Pyramid Arena, originally called the Great American Pyramid, opened on November 9, 1991, on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. Rising 321 feet with 591-foot base sides, the steel-framed pyramid was built as a 20,142-seat arena and instantly became one of the most recognizable stadium silhouettes in American sports.
For over a decade the arena hosted University of Memphis Tigers basketball and, starting in 2001, the newly relocated Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. Both tenants eventually moved to FedExForum in 2004, and the Pyramid’s run as a sports venue ended for good in 2007 before the building found a second life as a retail and entertainment destination.
- Memphis Grizzlies played here 2001–2004. See every Grizzlies arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2001–2004), Memphis Tigers (1991–2004)
- Location: Downtown Memphis, Tennessee
- Opened: November 9, 1991
- Closed as arena: February 3, 2007
- Capacity: About 20,142 for basketball
- Height: 321 feet
- Notable fact: One of the tallest pyramid structures in the world, later converted into a Bass Pro Shops megastore in 2015
Life as an NBA and College Arena
Built at a cost of about $65 million, Pyramid Arena was designed to give Memphis State (later the University of Memphis) a modern home court, and it delivered that for 13 seasons of Tigers basketball. When the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis in 2001, the Pyramid briefly became an NBA arena too, giving the city two major basketball tenants under one pointed roof.
The arrangement did not last. Both the Grizzlies and the Tigers found the building’s acoustics and lack of modern amenities like luxury suites limiting for a contemporary pro sports venue, and both teams moved to the new FedExForum in 2004, leaving the Pyramid without a primary tenant.
From Empty Arena to Bass Pro Shops
After its last regular events in 2007, the Pyramid sat largely vacant for several years before the city struck a deal with Bass Pro Shops. A renovation that ran from 2011 to 2015, including roughly $30 million in seismic retrofitting, transformed the arena bowl into a sprawling retail store, hotel, restaurants, bowling alley, and archery range.
The reborn building reopened in April 2015 as a Bass Pro Shops megastore, complete with an observation deck near the apex offering views over the Mississippi River. Though it no longer hosts games, the structure remains one of Memphis’s most distinctive landmarks and a rare example of a major arena repurposed rather than demolished.
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Bleachers for three hours, but with back support. Folds flat and clips to the bench.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
Pyramid Arena FAQs
Is Pyramid Arena still used for sports?
No. It hosted its last regular sporting events in 2007 after the Grizzlies and Tigers both moved to FedExForum in 2004, and it was converted into a Bass Pro Shops megastore in 2015.
How tall is the Memphis Pyramid?
The structure stands about 321 feet tall with 591-foot base sides, making it one of the tallest pyramid buildings in the world.
Which teams played at Pyramid Arena?
The University of Memphis Tigers played there from 1991 to 2004, and the Memphis Grizzlies played there from 2001, after relocating from Vancouver, until 2004.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.