The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, was built in 1989 as a 20,000-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Opening in November 1991, the pyramid hosted everything from a Grateful Dead concert to a Cher concert. Even Michael Jackson shows up for an Elvis-related event with Lisa Marie Presley! The building was shut down in 2007 following a concert by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band.

After five years of negotiations, the City of Memphis signs an agreement for a 55-year lease for a Bass Pro Shops megastore.

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. I certainly didn’t expect to be photographing a catfish and an alligator when we walked through its front doors!

In the middle of the shop is the tallest, freestanding elevator in America that takes visitors to the apex of the building where there is an observation deck. At the base of the pyramid is a 100-room hotel!

By all accounts, the Memphis Pyramid is the tenth-tallest pyramid in the world and plays on the city’s namesake in Egypt, known for its ancient pyramids. It stands at over 320 feet high (98 m), its base sides are 591 feet (180 m) high.

A good-looking Catfish in the aquarium at the Bass Pro at the Pyramid.

Downtown Memphis, Tennessee as viewed from the pyramid’s observation deck.

The Mississippi River.