Fifty years ago this weekend, the signature building of downtown New Orleans opened to the public, and 50 years later, the Superdome still defines New Orleans.
"They had a vision," said Doug Thornton, Vice-President with ASM Global, the company that manages the stadium for the state of Louisiana, of the people he calls the "founding fathers" of the Superdome -- people like Dave Dixon, John McKeithen, and Jimmy Fitzmorris.
The Superdome was built to not just rival but exceed the biggest indoor stadium of the time.
"It's twice the size, literally twice the size of the Astrodome. The Astrodome was a million square feet, the Superdome's two million square feet," said Thornton.
"That large volume of space has allowed us to basically reinvent it over the years," Thornton said. "We've done multiple renovations."
The most recent renovation was a major overhaul that finished up just last year in time for Super Bowl LIX.
Click here for an interactive history of the Superdome...
In between, the Superdome has been the venu for Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks, Pope John Paul II, the nomination of George H. W. Bush, concerts ranging from The Rolling Stones to Taylor Swift. six NCAA Final Fours, and at least five college football championships.