Georgia Dome
Atlanta's iconic dome that hosted Super Bowls, Olympics, and 24 Peach Bowls.
The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Opened in 1992, it was then the second-largest covered stadium in the world by capacity, behind the Pontiac Silverdome. Though the Georgia Dome was a profitable facility, its primary tenant, the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, grew dissatisfied with it less than two decades after its opening and began planning for a replacement stadium. It was closed and demolished in November 2017.
Quick Facts
- Address
- 1 Georgia Dome Drive Northwest
- City
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Country
- United States
- Public transit
- Dome
- GWCC
- Philips Arena
- CNN Center (MARTA station)
- Vine City (MARTA station)
- Groundbreaking
- November 22, 1989
- Opened
- 6 September 1992
- Closed
- 9 June 2017
- Demolished
- 20 November 2017
Lore & Background
In addition to the Falcons, the Georgia Dome was also the home of the Georgia State University Panthers football team. It hosted two Super Bowls (XXVIII and XXXIV), 25 editions of the Peach Bowl (January 1993 – December 2016) and 23 SEC Championship Games (1994–2016). In addition, the Georgia Dome also hosted several soccer matches since 2009 with attendances over 50,000. In its 25 years of operation, the Georgia Dome hosted over 1,400 events attended by over 37 million people. The Georgia Dome was the only stadium in the United States to host the Summer Olympics, Super Bowl and NCAA men's basketball Final Four. The Georgia Dome also hosted WrestleMania XXVII with The Rock as the host, and it was the biggest event in the venue. John Cena vs The Miz was the main event for the WWE Championship.
Reader's Guide
The Georgia Dome was completed in 1992 in time for the 1996 Summer Olympics at a cost of $214 million. The stadium seated 71,228 for football, approximately 80,000 for concerts, and 71,000 for basketball when the stadium fully opened and 40,000 for basketball and gymnastics when the stadium was sectioned off. For most Georgia State football games, the dome was configured with 28,155 seats. The record for overall attendance was 80,892 at the SEC Championship Game in 2008.
The Dome had 5,740 club seats and 171 luxury boxes. The structure was located on 9.19 acres of land, with a height of 271 ft, length of 746 ft, width of 607 ft, and total floor area of 102,150 sqft. Its roof was made of teflon-coated fiberglass fabric with an area of 374,584 sqft. The Georgia Dome originally used AstroTurf; in 2003, Arthur Blank funded the installation of FieldTurf.
Renovations in 2006–2009 included new super-suites, repainting, new seats, new video screens, and a new sound system. In 2008, the Dome started showing safety videos before games presented by Deltalina.
Did You Know?
- During a 1995 pre-season game, a severe thunderstorm caused a section of the roof to collapse, but no one was injured.
- An EF2 tornado during the 2008 SEC men's basketball tournament ripped holes in the dome and forced the tournament to move to Georgia Tech.
- The Georgia Dome's successor, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, opened on August 26, 2017, and the Dome was demolished on November 20, 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Georgia Dome?
It was a massive domed stadium in downtown Atlanta that served as the home of the Falcons from 1992 until 2016. This venue defined the franchise's identity during a transformative period in NFL history.
Which major events were hosted there?
Notable events included hosting Super Bowl XXXIII and the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship. These games highlighted its status as a premier location for major sporting competitions beyond just NFL matches.
What happened to the stadium eventually?
The structure was demolished after 2016 to make room for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the same site. Its removal marked the end of an era, though it remains a significant part of club history.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in Atlanta Falcons
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