Superdome

Opening day for the Saints at the Superdome was on September 28, 1975. Almost 70,000 multicolored seats in three tiers circle the entire field at the Superdome. Every seat next to another one is a different color, making it look like their are more people at games than there really are. Several video/scoreboards are located inside the Superdome. During the summer of 1996, the Superdome underwent $22.8 million in renovations including, a new entrance lobby and ticket offices, an additional concourse serving the upper level seats, refurbished ballrooms, additional accommodations for the disabled, and upgraded safety and security equipment. After the 2002 season the Astroturf playing field was replaced with Fieldturf. The Superdome hosts numerous other events other than football. It has hosted baseball and basketball games, trade shows, conventions, concerts, and many other events. The Superdome has hosted six Super Bowls. In August 2005, the Superdome was the shelter for more than 30,000 residents during Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane sheared away much of the roof's covering and water leaked into the stadium as it was used as a shelter for thousands of stranded residents. The Superdome sustained $185.4 million in damage and the New Orleans Saints played their 2005 home games in San Antonio at the Alamodome and in Baton Rouge at Tiger Stadium. In January 2006 work began to clean up and renovate the Superdome. Nearly 4,000 tons of trash and debris was removed, along with 1.6 million square feet of wrecked carpeting, 650,000 square feet of wall board and 500,000 square feet of ceiling tiles. About 70,000 seats were cleaned as crews have been repairing the roof. The 30 year old stadium’s three-level seating plan will be the same, with the most noticeable difference being a thin video board, called a ribbon board, replacing the facade of the upper deck. Scoreboard video screens behind each end zone will be enlarged. The New Orleans Saints played their first game in the city since 2004 on September 24, 2006 against the Atlanta Falcons.