The Tacoma Dome opened on April 21, 1983, in Tacoma, Washington, drawing roughly 25,000 people to its opening ceremonies. Designed by local architects Jim McGranahan and Lyn Messenger after they won an international design competition, the $44 million project became an instant landmark for its sheer scale and unusual wooden construction.
Built using a glue-laminated timber system called Varax, the dome’s roof is made from 288 prefabricated triangular wood units, some crafted from timber felled during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. At 530 feet in diameter and 152 feet tall, it stood as the largest arena with a wooden dome in the world by volume when it opened, and it remains a defining piece of Tacoma’s skyline more than four decades later.
- Oklahoma City Thunder played here 1994–1995. See every Thunder arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
- Opened: April 21, 1983
- Capacity: Up to 21,000 (20,722 basketball, 19,106 hockey)
- Past Tenants: Tacoma Stars (MISL), Seattle SuperSonics (1994-95), Tacoma Rockets/Sabercats (hockey)
- Dome diameter: 530 feet
- Notable fact: Largest wooden-domed arena in the world by volume at opening
A Landmark Built from Timber
Unlike most large arenas built from steel and concrete, the Tacoma Dome’s roof is a feat of wood engineering: 1.6 million board feet of lumber assembled into 288 triangular glulam units, each weighing 5,000 pounds, forming a geodesic dome with a roof that tips the scales at 1.44 million pounds.
That construction gave the building an open, column-free interior with almost no fixed seating, letting it be reconfigured for everything from basketball courts to concert stages to indoor soccer pitches.
From the SuperSonics to High School Hoops
The Tacoma Dome’s flexible bowl has hosted a surprising range of tenants over the years, including the Tacoma Stars indoor soccer club, the WHL’s Tacoma Rockets, and even the Seattle SuperSonics, who played a full 1994-95 NBA season there while KeyArena underwent renovations.
Today the venue is best known for concerts and as the home of WIAA state basketball tournaments, continuing its role as one of the Pacific Northwest’s busiest multi-purpose event spaces.
Explore more: Explore more iconic stadiums and arenas.
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.
Tacoma Dome FAQs
When did the Tacoma Dome open?
The Tacoma Dome opened on April 21, 1983, with an opening ceremony attended by about 25,000 people.
What is the Tacoma Dome’s capacity?
Capacity varies by event, topping out around 21,000 for concerts, with 20,722 for basketball and 19,106 for hockey configurations.
Why is the Tacoma Dome famous for its construction?
It was built almost entirely from wood using a glue-laminated timber system, making it the largest wooden-domed arena in the world by volume when it opened in 1983.
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Photo: SounderBruce / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.