Seattle marks 25 years since the Kingdome implosion

SEATTLE — Twenty-five years ago, thousands of people in Seattle watched as crews set off a controlled implosion of the Kingdome.

It has now been longer since the Kingdome's implosion than the length of time the venue was open to millions of fans.

Construction on the Kingdomewas completed in 1976 and the stadium opened to the public on March 27, 1976.

PHOTOS | The Kingdome from construction to implosion

The stadium hosted everything from Seahawks and Mariners games to rodeos, car shows, paper airplane competitions, and tractor pulls.

The largest event to ever be held at the Kingdome was the Billy Graham crusade in May 1976. A total of 74,000 people attended the evangelistic campaign.

Not far behind was a massive Rolling Stones concert in 1981 that attracted 68,000 fans.

It took three years to pick the Kingdome's site and another three and a half years to build it.

In July 1994, tiles fell from the ceiling of the Kingdome, canceling several games and events.

It reportedly cost more to fix the ceiling tile than the original construction cost of the dome.

In 1998, Washington voters approved Referendum 48, paving the way to use public funds to build Lumen Field, an adjacent exhibition center, and a parking garage.

The referendum also created the Public Stadium Authority, which still owns Lumen Field.

Fun fact: the neighborhood SoDo was named for "south of the dome."

The final Mariners game at the Kingdome was played on June 27, 1999, when the Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-2. Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 27th home run of the season in the game, and Freddy Garcia earned the victory with Jose Mesa capping off the victory with a save.

The Seahawks last game at the Kingdome was on Dec. 26, 1999. The Seahawks won the game 23-14 over their then-division rival Kansas City Chiefs. Jon Kitna was 18-30 with 216 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Seattle's defense picked off Chiefs quarterback Elvis Grbac three times, with interceptions by Chris Canty, Shawn Springs, and Darryl Williams.