Kingdome

This article is about the stadium in Seattle. For the arena in Sydney, seeSydney Entertainment Centre.For the arena in Davao, seeKJC King Dome.

Kingdome

King County Stadium
Exterior of the Kingdome from the north parking lot in 1996
Full name	King County Stadium
Address	201 South King Street
Location	Seattle,Washington,U.S.
Coordinates	47°35′43″N122°19′53″W
Public transit	King Street Station
Parking	~1,100 spaces
Owner	King County
Operator	King County Department of Stadium Administration
Executive suites	46
Capacity	Baseball:59,166 Football:66,000 Basketball:40,000
Surface	AstroTurf
Scoreboard	Diamond Vision
Construction
Broke ground	November 2, 1972
Opened	March 27, 1976
Closed	January 9, 2000
Demolished	March 26, 2000
Construction cost	$67 million ($359 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Naramore,Skilling &Praeger
Structural engineer	Skilling, Helle, Christiansen & Robertson, Inc.
General contractor	Donald M. Drake Company (1972–74) Peter Kiewit Sons Construction Company(1974–76)
Tenants
Seattle Seahawks(NFL) (1976–1999) Seattle Sounders(NASL) (1976–1983) Seattle Mariners(MLB) (1977–1999) Seattle SuperSonics(NBA) (1978–1985)

This 1996 map of the Pioneer Square-Skid Road Historic District shows the location of the Kingdome (at the lower right in the map).

TheKingdome(officially theKing County Stadium)was amulti-purpose stadiumlocated in theIndustrial District(laterSoDo)neighborhood ofSeattle,Washington,United States. Owned and operated byKing County,it was best known as the home stadium of theSeattle Seahawksof theNational Football League(NFL) and theSeattle MarinersofMajor League Baseball(MLB); it was also home to theSeattle SuperSonicsof theNational Basketball Association( NBA ) (from 1978 to 1985) and additionally served as both the homeoutdoorandindoorvenue for theSeattle Soundersof theNorth American Soccer League(NASL). The Kingdome measured 660 feet (200 m) wide from its inside walls.

The idea of constructing a covered stadium for amajor leaguefootballorbaseballteam was first proposed to Seattle officials in 1959. Voters rejected separate measures to approvepublic fundingfor such a stadium in 1960 and 1966, but the outcome was different in 1968; King County voters approved the issue of $40 million inmunicipal bondsto construct the stadium. Construction began in 1972 and the stadium opened in1976as the home of the Sounders and Seahawks.The Mariners moved in thefollowing year,and the SuperSonics moved in theyear after that,only to move back to theSeattle Center Coliseumin 1985. The stadium hosted several major sports events, including theSoccer Bowlin August1976,thePro Bowlin January1977,theMajor League Baseball All-Star Gamein July1979,theNBA All-Star Gamein1987,and theNCAA Final Fourin1984,1989,and1995.

During the 1990s, the Seahawks' and Mariners' respective ownership groups began to question the suitability of the Kingdome as a venue for each team, threatening to relocate unless new, publicly funded stadiums were built. An issue was that neither team saw their shared tenancy as profitable; both teams also questioned the integrity of the stadium's roof as highlighted by the collapse of ceiling tiles onto the seating area before a scheduled Mariners game in 1994. As a result, public funding packages for new, purpose-built stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks were respectively approved in 1995 and 1997.

The Mariners moved to Safeco Field, now known asT-Mobile Park,midway through the 1999 season, and the Seahawks temporarily moved toHusky Stadiumafter the1999 season.On March 26, 2000, the Kingdome was demolished byimplosion.The Seahawks' new stadium, now known asLumen Field,was built on the site and opened in2002.King County finally paid off the bonds used to build and repair the Kingdome in 2015, fifteen years after its demolition.

Concept and construction

In 1959, SeattlerestaurateurDavid L. Cohn wrote a letter to theSeattle City Councilsuggesting the city needed a covered stadium for amajor professional sportsfranchise.A domed stadium was thought to be a must because of Seattle's frequent rain. At the time, the city hadHusky StadiumandSick's Stadiumforcollegefootballandminor league baseball,respectively, but both were deemed inadequate for a major league team.

Concept drawing of a floating stadium on the Seattle waterfront, 1963

In 1960,King Countycommissioners placed a $15 millionbondissue measure on the ballot to fund construction of a stadium, but voters on November 8 defeated it with only 48 percent approval because of doubt the stadium could be built within that budget, and lack of a guarantee the city would have a team to play in the stadium.By 1966, theNational Football Leagueand theAmerican Leaguewere both considering granting the city anexpansion franchise,and as a result, theKing County Councilplaced another bond issue measure on the ballot for a September vote. While it received 51.5 percent approval, it did not reach the 60 percent required to proceed; the requirement was due to a 1932 initiative that mandated a supermajority for tax levies over 40mills.

In 1967, the American League granted Seattle anexpansionfranchise that would be known as theSeattle Pilots.The league clearly stated Sick's Stadium was not adequate as a major-league stadium, and stipulated that as a condition of being awarded the franchise, bonds had to be issued to fund construction of a domed stadium that had to be completed by 1970; additionally, the capacity at Sick's Stadium had to be expanded from 11,000 to 30,000 byOpening Day1969, when the team was scheduled to begin playing. The Pilots were supposed to begin play in 1971 along with theKansas City Royals.However, whenSenatorStuart SymingtonofMissourigot wind of those plans, he demanded both teams begin play in 1969. The American League had birthed the Royals and Pilots as a result of theKansas City Athleticsmoving toOakland,and Symington would not accept the prospect ofKansas Citywaiting three years for baseball's return.

On February 13, 1968, King County voters approved the issue of $40 million in bonds to fund construction of the "King County Multipurpose Domed Stadium" with 62 percent in favor; it was part of theForward Thrustgroup ofbondpropositions that, among other items, had a regionalrapid transitsystem rejected.That year, a committee considered over 100 sites throughout Seattle and King County for the stadium; they unanimously decided the best site would be on the grounds ofSeattle Center,site of the1962 World's Fair.Community members decried the idea, claiming the committee was influenced by special interest groups.

The Pilots began play as planned in1969,but Sick's Stadium proved to be a problematic venue for fans, media, and visiting players alike. The Pilots only drew 677,000 fans that season, not nearly enough to break even. It soon became apparent that the Pilots would not survive long enough to move to their new stadium without new ownership. It was also obvious that the timetable for a new stadium would have to be significantly advanced, as Sick's Stadium was completely unsuitable even for temporary use. However, a petition by stadium opponents brought the dome project to a halt. The Pilots' ownership group ran out of money by the end of the season, and with the stadium plans in limbo, the team was forced to declarebankruptcy.Despite efforts by Seattle-area businessmen to buy the team as well as an attempt to keep the team in Seattle through the court system, the Pilots were sold toMilwaukeebusinessmanBud Selig,who relocated the team to Milwaukee and renamed it theMilwaukee Brewersa week before the start of the1970 season.

The stadium under construction circa 1973

The push to build the domed stadium continued despite the lack of a major league sports team to occupy it. In May 1970 voters rejected the proposal to build the stadium at Seattle Center.From 1970 to 1972, the commission studied the feasibility and economic impact of building the stadium on King Street adjacent toPioneer Squareand theInternational District—a site that ranked at the bottom when the commission originally narrowed the field of possible sites in 1968.This drew sharp opposition primarily from the International District community, which feared the impact of the stadium on neighborhood businesses located east of the site. The King Street site was approved 8–1 by the county council in late 1971,and the groundbreaking ceremony in 1972 was held on November 2.Several protesters attended the ceremony, disrupted the speakers, and at one point threw mud balls at them.

In bidding for construction of the stadium, which had separate offers for the dome and the rest of the stadium, Donald M. Drake Construction Company ofPortland, Oregon,was the winning contractor for both with respective bids of $28.9 million and $5.9 million.Peter Kiewit Sons Construction Companywas the only other bidder, offering $30.57 million for the stadium and $5.8 million for the roof; the latter came with the caveat of the company using its own design consultant.To help alleviate tension between the International District community and county officials, Drake emphasized the hiring of minorities, with minorities eventually representing 13 percent of the workers at the site; acommunity centerand a shelter were also built in the neighborhood. However, the stadium's construction encountered numerous issues; in January 1973, six support beams for the roof were toppled as one or two of them buckled, bringing down the others in adomino effect.By January 1974, the stadium reached 50 percent completion; only reaching 60 percent completion in July, it was clear that Drake would not reach the December deadline at that point. It was also apparent that Drake was ill-prepared to work on a project with such scale, with numerous errors, delays, and short-staffing slowing down construction. Efforts to renegotiate the contract failed, and on November 22, Drake stopped work on the Kingdome. The county fired Drake on December 10, bringing in Kiewit to finish construction on the stadium.

Exterior of the Kingdome in 1985.

On December 5, 1974, the NFL awarded Seattle an expansion franchise to occupy the new stadium; the team was later named theSeattle Seahawks.Construction lasted another two years, and the stadium held an opening ceremony on March 27, 1976.It hosted its first professional sporting event two weeks later on April 9, an exhibitionsoccergame between theSeattle SoundersandNew York Cosmosof theNASL.It set a record for the largest soccer audience in North America at 58,120.The stadium was finished at $20 million over budget, with part of the cost overrun covered by a $12.8 million out-of-court settlement in 1980 between the county and Drake's liability insurers.

Surface

Like virtually all other multi-purpose stadiums, the Kingdome featuredAstroTurfartificial turffor its playing surface, with its baseball configuration featuring dirt sliding pits around each base.When it was constructed, artificial turf was considered a must because the roof was likely to inhibit the growth of natural grass, like theAstrodome's roof.

The AstroTurf surface was first replaced in July 1983 during the MLB All-Star break;Monsanto,the then-owner of AstroTurf, won the turf replacement contract overSuperTurf(then used by the Metrodome) with a bid of $1.2 million.By request of the Mariners and Seahawks, it was replaced again in October and December 1990 at a cost of $2.56 million; the previous surface was sold off thereafter, with 25 rolls of it sold to the Tacoma Dome for $108,200.A strip 40 feet by 4 inches was ripped off left field near second base during afield invasionby celebrating fans after the Mariners won theAL West tiebreaker gamein 1995; it was replaced before the first Mariners home game in the ALDS.

Before the 1990 replacement, the AstroTurf surface was converted from baseball to football configuration via the covering of the infield with turf strips; a one-piece surface was placed over the infield after the conclusion of the Mariners season.The surface was attached together via bothVelcroandZiplocfasteners.After the 1990 replacement, separate surfaces were installed for each team; the Seahawks specifically wanted a stiffer variation of AstroTurf. The replacement surfaces were attached together viazippers.

The underlying base of the surface wasasphalt,with the AstroTurf essentially consisting of a carpet on top of a pad with respective thicknesses of one-half inch and five-eights inch.Lumps, holes, and ridges were also present in the surface along with gaps within its seams.These factors combined to create a playing surface that was despised by both football and baseball players alike; after the 1998 season, a survey by theNFL Players Associationfound that 56.7 percent of Seahawks players rated the surface as "poor" or "fair", and was the worst-rated one in theAFC West.

Injuries from playing at the Kingdome and its contemporaries occurred more often compared to stadiums with natural grass.Of note, Seahawks running backsSherman SmithandCurt Warnerrespectively suffered season-ending knee injuries in 1980 and 1984 during games at the Kingdome; additionally, the Kingdome's surface is partly blamed forKen Griffey Jr.'s subsequent injuries and decline in performance after the Mariners traded him to theCincinnati Redsat the end of the 1999 season.

Football

Seahawks

The expansionSeattle Seahawksof theNational Football League(NFL) played their first game ever on August 1,1976,a preseason game against theSan Francisco 49ersat the Kingdome in which they lost 27–20 before a crowd of 60,825.The Seahawks' first regular season game was against theSt. Louis Cardinalsat the Kingdome on September 12. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 30–24, with 58,441 fans in attendance.At the end of that season, the venue hosted thePro Bowl,the NFL's all-star game, on January 17, 1977.

The Seahawks hostedMonday Night Footballgames at the Kingdome twelve times in their history and were 9–3 in those games. The Seahawks and theOakland/Los Angeles Raidersplayed five Monday Night games in the Kingdome in the 1980s with Seattle holding a 3–2 edge including a 37–0 blowout victory in 1986.The next year, in1987,Bo Jacksonof theLos Angeles Raidersrushed for 221 yards, the most ever on MNF, and scored 2 touchdowns. One of his scores was a 91-yard touchdown and the other was a historic plowing intoSeahawkshigh-profile rookie linebackerBrian "The Boz" Bosworth.

The Seahawks regularly sold out games at the Kingdome from its inception and throughout the 1980s; 117 consecutive regular-season home games were sold out between1979and1993.However, afterKen Behringtook over ownership of the team from theNordstromfamily in1988,the team began to decline in performance; after winning theAFC Westthat year, it suffered a franchise-worst 2–14 record in1992.Season ticket sales, which had reached 62,000 that year with a waiting list of 30,000, gradually decreased to 46,000 in1995,with the team averaging 46,218 in attendance over five games at the Kingdome in1994;as a result, the Seahawks began failing to sell out games, resulting in theirblackoutin theSeattle market.After the blackout of the October 24, 1993 game versus theNew England Patriots,one more game was blacked out that year, with five games blacked out the following year;KING-TV,which as Seattle'sNBCaffiliate was the Seahawks' local broadcast home at the time, prevented further blackouts by purchasing all remaining unsold tickets for three games in 1993 and two games in 1994.

In the Seahawks' heyday, the Kingdome was known as one of the loudest stadiums in the league. Opposing teams were known to practice withjet enginesounds blaring at full blast to prepare for the painfully high decibel levels typical of Seahawks games.It was where Seahawks fans, who were long called "the12th Man"and led the Seahawks to retire the number 12 in honor of them in1984,made their reputation as one of the most ravenous fan bases in the NFL, a reputation that has carried over to what is now Lumen Field.The Kingdome's reputation contributed to the NFL's1989vote in favor of enacting a rule penalizing home teams for excessive crowd noise; it was especially loathed by Seahawks fans during preseason games, with fan displeasure throughout the league leading commissionerPete Rozelleto soften enforcement of the rule before the start of the regular season.Raucous Seahawk fans at the Kingdome were also some of the earliest performers ofThe Wave.

The city of Seattle made numerous bids to host theSuper Bowlduring the Seahawks' tenure at the Kingdome. However, despite five bids over 12 years, the Kingdome was never awarded the opportunity to host a Super Bowl; its closest chance was in 1989 forSuper Bowl XXVI,which was awarded to theHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeinMinneapolis,Minnesota.In its 1982 bid forSuper Bowl XIX,theSeattle City Councilvoted to givetax exemptionsto the NFL if the league selected the Kingdome to host the game.

The Seahawks played their final game at the Kingdome on January 9,2000,suffering a first-round playoff loss to theMiami Dolphinsin their first playoff appearance since the 1988 season. The Dolphins scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to win 20–17; it marked the first home playoff loss for the Seahawks as well as the first road playoff win in 28 years for the Dolphins.It was the last NFL victory forHall of FamequarterbackDan Marinoand head coachJimmy Johnson,and it was also the last event the Kingdome ever hosted before its implosion.The Seahawks had an overall record of 101–83 (.549) in the Kingdome, and were 2–1 in the postseason.

Amateur

College

The first football (andcollege footballby extension) game played in the Kingdome occurred just after it opened in 1976, when theWashington Huskiesvarsity team won 10–7 against a team of Husky alumni on May 1 before 20,470 fans.The Huskies looked into temporarily renting the Kingdome for the1987 seasonwhen the north grandstand ofHusky Stadiumcollapsed during construction on February 25; however, the Kingdome was ultimately not needed as the grandstand was completed in time for the team's first home game against theStanford Cardinalon September 5.(Seven years later, theSeattle Seahawkswould use Husky Stadium as their home field during the first half of the1994 seasonwhilethe Kingdome's ceiling was under repair.)

The Kingdome also hosted a game between theWashington State CougarsandUSC Trojanson October 9, 1976.With 37,268 in attendance, USC running backRicky Bellrushed for 346 yards and set thePac-8single-game rushing record; the Trojans won by nine points,23–14.In 1994, under then-new athletic directorRick Dickson,the Cougars flirted with the idea of hosting an additional home game at the Kingdome starting in 1997; however, the plan never came to fruition.

In the late 1970s, the Kingdome hosted both instances of aPacific-10 Conferenceall-star game called the Challenge Bowl; the bowl, sponsored by theOlympia Brewing Company,pitted an all-star team of Pac-10 players against a similar team from another conference. The Pac-10 went undefeated with a 27–20 victory (as the Pac-8) over theBig Tenon January 15, 1978, and a 36–23 victory over theBig Eighton January 13, 1979.

During the same period, theUniversity of Puget Sound LoggersandPacific Lutheran University Lutesalso faced off at the Kingdome twice; the Loggers won both contests, defeating the Lutes 23–21 on September 17, 1977, with 13,167 in attendance, and then defeating them again 27–14 on September 23, 1978, before a crowd of 8,329.The 1977 game set a series attendance record at the time.

Other levels

The stadium also hosted the annualWIAAhigh school footballstate championships in an event called theKingbowlfrom 1977 through 1994;the title games were moved to theTacoma Domein nearby Tacoma in 1995.

The Seattle and Tacoma Police Departments played a yearly game named theBacon Bowlto raise money for charity from 1980 to 2005; the Kingdome hosted it from the beginning until 1982, then had a one-off in 1985 during a nine-year span in which the Tacoma Dome hosted the rest of the games. The Kingdome hosted the game again from 1992 to 1994 before it returned to the Tacoma Dome; the game came back for one final time in 1999 before the stadium was demolished.

Baseball

Shortly after the Pilots' departure for Milwaukee, the city of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington sued theAmerican League,claiming abreach of contract.The league agreed to grant Seattle another franchise in exchange for dropping the lawsuit, and the team that would later be known as theSeattle Marinerswas born.

The Mariners held their first game in franchise history at the Kingdome on April 6,1977,against theCalifornia Angels.The Angels shut out the Mariners 7–0 in front of a sellout crowd of 57,762.The first pitch was a strike thrown by the Mariners'Diego SeguítoJerry Remy.In the top of the first inning,Don Baylorregistered the first hit at the stadium with a double that scored Remy, who had stolen second and third base after drawing a walk from Seguí.The Mariners' first batter,Dave Collins,struck out; however, the next batter,José Báez,singled for the franchise's first ever hit.The first home run at the venue was hit in the top of the third inning byJoe Rudi;designated hitterJuan Bernhardtscored the Mariners' first home run in their fifth game at the Kingdome on April 10.The Mariners had their first win at the Kingdome and team history two games after the opener (they were also shut out in their second game 2–0), defeating the Angels 7–6 on April 8 via a walk-off double fromLarry Milbourne.The venue hosted theAll-Star GameonJuly 17, 1979.

The Kingdome was somewhat problematic as a baseball venue. Foul territory was quite large, and seats in the upper deck as far as 617 feet (188 m) from home plate.Part of the problem was that the Kingdome was not a multipurpose stadium in the truest sense. Instead, it was built as a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. For instance, most fans in the outfield seats on the 300 level were unable to see parts of right and center field; these areas were not part of the football playing field.

Hosting theKansas City Royalsin July1997

For most of the Mariners' first 18 years, their poor play (they did not have a winning season until1991) combined with the Kingdome's design, led to poor attendance. Some writers and fans called it "the Tomb" (because of its gray concrete and lack of noise) and "PugetPuke. "After their inaugural home opener, the Mariners didn't have another sellout for the next 1,018 home games until their1990home opener on April 13.At one point the Mariners covered seats in the upper decks in right and right-center with a tarp in order to make the stadium feel "less empty".Additionally, the Kingdome's acoustics created problems for stadium announcers, who had to deal with significant echo issues.However, when the team's fortunes began to change in the mid-1990s and they began drawing larger crowds, especially in the post-season, the noise created an electric atmosphere and gave the home team a distinct advantage similar to the effect on football games.The average attendance of 22,064 in 1995 was the lowest in three years with the removal of nine home games for the season, but when put in perspective, it was still higher compared to any of the Mariners' first 14 seasons.

Despite its cavernous interior, the Kingdome's field dimensions were relatively small. It had a reputation as a hitter's park, especially in the 1990s whenKen Griffey Jr.,Edgar Martínez,Jay Buhner,Alex Rodriguez,and other sluggers played there.

The large number of in-play objects—speakers, roof support wires and streamers—contributed to an "arena baseball" feel.The Kingdome was somewhat improved in1982with the addition of a 23-foot (7.0 m) wall in right field nicknamed the "Walla Walla" (afterthe cityin southeastern Washington); a nearly $100,000Daktronicsout-of-town scoreboard was later installed on it in 1990.In1990and1991,the moving of home plate closer to the backstop, the addition of box seats down the third base line and the removal of a few rows of seats in left field reduced foul territory and made the outfield dimensions longer and asymmetrical.

In its early years, the outfield was symmetrical with a uniform wall height: deep in center, and short elsewhere. For the All-Star Game in 1979, center field was 410 feet (120 m), power alleys were 357 feet (109 m), and the foul lines were 316 feet (96 m);the unpadded wall was green with a top yellow stripe, approximately twelve feet (3.7 m) in height and did not have the power alley distances listed on it.Down the lines, the distance was also listed infathoms(52.7 fm), presumably to maintain a nautical theme in line with the team name; however, this practice was ditched after the1980 season.Like the Kingdome's contemporaries, thebullpenswere located in foul territory adjacent to the baselines and the stands.

The longest game in the Kingdome took place on July 30,1998,when theCleveland Indiansdefeated the Mariners 9–8 in 17 innings via a three-run homer fromManny RamirezoffBob Wells;Paul Shueystaved off a comeback by the Mariners in the bottom of the inning to end the game the next morning after five hours and 23 minutes.

The most noteworthy baseball game in the Kingdome's history took place on October 8,1995;in therubber gameof theALDS,the Mariners defeated theNew York Yankees6–5 in 11 innings in front of 57,411 raucous fans. In the bottom of the 11th, Martinezdoubled to left,sendingJoey Coraand Griffey home with the winning runs and vaulting the Mariners into theALCSfor the first time in franchise history.

On May 2,1996,a game at the Kingdome between the Mariners and theCleveland Indianswas suspended in the bottom of the seventh inning because of a minorearthquake.The earthquake, estimated at a magnitude of 5.3 to 5.4, occurred during a pitching change as Indians'pitcherOrel Hershiserwas walking off the mound following a home run byEdgar Martínez.After an inspection by engineers, the game was continued the next evening, resulting in a 6–4 win for the Indians.

Seguí, who retired from professional baseball after the 1977 season, was invited by the Mariners to throw the ceremonial last pitch after the final Mariners game at the Kingdome in 1999. However, while they were able to make the tickets and reservations for Seguí, a payment mix-up prevented him from boarding the flight out ofKansas City International Airporton the day of the game; the incident made him irate such that he refused to visit Seattle again until2012,when he was invited as part of the Mariners' 35th anniversary celebration.Despite the disappointment from Seguí's son, then-Mariners first basemanDavid Segui,the ceremony went on as planned; David's son, then-seven-year-old Cory Segui, threw the last pitch toBob Stinson,who was the Mariners' catcher in their first game.

In1989,Griffey Jr. hit a home run in his first-ever plate appearance at the Kingdome on April 10. On June 27,1999,Griffey Jr. hit the last home run ever at the Kingdome against theTexas Rangers.The Mariners played 1,755 games at the Kingdome, compiling an overall home record of 852–903 (.485) during their 22½-season tenure there.

Basketball

SuperSonics

In 1980, the Seattle SuperSonics total attendance exceeded that of all other sports or shows held in the Kingdome.

Besides the Mariners and Seahawks, the stadium also hosted theSeattle SuperSonicsof theNational Basketball Association( NBA ) for seven seasons. The SuperSonics, having previously played at theSeattle Center Coliseum,announced on July 29, 1977, that they intended to move into the Kingdome for the1978–79 seasonafter the expiration of their contract with the city of Seattle, the owner of the Coliseum; the team pushed for a move to the Kingdome after the city balked at a $30 million plan to expand the Coliseum to 20,000 seats the previous year.On August 22, theKing County Councilvoted 7–2 to approve a 17-year lease with the SuperSonics, with the agreement signed the following day.The following week, the council unanimously voted on August 29 to spend $1.5 million on improvements to the Kingdome in preparation for the team; the team would pay the same amount over the first seven years as part of the agreement.Additional terms of the agreement had the SuperSonics pay the county 10 percent of ticket sale proceeds (not including admissions taxes) and $2,539 in personnel costs per game; the county additionally kept all game concession and parking revenue.On the same day as the agreement signing, longtime Kingdome critic Frank Ruano filed a referendum petition in an attempt to halt the move, but he announced on September 17 that he would withdraw support from the petition for lack of support.

While the SuperSonics had played a few games at the Kingdome over the previous two seasons, their full-time tenancy required the addition of 5,000 portable stadium seats added onto the floor of the arena as well as additional scoreboards and a new basketball court.The center circle of the court was positioned over first base, with the court itself laid parallel and adjacent to the right-field seats; the portable seats were positioned across the court with one end hovering over home plate.

The first SuperSonics game in the Kingdome under the agreement was an exhibition game versus thePortland Trail Blazerson September 22, 1978.A few weeks later, a crowd of 15,219 watched as the SuperSonics defeated theChicago Bulls,104–86, on October 14 in their first regular-season game as a tenant.CaptainFred Brownand leading scorerGus Williamshelped lead the team to their first and only championship that season, defeating theWashington Bulletsin theFinalsand avenging theirFinalsloss to themthe previous season.At the time, the Kingdome was known in the NBA for being the noisiest arena for basketball and for having the largest crowds, with stadium vendor Bill Scott (a.k.a.Bill the Beerman) taking the duties as cheerleader.

In the1979–80 season,the SuperSonics set an NBA record average attendance of 21,725 fans per game (since broken).The SuperSonics set the NBA single-game playoff attendance record at 39,457 during Game 4 of the 1978 NBA Finals; they set it again on April 15, 1980, during a conference semifinal game against theMilwaukee Buckswith an attendance record of 40,172 (also since broken).The Kingdome regular season, single-game attendance record of 38,067 was set on November 22, 1991, when the SuperSonics faced theChicago Bulls.

While leaving a SuperSonics game on February 16, 1983, a 21-year-old man fromOlympiafell off a ramp and plunged 47 feet to his death; this was despite the installation of signs warning about the chest-level barriers the previous year.

Logistics would be a problem throughout the team's tenure at the Kingdome because the Seahawks and Mariners had scheduling priority over them, especially during the playoffs when the Mariners were playing there at the same time in the spring.As part of the 1977 agreement, King County agreed to pay the SuperSonics $15,000 for each game (up to five) that was moved elsewhere because of booking issues.Even then, the scheduling priority meant that the SuperSonics would only play home playoff games at the Kingdome while the Mariners were on the road, with most of the games played at the Coliseum; the team even had to useHec Edmundson Pavilionat theUniversity of Washingtonfor a few games when both the Kingdome and the Coliseum were unavailable.

Along with the scheduling issues, as with other multipurpose stadiums used by the NBA the Kingdome proved itself to be a less-than-ideal venue for basketball.Although the Kingdome's capacity allowed the SuperSonics to set attendance records, the vast space it afforded meant that it did not have the intimate environment of a dedicated arena; furthermore, fans were displeased about the poor sight lines and cold temperatures in the Kingdome. All these factors, plus dwindling attendance due to poor team performance towards the end of their tenancy at the Kingdome, led SuperSonics general managerZollie Volchokto sign a 10-year contract with the city of Seattle in 1983, agreeing to have the team move back to the Coliseum after the1984–85 seasonin exchange for upgrades there.

The SuperSonics faced thePhoenix Sunsat the Kingdome on April 7, 1985, in their final game as a regular tenant, losing 110–125 with 5,672 in attendance.However, exemplifying the scheduling issues, it was not their final home game of the season; the SuperSonics were forced to play at theTacoma Domeon April 11 because the Mariners hosted theOakland Athleticsat the Kingdome that day.By that point, the SuperSonics had an average attendance of 7,399, failing to surpass 10,000 seats sold in 29 of 37 games held at the Kingdome in their final season there.

Despite calling the Coliseum home again, the SuperSonics still played occasionally at the Kingdome over the next few years when large crowds were anticipated; as such, the SuperSonics hosted the1987 NBA All-Star Gamethere, having previously hosted the1974 gameat the Coliseum before the Kingdome opened.However, SuperSonics ownerBarry Ackerley,who had bought the team fromSam Schulmanin October 1983 after the Coliseum deal was signed, started seeking a new arena for them in 1989; team presidentBob Whitsittclaimed that the Coliseum was outdated and leaking.Ackerley proposed to build a new arena south of the Kingdome (whereT-Mobile Parkstands today), but the plan was initially rejected by King County because of objections from the Seahawks and Mariners over inadequate parking.The plan was eventually approved by theSeattle City Council7–1 on May 30, 1990, but it was ultimately scrapped the following year on June 26 because of issues in financing it; as a compromise measure, the Coliseum was rebuilt asKeyArenaduring the1994–95 season,with the SuperSonics playing home games at the Tacoma Dome instead of the closer Kingdome in the meantime.The SuperSonics played at KeyArena until they werecontroversially relocatedtoOklahoma Cityby ownerClay Bennettafter the2007–08 season.

The SuperSonics played 303 games at the Kingdome in total, including 14 playoff games; they held an overall record of 208–95 (.686) and a playoff record of 8–6 (.571) at the stadium. Of those games, 20 of them had attendances of 30,000 or more.

College

The first men's college basketball game at the Kingdome was held on January 9, 1984, when theWashington Huskiesdefeated theNotre Dame Fighting Irish,63–61, in the second overtime in front of 7,466 fans.The Huskies held their only other basketball game at the Kingdome more than a decade later, defeating theOld Dominion Monarchs71–61 on December 22,1994,with 4,187 in attendance.

The only women's basketball game at the Kingdome was held on December 6, 1979, when theSoviet national teambeatSeattle University135-45, before 7,239 spectators.

Final Four

TheNCAA Final Fourof men'scollege basketballwas held three times at the Kingdome, with the stadium hosting the1984,1989,and1995editions. The1984 championship gamesaw theGeorgetown Hoyasdefeat theHouston Cougars,84–75.Meanwhile, the1989 championship gamehad theMichigan Wolverinesbeat theSeton Hall Pirates,80–79, in overtime because of a controversial last-second foul call against the Pirates.Finally, with the1995 championship game,theUCLA Bruinsdefeated theArkansas Razorbacks,89–78, to win their first championship since the retirement of coachJohn Woodentwenty years earlier in1975.

The Kingdome was not the first venue in Seattle to host the Final Four;Hec Edmundson Pavilionhad previously hosted it in1949and1952.However, the Kingdome is credited with helping shape the Final Four into an event with a stature comparable to that of the Super Bowl because of its large capacity. It was the only such capable venue on the West Coast of the United States; the last time a non-Seattle West Coast site hosted the game was when theLos Angeles Memorial Sports Arenahosted it in1972.The 1995 edition was the last time that Seattle hosted a Final Four, and it will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future since the Kingdome's successors were not designed with a controlled environment in mind; it also remains the last time that the Final Four was held on the West Coast.The Final Four was not held again in the Western United States until2017,whenUniversity of Phoenix StadiuminGlendale, Arizona,hosted it for thePhoenix area.

Other

On February 18, 1979, theHarlem Globetrottersheld anexhibition gameat the Kingdome with close to 23,000 in attendance, of which around 3,500 were under 12 years old.

As a result of theboycottof the1980 Summer Olympicsby the United States, theU.S. Olympic teamfaced off against a squad of NBA players in a six-game exhibition tournament called the "Gold Medal Series" that June. On June 20, the NBA All-Stars defeated the U.S. Olympic team, 78–76, before a crowd of 10,902; it was the only victory by the NBA squad in the tournament.

TheWashington Interscholastic Activities Association(WIAA) held their 3A and 4Ahigh school basketballstate tournament five times at the Kingdome between 1993 and 1999. The boys' and girls' games were held simultaneously until the championship, at which point they took turns playing on a single court.

Soccer

Sounders

TheSeattle Soundersof theNorth American Soccer League(NASL) were the first tenant to move into the Kingdome upon its opening, having played atMemorial Stadiumfor their first two seasons.As a result, they held the honor of hosting the first sporting event at the Kingdome with anexhibition gameversus theNew York Cosmoson April 9, 1976; the Cosmos defeated them 3–1 with 58,128 fans in attendance. Highlighting the secondary treatment of the Sounders, about 5,000 seats were not yet installed when the game occurred.Just weeks later, they hosted their first regular-season game in the Kingdome on April 26, defeating thePortland Timbers1–0 via aGeoff Hurstpenalty kickin the second overtime before 24,983 spectators.

The largest crowd to attend a Sounders match, regular or postseason, occurred onAugust 25, 1977,when 56,256 spectators watched as they defeated theLos Angeles Aztecs1–0 in the second game of the Pacific Conference Final to advance to their firstSoccer Bowl.The Sounders' regular-season attendance record was set on August 9, 1980, when the Cosmos defeated them 1–0 in front of 49,606 fans.Overall, the team drew an average attendance of 20,183 from 1975 to 1982, peaking in the 1980 season with an average attendance of 24,247.

Along with traditional soccer, the Sounders participated in NASLindoor soccerfor the1980–81and1981–82seasons.However, the1983 outdoor seasonproved to be a dire one for the Sounders; with the team's front office heavily cutting costly foreign players from the roster, the team suffered their worst season ever performance-wise, resulting in a record low average attendance of 8,181.That season additionally saw the smallest crowd to attend a Sounders game, with only 4,270 spectators on hand to witness their 3–1 victory over theTulsa Roughneckson July 27.With the cuts not enough to keep the team afloat, the owners ultimately elected to fold it that year on September 6; their final home game was a 3–2 victory over theSan Diego Sockerson August 25 with 7,331 fans in attendance.

College

The Kingdome hosted theNCAA Division I Men's Soccer ChampionshipFinals twice in consecutive years. The final onDecember 17, 1984,featured theClemson Tigers,coached by Dr.I. M. Ibrahim,and defending national championIndiana Hoosiers,headed by coachJerry Yeagley;7,926 spectators watched as the Tigers won 2–1 in regulation to bring home their first national championship in soccer and deny the Hoosiers a third straight title.A year later, onDecember 14, 1985,a crowd of 5,986 watched as theUCLA Bruinsdefeated theAmerican Eagles1–0 after eight overtime periods to win their first national soccer championship; Bruin coachSigi Schmidwent on to coach theSeattle Sounders FCofMajor League Soccer(MLS), aphoenix clubof the NASL Sounders, from its inaugural season in2009to2016.

Other professional games

A game of the1976 U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup tournamentwas held at the Kingdome on May 28, withBrazildefeatingTeam America2–0 before 20,245 spectators.

The Kingdome also hosted the NASL's championship game, theSoccer Bowl,between theMinnesota Kicksand theToronto Metros-CroatiaonAugust 28, 1976;the Metros-Croatia defeated the Kicks 3–0 before a crowd of 25,765, setting an NASL championship attendance record at the time.

ACONCACAF Championship qualifierfor the1978 FIFA World Cupwas hosted at the Kingdome on October 20, 1976; the game, which saw theUnited StatesdefeatCanada2–0 before a crowd of 17,675, was the first instance of a World Cup qualifier that was held indoors.

A doubleheader featuring both the U.S. Olympic and national squads was held at the Kingdome on February 3, 1979.The U.S. Olympic team defeated the Canadian Olympic team 2–0 in the first game, while theSoviet national teamdefeated the U.S. national team 3–1 in the second game; 13,317 spectators were present for both games.

The Kingdome was additionally considered in Seattle's bid to be a host city for the1994 FIFA World Cup,but it was rejected in favor of Husky Stadium because of concerns over its indoor environment and its turf; the bid ultimately failed in part because of apprehension from theUniversity of Washington.

Other events

Upon its opening, the Kingdome served as one of the mainconvention centersin Seattle alongside the Seattle Center Coliseum.During preliminary studies for the then-proposed Washington State Convention Center (now theSeattle Convention Center) in the early 1980s, a proposal to build it on the stadium's northern parking lot was floated, but it was never seriously considered and ultimately rejected by the convention center board in favor of building it in the Downtown area.

The largest crowd to attend a single event in the Kingdome came early, during an eight-dayBilly Grahamcrusadein 1976. The Friday night edition on May 14 drew 74,000 and featured singerJohnny Cash;5,000 were turned away.The stadium was also part of Seattle's bid to host the1988 Republican National Convention,but it ultimately failed because of a scheduling conflict with the Mariners.

Country singerCW McCallperformed 8 shows during the 4-day Custom Van, Truck, 4-Wheel Drive and Motorcycle Show, March 17–20, 1977.

The Kingdome hosted a round of theAMA Supercross Championshipfrom 1978 to 1999.

Concerts

Numerous rock concerts were held in the venue, despite significant echo and sound delay problems attributable to the structure's cavernous size.

Date	Artist	Opening act(s)	Tour / Concert name	Attendance	Revenue	Notes
June 10, 1976	Wings	–	Wings Over America Tour	67,053	$536,424	The concert set the national indoor attendance record for a single act.It also marked the first timePaul McCartneyhad toured America sinceThe Beatlesstopped touring in 1966.The performance was filmed and included in the concert movieRockshow.
August 6, 1976	Eagles	Linda Ronstadt JD Souther	–	48,843	$398,744
September 3, 1976	Aerosmith	Jeff Beck Rick Derringer	Rocks Tour	51,091	$422,698
June 27, 1977	Peter Frampton	Foghat J. Geils Band Blondie Chaplin	-	39,549	–
July 17, 1977	Led Zeppelin	–	North American Tour 1977	68,954	–	The performance is available on VOIO and ROIO.
October 14, 1981	The Rolling Stones	Greg Kihn Band J. Geils Band	American Tour 1981	69,132	–
October 15, 1981				68,028		Before the concert, a 16-year-old girl fromRentonfell backward from a concrete guard rail at the outside 200-level ramp and plunged fifty feet (15 m) onto a loading area; she died atHarborview Medical Centerdespite medics immediately rushing her there.
July 23, 1982	Bryan Adams Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Blue Öyster Cult Loverboy Foreigner	–	The Rock and Roll Grand Slam 1982	38,201 / 70,000	$635,352
October 20, 1982	The Who	The Clash T Bone Burnett	The Who Tour 1982	55,217	–
May 22, 1983	The Beach Boys	–	–	37,807	$320,000	The concert followed a Mariners game.
July 15, 1987	Madonna	Level 42 Bhundu Boys Hue and Cry	Who's That Girl World Tour	30,000	–
December 8, 1987	Pink Floyd	–	A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour	33,700 / 40,000	$710,382
July 27, 1988	Van Halen Scorpions	Metallica Dokken Kingdom Come	Monsters of Rock	37,000	–	While Scorpions was on stage, lead singerKlaus Meinewas hit in the throat by a camera thrown out of the audience. He ranted for around five minutes about having respect for the bands, then did one more song with the band before they left the stage.
March 29, 1990	Paul McCartney	–	The Paul McCartney World Tour	50,000	–
September 6, 1990	New Kids on The Block	Perfect Gentlemen Rick Wes	The Magic Summer Tour	42,929 / 52,619	$1,015,300
October 6, 1992	Guns N' Roses Metallica	Motörhead	Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour	37,226 / 40,000	$1,023,715
December 15, 1994	The Rolling Stones	Spin Doctors	Voodoo Lounge Tour	49,303 / 49,303	$2,311,900
November 28, 1997	The Rolling Stones	Third Eye Blind	Bridges to Babylon Tour	42,258 / 42,258	$2,411,261
December 12, 1997	U2	Smash Mouth	PopMart Tour	30,260 / 35,000	$1,539,105

Final years

The loss of the Sounders and Sonics in the mid-1980s caused financial constraints as the Kingdome was left with 59 unfilled days in their annual schedule.By the 1990s, multi-purpose stadiums fell out of favor with the public, and the Kingdome's suitability as an NFL and MLB venue came into doubt as a result. Neither the Seahawks' nor the Mariners' respective ownership groups saw the shared stadium arrangement as economically feasible because the Kingdome was unable to meet the needs of both tenants; they also noted the lack of revenue-generatingluxury suitesprominent in newer stadiums.After several years of threats to relocate the Mariners because of poor attendance and revenue, then-ownerJeff Smulyanput the team up for sale on December 6, 1991; he subsequently received approval by MLB to sell the team to an ownership group led byNintendopresidentHiroshi Yamauchion June 10, 1992.Almost immediately, the new ownership group began campaigning with local and state governments to secure public funding for a new baseball-only stadium. In March 1994, King County ExecutiveGary Lockeappointed a task force to study the need for a baseball-only stadium.

1994 ceiling collapse

The Kingdome's roof had been problematic from the beginning because of a design flaw. With the stadium's limited budget compared to its contemporaries, its architects had the roof's acoustic ceiling tiles serve a dual purpose as forms to pour concrete over for the roof sections. They were firmly placed via six metal clips on their edges, but the effectiveness of the clips was weakened as moisture from thepolyurethaneinsulation accumulated in the tiles because it lacked properwater vapormanagement. As a result, leaks were discovered in the roof three months before the stadium opened, and several attempts at repairs made the situation worse or were quickly undone.

In 1993, the county decided to strip off the outer roof coating and replace it with a special coating.Sandblastingfailed to strip the old roof material off, and the contractor changed its method topressure washing.This pressure-washing resulted in water seepage through the roof, and on July 19, 1994, four 26-pound (12 kg), waterlogged acoustic ceiling tiles fell into the seating area. The tiles fell while the Mariners were on the field preparing for a scheduled game against theBaltimore Orioles,a half-hour before the gates were to open for fans to enter the stadium. As a result, the Kingdome was closed for repairs.

The Mariners were forced to play the last 20 games of the 1994 season on the road after theplayers' unionvetoed playing the "home" games atCheney StadiuminTacoma,BC Place StadiuminVancouver,British Columbia,or a neutral site because the union believed that its members should play only in major-league venues. The extended road trip could have lasted over two months, but it was shortened because of the1994–95 Major League Baseball strike,which began on August 12 and ended up canceling the remainder of the 1994 MLB season; the strike also resulted in a delay to the start of the 1995 season. The Seahawks had to play both their two preseason home games and their first three regular-season home games of the1994 seasonat nearbyHusky Stadium.

The Kingdome held a reopening ceremony the weekend of November 4–6, 1994, which culminated with the Seahawks returning to the stadium for a regular-season game against theCincinnati Bengals.Repairing the roof ultimately cost US$51 million, and two construction workers lost their lives in a crane accident on August 17 during the repair. The incident also motivated plans to replace the stadium.

Replacement

The Kingdome imploding in March 2000

On September 19, 1995, King County voters defeated a ballot measure that would have funded the construction of a new baseball-only stadium for the Mariners. However, the following month, the Mariners made it to the MLB postseason for the first time and, on October 8, defeated theNew York Yankeesin the decisive fifth game of the1995 ALDSon the heels of a walk-offgame-winning doublehit byEdgar Martínez.The Mariners' postseason run demonstrated that there was a fan base in Seattle that wanted the team to stay in town, and as a result, theWashington State Legislatureapproved a separate funding package for a new stadium on October 14.

In January 1996, Seahawks ownerKen Behringannounced he was moving the team to Los Angeles and the team would play atAnaheim Stadium,which had recently been vacated as a football venue when theLos Angeles Ramsmoved toSt. Louis(at the same time, theLos Angeles Raidersreturned toOakland,after 13 years away). His rationale for the decision included unfounded safety concerns surrounding the seismic stability of the Kingdome. Behring went so far as to relocate team headquarters toAnaheim, California,but his plans were defeated when lawyers found out that the Seahawks could not break their lease on the Kingdome until 2005. As a result, Behring tried to sell the team. He found a potential buyer inMicrosoftco-founderPaul Allen,who stipulated that a new publicly funded stadium had to be built as a condition of his purchase of the team.Allen funded a special election held on June 17, 1997, that featured a measure that would allocate public funding for a new stadium for the Seahawks on the Kingdome site. The measure passed, Allen officially purchased the team, and the Kingdome's fate was sealed.

Despite the intention of the Mariners to start playing at their new home at the beginning of the 1999 season, construction delays meant that installation of its retractable roof would not occur on time, leading to another sale threat by the team's owners.However, the team eventually agreed to play at the Kingdome from the start of the season until after theAll-Star Game,with construction on the new home starting on March 8, 1997.Two years later, a sold-out crowd of 56,530 watched as the Mariners defeated theTexas Rangers5–2 in their final game at the Kingdome on June 27, 1999; they played their first game at their new home,Safeco Field,nearly three weeks later on July 15.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks temporarily relocated toHusky Stadiumfor two seasons following the 1999 season.To make way for construction of their new stadium, the Kingdome was stripped down and prepared for demolition. During the process, a security incident occurred on February 21, 2000, when askateboarderdisguised himself as aconstruction worker,climbed up onto the roof, and skated on it with two friends filming him on the nearbyAlaskan Way Viaduct;demolition crews were unimpressed by the incident and implemented tighter security measures in response.On the morning of March 26, 2000 at 8:30 AM, the Kingdome was demolished byControlled Demolition, Inc.viaimplosion,just one day short of 24 years after the stadium's opening; it set a record recognized byGuinness World Recordsfor the largest building, by volume, ever demolished by implosion.The Kingdome was the first large, domed stadium to be demolished in the United States; its demolition was also the first live event covered byESPN Classic.The new stadium,Seahawks Stadium,eventually opened on July 20, 2002, in time for the beginning of theNFL seasonthat year.

The Kingdome was demolished before the debt issued to finance its construction was fully paid, and as of September 2010, residents of King County were still responsible for more than $80 million in debt on the demolished stadium.The debt was retired in March 2015, nine months ahead of the original bond maturity and 15 years after the stadium's demolition. The 2% of the 15.6% hotel/motel tax earmarked for the Kingdome debt no longer needed went instead to the county's4Cultureprogram for arts, heritage, and preservation.

Seating capacity

Baseball

Years	Capacity
1976–1980	59,059
1981–1987	59,438
1988–1990	58,850
1991–1993	57,748
1994–1999	59,166

Football

Years	Capacity
1976–1979	64,752
1980–1983	64,759
1984–1992	64,984
1993–2000	66,400

Basketball

Capacity
40,192

In popular culture

Because of its versatility and its prominent position in the Seattle skyline for close to a quarter-century, the Kingdome was featured in numerous forms of media during and after its existence. On television, it served as the backdrop for a rescue in the 1978 TV movie "Most Deadly Passage" ofNBC'sEmergency!series, which featured the work ofSeattle Medic Oneparamedics.It was also mentioned in 1992 with the airing of "Crushed", the sixteenth episode of thefifth seasonofABCsitcomFull House;in the episode, guest starTommy Pageboasted toJesse Katsopolisabout playing there.The Kingdome was mentioned again in 1998 during thesixth seasonof NBC sitcomFrasier,which was set in Seattle. In the sixth episode, "Secret Admirer", Martin describes Daphne's frustrating driving that repeatedly takes them right into various traffic delays, ending with them encountering traffic from the Kingdome.Furthermore, the Kingdome's demolition was featured onThe History Channel'sModern Marvelsseries with their "Concrete"episode that first aired on May 31, 2000.

The Kingdome was not limited to just television mentions; numerous songs mentioned it in their lyrics. Rock bandFoo Fightersmentioned it in the refrain of "New Way Home", which was featured on their 1997 album,The Colour and the Shape.RapperMacklemorealso mentioned the Kingdome in "My Oh My", a 2011 song that paid tribute toDave Niehaus,the longtime play-by-play announcer of the Mariners who had recently died; in it, he talks about growing up in Seattle and going to the Kingdome. The song mentionsthe Doublein the Mariners–Yankees1995 ALDS,and its accompanyingmusic videoalso contains footage of the Kingdome's demolition.

With the rise of3D computer graphics,video games started to depict the Kingdome as well. TheGran Turismoseries ofracing gameson thePlayStationline of consoles featured the Kingdome in the Seattle Circuit race track, a street circuit based on the roads of Seattle.Seattle Circuit is featured inGran Turismo 2,Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec,Gran Turismo 4,Tourist Trophy,andGran Turismo PSP.Despite the Kingdome's demolition occurring before the game was released, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec still featured it in the track.The Kingdome also made an appearance in the 2007RTS gameWorld in Conflict,in which it was destroyed by Soviet artillery during a Soviet invasion of Seattle in analternate timeline.

See also

• Delta Dome
• Thin-shell structure
• List of thin shell structures

References

Bibliography

• Mullins, William H. (2013).Becoming Big League: Seattle, the Pilots, and Stadium Politics.Seattle: University of Washington Press.ISBN978-0-295-99425-3.RetrievedMarch 26,2021– via Google Books.

External links

• Official websiteat theWayback Machine(archived October 22, 1999)
• The Story behind the implosion of The Seattle Kingdome
• Kingdome: The Controversial Birth of a Seattle Icon (1959–1976)
• Video of Kingdome implosionviaKING-TV

Events and tenants
Preceded by first stadium	Home of the Seattle Seahawks 1976 – 1999	Succeeded by Husky Stadium
Preceded by first ballpark	Home of the Seattle Mariners 1977 – 1999	Succeeded by T-Mobile Park
Preceded by Seattle Center Coliseum	Home of the Seattle SuperSonics 1978 – 1985	Succeeded by Seattle Center Coliseum
Preceded by The Pit Kemper Arena Charlotte Coliseum	NCAAMen's Division I Basketball tournament Finals Venue 1984 1989 1995	Succeeded by Rupp Arena McNichols Sports Arena Continental Airlines Arena
Preceded by Louisiana Superdome	Host of theNFL Pro Bowl 1977	Succeeded by Tampa Stadium
Preceded by San Diego Stadium	Host of theMLB All-Star Game 1979	Succeeded by Dodger Stadium
Preceded by Reunion Arena	Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1987	Succeeded by Chicago Stadium
Preceded by Lockhart Stadium	Host of theCollege Cup 1984–1985	Succeeded by Tacoma Dome