hey everybody this is captain phillip with airworthy tours
your guide in the sky and today we're taking a very special tour
of the superdome which over the past 20 years
has become one of america's most iconic buildings
but before we get started please subscribe to the channel to be a part
of future aerial tours and we are clear for takeoff
so sit back relax and enjoy your tour construction for the superdome began on
august 12 1971 and would open on august 3rd
1975 with construction costs reaching to 134
million dollars
the dome has an interior space of 125 million
cubic feet a height of 253 feet a dome diameter of 680 feet
and a total floor area of 269 000 square feet the new orleans saints
would play their first game in the superdome on september 28th
1975 in a 21-0 loss to the cincinnati bengals the saints
were uncompetitive in their first 20 years and would not
see a winning season until 1987 and did not win a playoff
game until 2000
the superdome has been the venue for many historic events
including muhammad ali regaining his title
after being stripped for choosing not to fight in the vietnam war
michael jordan's first legendary moment when he hit a game-winning basket
to win the 1982 ncaa championship game against georgetown the undertaker having
his wrestlemania winning streak of 21 straight wins being
ended by brock lesnar
tom brady's first super bowl win in an upset against the st
louis rams
and of course the lsu tigers capping off the greatest season in college football
history on january 13 2020 after 2021 the superdome will have
a new name as mercedes-benz will not renew the
naming rights to the building it's also interesting to
note that there isn't an arena or sporting venue
that dominates a city skyline quite like the superdome
which can be seen many miles away in any direction
unfortunately tragedy would strike the dome
during hurricane katrina the superdome was used as a shelter of last resort
for those in new orleans unable to evacuate
from the approaching storm up to 30 thousand people
would take shelter in the structure during hurricane katrina
during the storm on august 29 2005 a large section of the outer covering
was peeled off by high winds eventually ripping two
holes in the curved roof each about 15 to 20
feet long and four to five feet wide
by september 4th the last group of people from the superdome
had been evacuated thirteen months after the storm the
saints would return to play their 2006 home opener on
september 25th against their arch rivals the atlanta
falcons in an event known as the dome coming
with 13 minutes and 37 seconds in the first quarter
a blocked punt by steve gleason led an early touchdown
which would ignite the crowd and the city
the saints will go on to win the game 23-3
this moment is forever memorialized with a statue
on the dome's premises
that same season the saints will go on to play
in their first nfc championship game three seasons later they would go on to
win the super bowl
making it the city's first professional
championship ahead is champion square built to
commemorate the saints super bowl win in 2010. on sundays
during football season the dome turns into the loudest place
on earth with one of the most passionate fan bases
known as who dat nation new orleans is the best city in the
world to host a big football game this is due to the
dome being within walking distance of
thousands of hotel rooms hundreds of restaurants and bars and a
15-minute walk from bourbon street in fact the
superdome has the record for the most super bowls
played under its roof at seven total with an
eighth on the way it is also an annual host
and venue for the sugar bowl the new orleans bowl
and the bayou classic in addition it has hosted
five final fours and two wrestlemanias in a four year span its record
attendance is 78 133
which occurred at wrestlemania 34 april 8 2018.
at night the superdome lights up with the light colors
reflecting what's going on in the city and or
the world
the superdome is a well sought out concert venue
acts that have performed in the dome include the rolling stones
prince taylor swift kiss kevin hart and jay-z and beyonce
oh and just beyonce as well
it is also the venue for the essence musical festival
the largest african american culture and music event
in the united states is my favorite weekend of the year
if you enjoyed today's tour you can tip your tour guide
by hitting the like button also make sure to check out some of our other
tours as well thank you for flying with
airworthy tours and we look forward to seeing you
on our next flight