The Superior Dome, which opened as the "world’s largest wooden dome" on September 14, 1991, is a domed stadium on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan, in the United States. It is home to the Northern Michigan Wildcat Marching Band as well as their football team, and a variety of other campus and community events.The dome is 143ft tall, has a diameter of 536ft, covers an area of 5.1acres, and has a volume of 16,135,907 cubic feet. It is a geodesic dome constructed with 781 Douglas Fir beams and 108.5mi of fir decking. The dome is designed to support snow up to 60psf and withstand 80mph winds. It has a permanent seating capacity of 8,000, though the building can hold as many as 16,000 people. The 2010 edition of Guinness World Records listed it as the fifth-largest dome and largest wooden dome in the world.ConstructionThe construction was finished in two phases: Phase I and Phase II. Phase I was finished in August 1991 and included the construction of the domed complex. Phase II, completed in May 1995, added locker rooms, department offices, meeting rooms, concession areas, a retail store and other building amenities. Phase I of the project cost $21.8 million and was funded entirely by the State of Michigan. Phase II was completed for $2.1 million, with $800,000 in private donations and $1.3 million in loans. Total cost for the Superior Dome stands at $23.9 million.
