Abandoned Pontiac Silverdome Before Being Demolished in 2017

A staple in Metro Detroit for decades before being demolished in 2017, the Pontiac Silverdome will always be remembered as the greatest stadium in Michigan's history.

The Pontiac Silverdome opened in 1975 and was home to the Detroit Lions, Pistons, and a number of large events and concerts. With a seating capacity of just over 82,000, the Silverdome was the largest stadium in the NFL until 2000.

According to Wikipedia, when the stadium opened, it featured the once iconic white, fiberglass, fabric roof that was held up by air pressure. It was the first use of the architectural technique in a major athletic facility.

Some of the biggest names in rock performed at the Pontiac Silverdome including Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Kiss, Bruce Springsteen, U2, The Who, Elvis Presley, and many others.

In 1992, Metallica and Guns N' Roses performed an unforgettable show together. It was also an unforgettable show for Axl Rose. After Guns N' Roses performed  "You Could Be Mine", Axl Rose vomited onstage and then walked off. He eventually returned to the stage and apologized to the audience for the poor performance, so the band redid the song again.

In 1997 a fan fell to his death during The Rolling Stones/Third Eye Blind concert. The man fell from the second level while dancing on the railing with a blood alcohol level of .21

Metallica was the last band to perform at the Pontiac Silverdome. The band brought their Summer Sanitarium Tour to the legendary venue on July 4, 2003. The tour also included Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Deftones, and Mudvayne.

After the Lions relocated to Ford Field in 2002, activity in the Silverdome dropped drastically.

In 2017, the Silverdome was cleared for demolition. By the end of March 2018, the last free-standing wall of the Silverdome was destroyed.

That was the end of an era.

Thanks to Detroit Unseen for the photos from 2014.