Bloomington's Met Center: From Hockey to History

Thirty years ago, Bloomington's iconic Metropolitan Sports Center, affectionately known as the Met Center, was torn down. The Minnesota Historical Society recalls that the first attempt to demolish the building on December 13th, 1994, using explosives, was a bit of a flop. The structure remained mostly intact ten minutes after the scheduled implosion. Eventually, crews had to bring in bulldozers and other heavy machinery to finish the job. The Met Center was built in 1967 to be the home of the Minnesota North Stars, a professional hockey team. The North Stars' arrival in Minnesota came with a condition: they had to build a new arena that could seat at least 12, 500 fans. Construction began in October 1966, and the first hockey game was played there on October 21st, 1967. The North Stars took on the California Golden Seals in their home opener.

The Met Center was known for its innovative multi-colored seats, which made it stand out among other NHL arenas at the time. Besides hockey games, the venue hosted a variety of events. Some of the biggest names in music performed there, including Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, and Prince. The first concert took place on December 16th, 1967, featuring Sergio Mendes. The last concert was on January 24th, 1992, with Frank Sinatra taking the stage. The most attended concert was a Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton show in April 1986, drawing nearly 18, 000 fans. Norm Green, the owner of the North Stars, announced in March 1993 that the team would be moving to Dallas. The last North Stars game at the Met Center was played on April 13th, 1993. Today, the site where the Met Center once stood is now home to a furniture store, IKEA, which opened in 2004, ten years after the arena was demolished.

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