History of the Memphis Pyramid

Since Memphis is named after an ancient Egyptian city, why not throw in a few pyramids?

So thought designer Mark Hartz, who conceived of building three Memphis pyramids in the 1950s. His son resurrected the idea in 1989, and with financial backing from entrepreneurs John Tigrett and Sidney Shlenker, Hartz Jr. built one of the three.

The Pyramid hosted sports, music and religious events until 2004, when it was deemed unsuitable for an NBA team. This spurred creation of the $250 million FedExForum, and the Pyramid sat vacant for a decade until the city leased it to Bass Pro Shops.

– Chris Butsch