Metrodome Seats Get New Life In Small Town

WELLS, Minn. (WCCO) - You could fit the entire population of Wells, Minn., inside the Metrodome — 27 times over. But it's here, just beyond the bean fields, that a piece of Minnesota sports history has been given new life.

About 800 pieces, actually.

"Went up there with a couple semis and picked them up, brought them down here, and this is where we're at," said Mike Schrader, a school board member in Wells.

When United South Central built a new school last year, a new football stadium was part of the project.

They started pricing seats when someone got an idea: How about the whole seating area stocked entirely with old seats from the Metrodome.

"The nostalgia of having them down here would be awesome," Schrader said. "So we started talking."

And as it turned out, the price of new seats was pretty comparable to what the Dome's were selling for.

"Exactly, exactly," said football coach Brad Huse. "And, you know, it's pretty cool to have seats from the Metrodome."

This isn't the first time coach Huse has had Metrodome seats. He had season tickets when the Vikings were in the Dome.

"So I probably sat in a few of those seats," he said.

And, oh, the things these seats have seen. Culpepper to Moss. Favre to Lewis.

And plenty the people sitting in them wish they'd hadn't.

But he said he's not worried the seats brought any bad luck with them.

"No, no," he said. "We're going to create our own luck on those seats."

Besides, he insists, they've seen more good memories than bad. And now his school is making sure, though the stage is a little smaller, they're not done watching just yet.

"The Metronome had a lot of good memories," Huse said. "And to bring them down here to Wells, Minnesota, is great."

The school plans to have the seats in place by their homecoming game Sept. 25.

At regular price, they sold for $60 each. Through a nonprofit group, they were able to get them at a discount of $40 each.