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Superior DomeThe Superior Dome, which opened as the worlds largest wooden dome on September 14, 1991, is a domed stadium on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. It is home to the Northern Michigan Wildcats football team, as well as a variety of campus and community events. The Dome stands 14 stories high and encompasses 5.1 acres under its roof. Constructed of 781 Douglas Fir Beams and 108.5 miles of fir decking, the Dome has a permanent seating capacity of 8,000, though the building can hold as many as 16,000 people. The facility features a diameter of 536 feet, and has the ability to withstand 60 pounds per square foot (2.87 kPa) of snow and 80 mile per hour (129 km/h) winds. Construction of the Dome was completed in two phases. Phase I was finished in August 1991 and included the construction of the domed complex. Phase II, completed in May 1995, added locker rooms, department offices, meeting rooms, concession areas, a retail store and other building amenities. Phase I of the project cost $21.8 million and was funded entirely by the State of Michigan. Phase II was completed for $2.1 million, with $800,000 in private donations and $1.3 million in loans. Total cost for the Superior Dome stands at $23.9 million. The Domes features include a retractable artificial turf carpet, the largest of its kind in the world. When extended, the turf has the ability to accommodate football, soccer, and field hockey. Underneath the carpet is a synthetic playing surface that features three basketball/volleyball courts, two tennis courts and a 200-meter track. Twelve computerized winches extend the carpet over a cushion of air. It takes 30 minutes to retract the artificial turf carpet and approximately two hours for full setup to be completed. The Wildcat football team was the first to christen the Dome, hosting the first-ever event in the facility on September 14, 1991. Northern defeated Indianapolis, 31-20, in front of a crowd of 7,942. Later that season, a Superior Dome attendance record was set at 8,432, when Northern defeated Ferris State, 27-17, on October 5. The Superior Dome is also host to a number of campus and community events, including Michigan High School Athletic Association football regular season and playoff games, trade shows, conventions, conferences, banquets, high school track meets, Special Olympics, and NMUs Commencement exercises, to name a few. Many famous people have visited and spoken in the dome, including George W. Bush during the 2004 Presidential campaign. The Superior Dome has its very own webcam located here: http://domecam.nmu.edu/
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