Memphis Pyramid

Memphis Pyramid
The Pyramid in 2016
Map
Former namesGreat American Pyramid
Pyramid Arena
Alternative namesThe Pyramid
Bass Pro Shops Pyramid[1]
Tomb of Doom[2][3]
General information
LocationMemphis, Tennessee
Address1 Bass Pro Drive
Current tenantsBass Pro Shops
GroundbreakingSeptember 15, 1989[5]
OpenedNovember 9, 1991[6]
RenovatedNovember 2011–April 2015
CostUS$65 million
($130 million in 2023 dollars)[4]
OwnerCity of Memphis
Height321 feet (98 m)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Rosser Fabrap International[7]
O.T. Marshall Architects (Bass Pro Shops improvements)
Other information
Public transit accessBus interchange MATA
Heritage streetcar  Main Street Line 
Heritage streetcar  Riverfront Loop 

The Memphis Pyramid, formerly known as the Great American Pyramid and the Pyramid Arena, and colloquially known as the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid,[8] is a pyramid-shaped building located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States, at the bank of the Mississippi River. Built in 1991 as a 20,142-seat arena, the facility was owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County until Shelby County sold its share to Memphis in April 2009.[9] Its structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, which is known for its ancient pyramids. It is 321 feet (98 m) (about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 feet (180 m); it is by some measures the tenth-tallest pyramid in the world.[10]

The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2007. In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops megastore, which included shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range, with an outdoor observation deck adjacent to its apex. Ducks Unlimited also operates a museum on waterfowl hunting and wetlands conservation inside of the store.

  1. ^ Falcon, Russell (August 19, 2023). "What's the deal with the Bass Pro Shops pyramid in Memphis?". WREG.com. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  2. ^ Sills, Joe (August 26, 2020). "The Unbelievable True Story Of How The Memphis Pyramid Became A Bass Pro Shops". Forbes. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  3. ^ Johnson, Hollis; Taylor, Kate (November 5, 2018). "We stayed in one of the largest pyramids in the world, a Bass Pro Shops-owned lodge filled with alligators, swamps, and rumors of an ancient curse. Here's what it was like". Business Insider. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  4. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  5. ^ Baird, Woody (September 15, 1989). "Memphis Will Celebrate". Associated Press. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  6. ^ Baird, Woody (November 9, 1991). "Big Pyramid, Little Wonder". Associated Press. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  7. ^ Griffis, Larry (1990). "The Great American Pyramid". Civil Engineering Database. 60 (5). American Society of Civil Engineers: 56–58. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  8. ^ Murtaugh, Frank. "The Mall of Memphis : Remembering the Marketplace of the Midsouth | Main / Pyramid". The Mall of Memphis. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  9. ^ McMillin, Zack (May 10, 2009). "Once filled to the rafters, Pyramid sits empty as its future is debated". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  10. ^ "The World's Tallest 15 Pyramids". The Hungry Suitcase. November 17, 2013. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.

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