Movable stands, giant screen television and removable turf are just a few of the features that distinguish the Superdome, the largest "people place" in the history of mankind.
Thanks to SuperVision, the Superdome's revolutionary giant television screens, there is not a bad seat in the house. The color television system furnishes every fan with a bird's eye view of all the action as it happens inside the stadium. The two screens, measuring 28'7"x 36'3" each, provide spectators with a super close-up view of every event. The instant-replay feature allows spectators to savor the genius of their favorite icons, all from the comfort of their seats in the Superdome.
A concrete floor in the main arena forms the base layer upon which other surfaces are laid. Wooden courts for basketball, ice surfaces for family shows, concert stages, tons of dirt for truck and tractor pulls, and artificial turf (unofficially dubbed "Mardi Grass") are some of the surfaces that cover the concrete floor.
The Superdome, attracting many of the top events in the world, has realized an economic impact of $4.6 billion in its 20-plus years of operation-far exceeding all projections.
It is no wonder that Dean Gerald McLindon of Louisiana State University's School of Environmental Design said: "This is the most usable public building ever designed in the history of man."
Tulane moved its home games in 1975 after having played on campus at Tulane Stadium for 49 years.
Old Tulane Stadium sat in excess of 80,000 seats, was the largest steel constructed stadium in the world and once held the largest night crowd in the history of college football (82,566 for the 1966 Tulane-LSU game) and at least twice the largest crowds in the history of Southern football (83,224 for the 1958 Tulane-LSU game and 86,598 for the 1973 Tulane-LSU contest).
Of the eight Super Bowls that have been played in New Orleans, three were at Tulane Stadium (IV, VI and IX) and the last five have been in the Superdome (XII, XV, XX, XXIV and XXXI).
Superdome Statistics
Built 1975
Height 273 feet.
Diameter of Dome 680 feet.
Area of Roof 9.7 acres.
Interior Space 125,000,000 cubic feet.
Total square footage 269,000 sq. ft.
Main Arena 166,180 sq. ft. >Convention Concourse 76,711 sq. ft.
Concrete 169,000 cubic yards.
Structural Steel 20,000 tons
Total Land Area: including building, garages, and grounds is 52 acres
Convention/Meeting Rooms: 52, consisting of 4 main ballrooms, each divisible into 6 separate rooms; 28 reception rooms.
Private Box Suites: 137
Parking Capacity: 5,000 cars & 250 buses
Video System: 2 SuperVision panels, each 28'7"x 36'3"
Scoreboards: 4 message/scoreboards, each 8'x 88'; 2 out-of-town scoreboards, each 4.5'x 46'
Maximum Seating Capacity: football 72,675; expanded football 76,791; arena concerts 24,500; basketball 64,659; baseball 63,525; festival concerts 87,500
Press Seating: 334 (football & baseball press boxes, and 11 broadcast/spotting booths)
Artificial Turf: 81,120 sq. ft., 26 panels for football; 127,520 sq. ft., 80 panels for baseball