Ford Field is a permanently-domed sports stadium and entertainment complex that sits on 25 acres in downtown Detroit. It was built primarily by the City of Detroit, Wayne County and the Detroit Lions. It took four years to complete and cost approximately $500 million. Prior to the completion of Ford Field in August, 2002, the Detroit Lions played for over 20 years at the Silverdome in Pontiac.
Home Team:
The Detroit Lions
Notable Features:
- Turf: Field Turf
- Dome: Ford Field’s permanent dome incorporates a lot of glass, which allows in natural sunlight.
- Naming Rights: Ford Motor Company purchased the stadium’s naming rights for 20 years.
- Seats: The stadium contains a total of 65,000 seats, which include two bowls of general seating, a level of club seats and several levels of luxury suites.
- Video Boards: Ford Field contains two LED-digital-video scoreboards, each of which measure 97 x 27 feet.
Uniquely Detroit:
Ford Field incorporates part of the old Hudson’s Warehouse, a structure built in 1920, in its architecture. The former warehouse forms the south wall of the stadium and serves as a concourse for banquet facilities, restaurants and food courts. It also contains most of the stadium's luxury suites, which are spread out over four levels. The warehouse portion of the structure has a seven-story glass wall that looks out at the Detroit skyline.
Concessions:
The official caterer of Ford Field is Levy Restaurants. The restaurants and concessions in the stadium are named after Detroit historical figures, local neighborhoods and businesses, as well as a former Lions’ player:
- Paradise Deli (after Paradise Valley, a Detroit neighborhood)
- Charlie Sanders’ BBQ (former Lions’ tight end)
- Turf Tavern
- Beaubien Bros.
- Hastings Pretzel Palace
- Poletown Sausage
Notable Events:
- August 24th, 2002 – The Detroit Lions played their first game in their new stadium. The team played the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- October 12th, 2002 – Ford Field hosted a Rolling Stones concert.
- July 2003 – Eminem played two concerts at Ford Field.
- February 5th, 2006 -- Ford Field hosted Super Bowl XL.
- April 1st, 2007 -- Ford Field hosted WWE’s WrestleMania 23.
- March 28th and 30th, 2008 – Ford Field (and the University of Detroit Mercy) hosted the 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament regional semifinal and final games.
