Everything about Pyramid Arena totally explained
The Pyramid Arena is a 20,142-seat
arena located in downtown
Memphis at the banks of the
Mississippi River. The facility was built in
1991 and is owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and
Shelby County.
It is 98 m (321 feet, about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 180 m; it's the third largest
pyramid in the world behind the
Great Pyramid of Giza (139 m) and
Luxor Hotel (106 m). It is also slightly (about 5 meters) taller than the
Statue of Liberty.
It was the home court for the
University of Memphis men's
basketball program, and later for the
National Basketball Association's
Memphis Grizzlies. However, both teams left The Pyramid in November
2004 to move into the newly built
FedExForum.
The Pyramid was used for the 2002 concert commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley.
Its unique structure plays on the city's
namesake in
Egypt, known for its ancient
pyramids.
The arena hosted the 1993
Great Midwest Conference Men's and Women's basketball tournaments, the 1994 and 1997
Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament, the 1996 and 2000
Conference USA men's basketball tournament, and the 2003
Conference USA women's basketball tournament. It also held the first and second rounds of the
NCAA Tournament in
1995,
1997, and
2001.
It was the site of the
WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre pay-per-view, in 1999.
It also hosted the mega-fight between
Lennox Lewis and
Mike Tyson in 2002, which Lewis won by a knockout in the eighth round.
Since the recently completed
FedExForum has overtaken the Pyramid as the city's primary indoor sports arena, the Pyramid doesn't currently have any long term tenants. A committee studied possible uses of the arena in 2005, and considered such uses as converting the arena into a
casino, an
aquarium, a shopping center, or an indoor
theme park.
In October 2005, media speculation began to focus on an aquarium or a
Bass Pro Shops superstore as the most likely long-term tenants of the arena. In November 2006, Congressman-Elect
Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) suggested that he'd attempt to open a "Mid-American branch" of the
Smithsonian Institution in the building. As of January 31, 2008, the city and Bass Pro Shops have reached a "tentative" agreement, short on details, but based on an intent to develop the now-abandoned structure.
Filmmaker
Craig Brewer used the building as a sound stage for his film
Black Snake Moan in late 2005.
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band performed what is reputed to be the last concert ever in the Pyramid on February 3, 2007.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Pyramid Arena'.
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