Ba-bum. Another one to Google’s red “permanently closed” stamp. RIP Stone Mountain Tennis Center. Now a “big empty field” as described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Stone Mountain Tennis Center was where Gwinnett County hosted events during Atlanta’s 1996 Olympics. Built specifically for the Olympics, the tennis center had both the capacity and quality construction fit for any venue – it was designed to stand the test of time.
The problem? It was built smack bang in the middle of football heartland. At a cost of $22 million, the state-of-the-art facility, which made its debut in 1996, languished in disrepair in the years after the Games. Pretty sad eh? After 11 years, the county obtained the property and cleared it for demolition in 2007. Apparently it’s going to developers to dream up some big project – so guess we’ll have to just wait and see what happens!
Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac, Michigan, USA)
Situated on a massive 127 acres, the Pontiac Silverdome was a shining beacon for sports and entertainment when it opened in 1975. When it was built, its fiberglass fabric roof was held up by air pressure – the first use of this particular architectural technique in a major stadium! Seating 82,000 + fans, it was the largest stadium in the NFL (and it held this title for over 20 years until thee FedExField opened in D.C. in 1997! Famously known as the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, it also housed the Detroit Pistons. As well as hosting numerous sporting events, the Silverdome was a regular concert venue, hosting Elvis Presley, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, KISS, The Rolling Stones, The Jacksons, Bruce Springsteen, and the E Street band, U2, Madonna and Metallica among many others.
Nansen Ski Jump (Milan, New Hampshire, USA)
Nicknamed “The Sleeping Giant” (among other names!), the Nansen Ski Jump was the pride and joy of Milan in New Hampshire. No no, not Milan in Italy, the fashion capital of the wold! Milan, which is a town of around 1,000 residents located in the US is really, a speck on the map! At the time when it was constructed (and we’re going back to 1936), Milan was the talk of the town (not to mention entire region), and was the largest ski jump in the eastern United States.
It attracted all East Coast Olympians who would train at Nansen. But as quickly as it was elevated to high status, it quickly came down a er… slippery slope and straight into disregard. By 1988, the jump was out of use and left as a gigantic concrete structure. More recently, there have been some efforts to restore the jump to its former glory, but it seems that it’s going to remain idle for a while – that is until the state gets funding to make Nansen great again!
Baltimore Memorial Stadium
Imagine this: it’s Summer 1970. You’re in Baltimore and an Orioles fan. You’re sitting with your hotdog at Memorial Stadium. Now that’s a pretty picture, isn’t it? The only thing wrong with this picture is that well, that’s a distant memory, seeing as the Baltimore Memorial Stadium has been gone a long time, being demolished in 2001. The home of the Baltimore Colts between 1953 and 1983, it was decided that the stadium was better for watching baseball… football not so much! During football season, the field was laid out in such a way that quality seats were missing and the “horseshoe” shape didn’t lend itself to the game.
It continued to host the Orioles until 1991, at which time they moved to Camden Yards. The Baltimore Ravens moved in but shortly moved their business to Camden Yards also. Memorial Stadium sadly was left vacant until 2001. It has since been replaced by the Cal Ripken Senior Youth Development Field, with numerous apartment blocks surrounding the field. C’est la vie, eh?
Maracanã Stadium— (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
So this one sort of half qualifies as ‘abandoned’ – but we’re actually happy that this stadium is being used! Just last month, the Copa América was held at the venue! The stadium was initially opened in 1950, named after a river in Rio de Janeiro, to host the FIFA World Cup. In the deciding match, Brazil lost out to long-time rivals Uruguay in a 2-1 clash! Over the years the stadium saw many football matches, and in 2016 it was chosen as the venue to host the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.
Within the fabled stadium, both the opening and closing ceremonies were held, but just a short 6 months after the games were over, the power was turned off because well, no one was paying the massive energy bill! Sadly, other venues near the complex were later looted, including a golf course and tennis court, because after the 2016 Olympics, there just weren’t any matches or new operators willing to take over the venues. Up until just recently, the stadium was long forgotten, but we hope this boost has given it a new lease, and hopefully we’ll see more events hosted there in future!