Pyramid Arena

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Great American Pyramid was first conceived around 1954 by Mark C. Hartz, a Memphis artist. The project originally included three pyramids located on the south bluffs of Memphis overlooking the Mississippi River. The largest of the three would have been scaled at two-thirds the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza near Memphis, Egypt; the flanking structures would have been scaled at two-thirds the size of the main pyramid. The project languished for three decades until Hartz's younger son, Memphian Jon Brent Hartz, resurrected the concept. Mark C. Hartz, who was well known for his architectural renderings, rendered a new bronze glass-glazed pyramid. After years of negotiations, the younger Hartz's concept was adopted by entrepreneur John Tigrett as a symbol for the city of Memphis. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 15, 1989, and the building was opened on November 9, 1991. The construction of the building was managed by Sidney Shlenker, part-owner of the Denver Nuggets and several entertainment companies, whom Tigrett had brought to Memphis to develop tourist attractions in the building. Originally, there were plans for a shortwave radio station broadcasting Memphis music, an observation deck with an inclinator along the side of the building, a Hard Rock Cafe, a music museum, a College Football Hall of Fame, and a theme park on Mud Island. However, the plans were scrapped because of a fallout between Tigrett and Shlenker, and the latter's financial difficulties.

In Their Own Story

The Grizzlies' tenure at the Pyramid was marked by both historic moments and financial strain. The arena hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in 1995, 1997, and 2001. Beyond basketball, it saw major events like the WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House pay-per-view in 1999, featuring Big Show's WWE debut under his real name Paul Wight. On June 8, 2002, Lennox Lewis defeated Mike Tyson by knockout in the eighth round during a record-breaking boxing event. The venue also hosted concerts by Mary J. Blige in September 1997, Shania Twain on November 14, 1998, and July 1, 1999, as well as Phish's sold-out show in 1999, which was later released as "Memphis '99". Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band performed the final concert at the Pyramid in February 2007 before it ceased regular sports and entertainment use.

Reader's Guide

The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2007. In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops megastore, which included shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range, with an outdoor observation deck adjacent to its apex. Ducks Unlimited also operates a museum on waterfowl hunting and wetlands conservation inside of the store. In addition to the retail store itself, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid is home to an archery range, a shooting range, and a laser arcade. The building also includes a Wahlburgers Wild and an Uncle Buck's Fishbowl and Grill with a bowling alley and a saltwater aquarium. The tallest freestanding elevator in America takes visitors to the Lookout at the Pyramid at the apex of the building, where people can take in the view on an indoor and outdoor observation deck or dine and drink at the Lookout, which is a restaurant, bar, and aquarium at the top of the building. At the base of the Pyramid is a 100-room hotel, the Big Cypress Lodge. Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid contains 600,000 gallons of water features and the largest collection of waterfowl and hunting-related equipment in the world. Over 3 million people visited Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid in 2015. In 2015, Bass Pro Shops considered adding a zip-line and a second hotel to the Pyramid.

Did You Know?

• The Pyramid was the home court of the University of Memphis men's basketball program starting in 1991, and later for the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies after they relocated from Vancouver in 2001. Bo
• The Pyramid was the site in 1999 of the WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House pay-per-view which featured Big Show's WWE debut (under his real name Paul Wight).
• On June 8, 2002, the Pyramid hosted Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson, one of the biggest professional boxing events in history, which Lewis won by knockout in the eighth round.
• Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band performed what was the last concert played in the Pyramid, in February 2007. This was also the final event in the building while the Pyramid was a sports arena.