Pyramid Arena, Memphis

The Pyramid Arena is a pyramid-shaped building that hosted concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment venues. Originally known as the Great American Pyramid, the building is 32-stories tall, 360,000 square feet, and is made of stainless steel. It is one of the tallest pyramid-style structures in the world. The building design pays homage to the origins of the city’s name, Memphis. Memphis is the name of the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch in Egypt. The building was completed in 1991 at a cost of $65 million.

The Pyramid Arena was home to the University of Memphis men’s basketball program and the Memphis Grizzlies. It also hosted the Great Midwest Conference Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments, several NCAA tournaments, the Lewis and Lennox boxing match, and many other entertainment venues.

The 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death was commemorated at the arena in 2002. The Grateful Dead and Van Halen played at the stadium and Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band reportedly performed the last concert ever held at the showground in 2007. The building was converted into a Bass Pro Shops megastore in 2015 at a cost of more than $25 million.

In addition to the retail store itself, Bass Pro at the Pyramid is home to an archery range, shooting range, and laser arcade. The building also includes an Uncle Buck's Fishbowl and Grill with a bowling alley and a saltwater aquarium. The tallest freestanding elevator in America takes visitors to The Lookout at the Pyramid at the apex of the building, where they can take in the view on an indoor and outdoor observation deck or dine and drink at the "Sky High Catfish Cabin", a restaurant, bar, and aquarium at the top of the building. At the base of the Pyramid is a 100-room hotel known as the Big Cypress Lodge. Bass Pro at the Pyramid contains 600,000 gallons of water features and the largest collection of waterfowl and hunting related equipment in the world.