Metrodome Employees Reflect On 31 Years
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Sunday marks the end of an era in Minnesota sports history.
The Vikings last regular-season game will be the final event at the Metrodome before demolition begins, making way for a new stadium.
For the past month, concession workers have been sharing their memories on a growing message board.
The tunnels underneath the Metrodome are a place where few fans have ever traveled, but near the loading elevator, history is on display.
Three canvases show concessions employees from the past 31 years, offering all who pass by a chance to reflect in the dome's twilight hours.
Pat Jackson works for Centerplate, the Metrodome's catering company.
"It's been fun to check them out and see what people have written on there," Jackson said.
Staff is encouraged to leave messages and memories. For Teresa Aymar and Nicholas Lagow, it's an emotional walk down memory lane.
"It brings back a lot of the different events. We've done everything here," Aymar said.
Dozens of photos show staff during some of the dome's greatest moments.
"World Series, Super Bowl," she said. "We've had Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, they were the best ones."
Teresa couldn't help but leave her mark on the message board. She says much of her income goes to world travel.
"Thanks for sending me to 56 countries," she said.
While many Minnesotans will remember the dome for its sports moments, for those who worked there, the writing is on the wall.
"It's not about the dome. The dome is just a concrete, nylon structure," Lagow said. "It's about the people that have been here over the years and teams that have been here."
