Opened: April 6, 1982
First Regular Season Game:
April 6, 1982 (11-7 loss to the Seattle Mariners)
Construction Began: December 20, 1979
Capacity: 46,564
Original Construction Cost: $68,000,000
Stadium Design: Multipurpose
Information from Wikipedia
It is pretty easy to find the Metrodome if you're driving (+1), but parking is a different story. Although the parking is cheap (+1) you could be parking pretty far away (-1). There aren't really any public transportation options that I know of so driving is pretty much your only choice (-1).
Tickets for a Twins game are reasonable (+1), but the Metrodome doesn't really have an intimate atmosphere for baseball (-1). I thought I was going to see the Golden Gophers play some hoops. The stadium was built to be multipurpose, and it does not really do the best job of providing a great baseball experience (-1).
The Metrodome is, surprisingly enough, a dome. It really stands out in the Minneapolis landscape (+1), but it does not look like a baseball stadium (-1). There is almost nothing outside the stadium except one side where there are numerous vendors and tailgating going on, which was a welcome surprise (+1) and makes up for the ugly stadium (-1).
Interior
Baseball should not be played indoors...ever (-1). Domed stadiums are a horrible mistake that should not ever be repeated. The roof looks really strange, and you really do feel like you've come to watch a basketball game (-1). There are some championship banners and retired numbers in the upper deck (+1), but nothing else of note (-1).
The scoreboard is really small (-1) and only gives you the most basic information (-1). The videoboard is also pretty small and the quality is awful compared to newer stadiums such as Nationals Park and PNC (-1). The out-of-town scoreboard is just as bad since the scores go by way too fast to be of any use (-1).
As with most older stadiums, there isn't much for kids to do at the Metrodome (-1). There aren't even batting cages or speed pitch games for older kids (-1). Younger kids will have to just find the attention span to watch the entire baseball game (-1). The Twins do let kids in for $2 on Sundays, though (+1).
The Twins fans really got into the game (+1) and they seem pretty knowledgeable about baseball (+1). The place was still fairly empty, though, even though the Twins were playing well (-1). The fans have been through a lot with a team that was almost contracted (+1) so hopeful Target Field turns out to be a great stadium.
Minnesota nice certainly applies to the ushers at the Metrodome (+2), and they don't seem too eager to stop you from trading up if you want (+2). A benefit of sparse attendance is plenty of potential seats to trade up to (+1).
The Twins have a fan lead the 7th inning stretch (+1) as "Take Me Out" (+1) is played on the organ (+1). It's kind of a cool tradition (+1), and the Metrodome is one of the few stadiums that does something unique (+1).
Hubert's (+1) seems to be the only place to hang out after the game unless you are willing to walk further to downtown Minneapolis (+1). The area around the park is pretty lively before a game (+1), but pretty dead after one (-1).