A little more than 25 years after opening, the Georgia Dome, former home of the Atlanta Falcons and the scene for several historic sporting events, is scheduled to be imploded Monday morning. The adjacent Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened this summer.
The blast occurred just after 7:30 a.m. ET. In the span of about 12-15 seconds, most of the structure collapsed, though parts of it remained upright.
Either the charges in the area didn’t go off, or the blast wasn’t strong enough, according to Georgia World Congress Center Authority spokeswoman Morgan Smith-Williams. The implosion team is inspecting what’s left of the structure.
Cleanup is expected to take approximately three months.
The Georgia Dome tumbles to the ground.
In the dome’s place in downtown Atlanta will include a hotel, parking and green space. What will remain is a spot jampacked full of memories.
“As far as the stadium goes, for me it starts with the fans,” Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said. “That’s the first thing you remember about a place, the enthusiasm of the fans and a city and what it brings to a stadium. That’s what I think of, the fans, the city and the love they have for the team.”
Major events and a natural disaster
Groundbreaking on the Georgia Dome began in November 1989 and work was completed in March 1992. When it opened, the Georgia Dome was the largest covered stadium in the world and featured the world’s largest cable-supported fabric roof.
More than 1,400 events took place at the Georgia Dome in its short life span, bringing in 39 million guests.
It’s been the home of the Falcons, Georgia State University football, the annual Peach Bowl and the Southeastern Conference Football Championship. It also temporarily was the home court for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks in the late 1990s while nearby Philips Arena was being built.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Ken Levine/Getty Images
The Georgia Dome, seen here in November 1992, was the home of the Atlanta Falcons for 25 years. The stadium is set for implosion Monday, November 20. Take a look back at some of the historic sporting events held at the Atlanta venue:
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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David Longstreath/AP
James Washington of the Dallas Cowboys recovers the football after a fumble by the Buffalo Bills' Thurman Thomas during Super Bowl XXVIII at the Georgia Dome in January 1994. The Cowboys went on to defeat the Bills 30-13.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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JOHN GAPS III/AP
Kerri Strug vaults during the women's team gymnastics competition at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in July 1996. Strug injured her left ankle following this routine but completed her second vault to clinch the team gold medal for the US women.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Linda Cataffo/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images
The "Dream Team's" Reggie Miller, center, flashes his gold medal surrounded by other members of the US men's basketball team during the medal presentation at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Standing, from left, are Charles Barkley, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Miller, Karl Malone, John Stockton and Shaquille O'Neal.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
The Atlanta Falcons, led in part by running back Jamal Anderson, defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-18 in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs in January 1999. The Falcons would go on the road to defeat the Minnesota Vikings and reach Super Bowl XXXIII.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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PETER NEWCOMB/AFP/Getty Images
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson falls short of the goal line when St. Louis Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackles him as time runs out in Super Bowl XXXIV in January 2000. The Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Maryland celebrates after defeating Indiana to win the NCAA men's basketball championship game in April 2002.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Elsa/Getty Images
Connecticut's Diana Taurasi celebrates with her teammates after they won the NCAA women's basketball championship game in April 2003. UConn defeated Tennessee 73-68.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Douglas Jones/Icon Sport Media/Getty Images
West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Pat White throws to a receiver in the second half in a 38-35 win over the Georgia Bulldogs at the Sugar Bowl in January 2006. The game, which is usually held in New Orleans, was moved to the Georgia Dome because of damage from Hurricane Katrina.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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John Bazemore/AP
Ohio State center Greg Oden and Florida's Chris Richard, from left, Al Horford and Corey Brewer wait for a rebound in the NCAA men's basketball championship game in April 2007. Florida won the national title 84-75.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Alabama's Mykal Riley makes a shot over Charles Rhodes of Mississippi State during the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament in March 2008. Riley's last-second 3-point shot would force the game into overtime, keeping many fans inside the stadium as a tornado churned toward downtown Atlanta.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
The Atlanta Falcons take the field before the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers in January 2013. It was the first time Atlanta hosted an NFC Championship Game.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Harry E. Walker/MCT/Getty Images
Kevin Ware of the Louisville Cardinals cuts the net after his team defeated Michigan 82-76 in the NCAA men's basketball championship game in April 2013.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images
The Georgia Dome hosts soccer's CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal game between Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago in July 2013.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
Confetti fills the Georgia Dome as Alabama celebrates a 24-7 win over Washington in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal in December.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Mike Lawrie/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
The Green Bay Packers kick off to the Atlanta Falcons to start the NFC Championship Game in January.
Photos: Georgia Dome flashback: Revisiting 25 years of sports history
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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan celebrates after Atlanta defeats Green Bay 34-23 to advance to Super Bowl LI. The victory was the Falcons' final game at the Georgia Dome.
The stadium housed two Super Bowls. In 1994, the Buffalo Bills fell to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII, losing their fourth consecutive title game. Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 had a dramatic finish, with Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson being tackled just short of the goal line to give the St. Louis Rams the victory.
One of the most iconic moments in US Olympic history took place at the Georgia Dome in 1996 when an injured Kerri Strug, later diagnosed with torn ligaments in her ankle, courageously nailed her second vault to help the American women win gymnastics team gold for the first time. The 1996 “Dream Team” won gold in men’s basketball, while the American women’s basketball team won gold as well.
The Georgia Dome hosted three NCAA men’s Final Fours, with Maryland (2002), Florida (2007) and Louisville (2013) taking those national championships. It also was the host for the 2003 NCAA women’s Final Four, with Connecticut winning the title.
Additionally, the history of the Georgia Dome is tied to two natural disasters. In January 2006, the Sugar Bowl – usually held in New Orleans – was moved to the Georgia Dome because of damage from Hurricane Katrina. The West Virginia Mountaineers stunned the Georgia Bulldogs 38-35.
On March 14, 2008, a men’s college basketball game between Alabama and Mississippi State went into overtime, and it might have been a lifesaver for fans at the dome. A 3-point shot by Crimson Tide guard Mykal Riley forced the extra period, keeping spectators from heading toward the exits. A tornado hit downtown Atlanta a few minutes later. There was extensive damage in the area, including at the Georgia Dome, which forced that game and the rest of the SEC tournament to finish at Georgia Tech’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Final Falcons chapter
The Georgia Dome wasn’t the original home for the Falcons – the team played at the now-demolished Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966-1991 – but it has seen the most success.
Atlanta had 10 winning seasons and reached the playoffs nine times at the Georgia Dome.
The NFL playoff history started in January 1999 when the Falcons defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-18 in the divisional playoff round. Atlanta would go on to advance to its first Super Bowl, losing to the Denver Broncos.
Atlanta hosted the NFC Championship Game in 2013. But the home team missed out on reaching Super Bowl XLVII, with the Falcons losing to the 49ers, 28-24.
In January, the Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers 44-21 to advance to Super Bowl LI, ending their tenure in the Georgia Dome with a historic win.
“For the fans, for this city and for the teams that rocked this place for 25 years, we felt your energy from the very beginning,” Quinn said after the victory. “So it’s only fitting, at the NFC Championship Game, the last game played here, we felt that, too.”
