History
The stadium opened in 1975 in suburban Pontiac with a Teflon-coated fiberglass roof held up by air pressure, and it was the NFL's largest venue by capacity. The Lions moved in that year, and the Pistons followed in 1978 for a ten-year stay.
In the 1980s and '90s it hosted several of the largest indoor crowds in US history: Super Bowl XVI, WrestleMania III and a 1987 papal Mass. In 1994 it hosted the first World Cup match played indoors.
The Lions left for Ford Field after the 2001 season, and the building sat largely empty. A new owner reopened it briefly in 2010, but storm damage to the roof in 2013 closed it for good. An implosion in December 2017 failed on the first try and worked on the second. The site now holds an Amazon facility.
Why it matters: It was one of the largest NFL stadiums ever built and an early, prominent example of an air-supported dome.
Timeline
- August 23, 1975
It opened as Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium with a Lions preseason game.
- January 24, 1982
The dome hosted the NFL championship game in January 1982.
- September 18, 1987
Pope John Paul II's Mass drew the building's record crowd.
- June 18, 1994
The US–Switzerland 1–1 draw was the first World Cup game played indoors.
- January 6, 2002
The Lions beat Dallas in their last game at the dome, then moved to Ford Field.
- 2013
Snow tore the fabric roof, and the reopened venue shut for good.
- December 4, 2017
A second implosion succeeded a day after the first one failed because of a wiring fault.
- March 2018
Demolition of the remaining structure finished in March 2018.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Amazon distribution and delivery facility (per Wikipedia)[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Detroit Lions | NFL · 1975–2001 |
|---|---|
| Detroit Express | NASL · 1978–1980 |
| Detroit Pistons | NBA · 1978–1988 |
| Michigan Panthers | USFL · 1983–1984 |
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 | Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium (1975–1976); Silverdome |
|---|---|
| Location | 1200 Featherstone Road, near I-75, Pontiac, Michigan[1] |
| Venue type | Domed stadium |
| Sports | Football, Basketball, Soccer |
| Level | NFL, NBA, NASL, USFL, NCAA |
| Opened | August 23, 1975[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | 2013[1,2] |
| Demolished | 2017–2018[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 82,666[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 80,311[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | The Detroit Historical Society gives 82,666 at opening, the largest NFL capacity until 2000. Wikipedia's infobox gives 80,311 for football and soccer. The record crowd was 93,682 for the 1987 papal Mass. |
| Architect | O'Dell, Hewlett and Luckenbach; C. Don Davidson (chief project designer)[1] |
| Construction cost | US$55.7 million |
| Surface | AstroTurf (1975–2005), FieldTurf (2005–2006) |
| Owner / operator | City of Pontiac (original owner); later Andreas Apostolopoulos / Triple Investment Group |
| Closure | The Lions moved to Ford Field in 2002. After a short revival, the roof failed in 2013 and repairs were not financially viable. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Pontiac Silverdome, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit Historical Society. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, demolished, opened, teams
- Second Silverdome demolition attempt proves successful, Detroit Metro Times. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: 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 (3)
- The Detroit Historical Society calls the 1987 wrestling event 'WrestleMania II', but Wikipedia identifies it as WrestleMania III (March 29, 1987). This looks like an error in the DHS entry.
- The DHS says the 'Silverdome' name became official in 1977. Wikipedia lists Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium for 1975–1976.
- Capacity figures differ between sources (82,666; 82,600; 80,311).
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.