Kingdome

By 1976, the Seattle area was awarded both a football team (Seahawks) and a baseball team (Mariners). The Seattle Seahawks played their inaugural first game in front of 66,000  fans at the Kingdome on September 12, 1976. The Kingdome consisted of three tiers of seating. The first and second decks circled the entire stadium. The upper deck extended nearly 80 percent around the stadium. The main video/scoreboard was located over the south end zone seats. The Kingdome was a very cavernous stadium with the roof 250 feet over the Astroturf playing surface. The Kingdome underwent few changes during its existence. In the 1990's the Seahawks and Mariners began lobbying to have new stadiums built. Both teams succeeded in getting new stadiums. The Mariners moved out of the Kingdome and into Safeco Field during the 1999 MLB season. However, in order for the Seahawks to move into a new stadium, they first had to move out of the Kingdome, so it could be imploded and a new stadium be built on its spot. The Seahawks played their last game at the Kingdome in December 1999. The Kingdome was imploded on March 26, 2000. During the 2000 and 2001 seasons, the Seahawks played Husky Stadium, home of the Washington Huskies. The Seahawks moved into their new stadium, Qwest Field in September 2002.