GPS City GuideAnn ArborMichigan Stadium

Stop 26 of 34 · Ann Arbor audio walking tour

Michigan Stadium

University of Michigan · 1964 · Great Society at Commencement

What you'll hear here: about 90 seconds of narration about Michigan Stadium, and how it fits University of Michigan, written to be listened to on the spot rather than read at home.

Michigan Stadium, the Big House, is the University of Michigan's American football stadium in Ann Arbor and the largest stadium in the United States. This is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the world, and the 34th-largest sports venue in the world. Its official capacity is 107,601, though it has hosted crowds in excess of 115,000.

The stadium was designed with footings to allow expansion beyond 100,000 seats; Fielding Yost even envisioned a day when 150,000 seats would be needed. To keep construction costs low at the time, those footings were included while a smaller stadium was built. Michigan Stadium also serves the university: it is used for the University of Michigan’s main graduation ceremonies, and it was the site where President Lyndon B. Johnson outlined his Great Society program at the 1964 commencement ceremonies.

It has hosted hockey on a massive scale, including the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, a regular season game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings with an official attendance of 105,491, a record for a hockey game, and even a 2014 International Champions Cup soccer match. Picture 107,601 fans filling this bowl on game day.

Where it is

Coordinates
42.26589, -83.74875
Area
University of Michigan
Era
1964 · Great Society at Commencement
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Three stops free. No account needed. The audio plays itself as you walk.