Iconic Three Rivers Stadium implosion anniversary falls on Super Bowl Sunday
It was a beautiful day for the end of a sporting era on this day 23 years ago in Pittsburgh.
Three Rivers Stadium was imploded under cold temps and sunny blue skies on Feb. 11, 2001 to make way for two newer sporting venues — PNC Park and Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium).
It took only 19 seconds to bring down Three Rivers, built in 1970, marking the end of an era for the venue that served as a dual-sports venue for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Three Rivers served its city well for 30 years before being reduced to a pile of rubble without injuries or serious incident.
The former sports venue cost $55 million and was constructed to replace Forbes Field.
A website dedicated to honoring the memory of Three Rivers Stadium, 3riversstadium.com, is now disabled, but remained active for years after the implosion.
The former stadium hosted the first World Series night game in 1971.
Three Rivers Stadium was home to the Steelers when they won four of their six Super Bowls.
Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Pink Floyd all performed concerts in the multipurpose circular stadium.
Take a nostalgic look down Three Rivers memory lane here.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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