Watch Georgia Dome go up in smoke in 12-second implosion
Nov 20, 2017, 7:20 AM | Updated: 3:44 pm
The Thanksgiving workweek started with a bang Monday, when one of the country’s largest domed stadiums came apart in a long-awaited implosion.
The Georgia Dome in Atlanta was brought down in 12 seconds by about 5,000 pounds of boom-makers.
Well this is it, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks, Atlanta. I love you all! #DomeFarewell pic.twitter.com/rlNcpWJrLP
— Georgia Dome (@GeorgiaDome) November 20, 2017
The former home of the Atlanta Falcons hadn’t been in use since March — the football team moved next door to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in August.
Onlookers gathered to watch and record the event from a safe distance. Everyone else who wanted to watch could follow it live online.
But not everyone was thrilled with the event.
Producers with The Weather Channel let off a few bombs of their own after a city bus parked directly in front of their shot of the dome explosion — and stayed there until the building went up in smoke.
The most Atlanta thing to ever happen? MARTA bus parks right in front of The Weather Channel's Dome implosion shot 🤦 https://t.co/poMIDFwMe8 pic.twitter.com/MW9wwTU09I
— AJC (@ajc) November 20, 2017
When the dome opened in 1992, it was, at the time, the largest covered stadium in world, seating-wise.
The dome hosted music superstars — Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Taylor Swift chief among them — two Super Bowls (1994 and 2000), three NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Fours, NCAA Women’s Final Four and various conference basketball tournaments.
The dome was also one of the venues for the 1996 Summer Olympics, making it the only place in the world that hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours and the Games.
Now the $214 million building is a pile of rubble that will take about three months to clear away, to make room for a hotel and convention center.
So long, dome.
