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| Louisiana Superdome  | The electronic marquee outside of the Superdome on Poydras Street is obvious as you're driving by. Though the Superdome may be open during those hours displayed here, don't expect a tour anytime soon. Tours were no longer available as of September 11, 2001. The main gate, however, is open and the receptionist is happy to answer questions.
|  | This is the Superdome, located at 1500 Poydras St. in New Orleans. Since its completion on August 3, 1975 at a cost of $163 million, it's home to the New Orleans Saints, as well as a host to many other sporting events. Political conventions and concerts are no strangers, either. The record crowd at the Superdome occurred in 1981 during a Rolling Stones concert that attracted its largest audience ever at 87,500! It was also a temporary shelter to many people stranded during and after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
|  | The structure's dome is a whopping 680 feet in diameter and is 273 feet in height at its center (about 27 stories) with an area of 9.7 acres. The playing/event field is an incredible 166,000 square feet, easily enough room for football games and more. It can also seat a small city of 100,000, as well.
As you can see from these photos, it was undergoing remodel as of June, 2010.
|  | Workers placing exterior panels on the Superdome.
|  | Sculpted by Louisiana resident, Patrick Miller, this nine-foot, 1/2 ton bronze statue of Governor John McKeithen can be found on the exterior plaza on the northwest corner of the Superdome and is visible from Polydras St. McKeithen was a veteran of the Second World War and served as Governor of Louisiana from 1964 to 1972. He passed away in 1999 and this statue was later dedicated to him on January 24, 2002. It is thought that he was primarily responsible for the concept and funding of the Superdome. Incidentally, the area encompassing the Superdome and the New Orleans Arena is known as, "The Governor John J. McKeithen Sports and Entertainment Complex." |  | This photo was taken from one of the surface parking lots at the "rear" of the Superdome.
|  | This is the main entrance, referred to as "Gate A-Ground." There are also 8 other plaza entrances.
|  | Here is a photo of a ramp that leads to the upper level of one of the four parking structures in the Superdome. In the background is the Central Business District (CBD) along Poydras St. | | | |
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