
| Minnesota Vikings | NFL · 1982–2013 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | NBA · 1989–1990 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Metrodome |
|---|---|
| Location | 900 South 5th Street, Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota[1] |
| Venue type | Domed stadium |
| Sports | Football, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer |
| Level | MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA, NASL |
| Opened | April 3, 1982[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | December 29, 2013[1,3] |
| Demolished | January 18, 2014 – April 17, 2014[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 64,121[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | Football 64,121; baseball 46,564 (expandable to 55,883); basketball 50,000 (Wikipedia). Ballparks of Baseball lists 56,144 for MLB. |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (Fazlur Rahman Khan); Setter, Leach & Lindstrom[1,2] |
| Construction cost | $55 million (Wikipedia infobox); $68 million stadium / about $124 million with infrastructure (Wikipedia text); $124 million (Ballparks of Baseball)[1,2] |
| Surface | Artificial turf throughout: SuperTurf, AstroTurf, FieldTurf and later systems[1] |
| Owner / operator | Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (1982-2012); Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (2012-2013)[1,2] |
| Closure | Each tenant moved to a new venue: TCF Bank Stadium for the Gophers (2009), Target Field for the Twins (2010), and U.S. Bank Stadium, built on the dome's site, for the Vikings (2016). |
Documented details
- A stretch of Chicago Avenue in front of the stadium was named Kirby Puckett Place.[1]
Connected venues
Sources
- Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, remnants, surface, teams
- Metrodome, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, construction cost, current land use, demolished, opened, owner operator
- Watch: The Metrodome roof deflates in 35 minutes, NPR via WVTF. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, demolished
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Construction cost varies: $55 million (Wikipedia infobox), $68 million / about $124 million (Wikipedia text), $124 million (Ballparks of Baseball).
- Wikipedia gives the opening as 1982-04-03 but the first game as a Vikings preseason game on 1982-08-21.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.