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Wikipedia

Astrodome

May 04, 2023

This article is about the stadium in Houston, Texas. For aeronautical use, see Astrodome (aeronautics).

The NRG Astrodome,[4] also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, United States, with a record attendance of 67,925 set by the World Wrestling Federation in 2001.

NRG Astrodome
Astrodome in 2014
Former names
  • Harris County Domed Stadium (1965)
  • Houston Astrodome
    (1965–2000)
  • Reliant Astrodome
    (2000–2014)
Address8400 Kirby Drive
LocationHouston, Texas, U.S.
Coordinates29°41′6″N 95°24′28″W / 29.68500°N 95.40778°W / 29.68500; -95.40778Coordinates: 29°41′6″N 95°24′28″W / 29.68500°N 95.40778°W / 29.68500; -95.40778
Public transitNRG Park
OwnerHarris County
OperatorAstrodome USA
Record attendanceWWF WrestleMania X-Seven 67,925
Field size
  • Original
  • Left field – 340 ft (104 m)
  • Left center – 375 ft (114 m)
  • Center field – 406 ft (124 m)
  • Right center – 375 ft (114 m)
  • Right field – 340 ft (104 m)
  • Backstop – 60.5 ft (18 m)
  • Final
  • Left field – 325 ft (99 m)
  • Left center – 375 ft (114 m)
  • Center field – 400 ft (122 m)
  • Right center – 375 ft (114 m)
  • Right field – 325 ft (99 m)
  • Backstop – 52 ft (16 m)
Surface
  • Grass (1965)
  • Painted dirt (1965)
  • AstroTurf (1966–present)
Construction
Broke groundJanuary 3, 1962
OpenedApril 9, 1965
Renovated1988, 1989
Closed2008
DemolishedDecember 8, 2013 (partial)
Construction costUS$35 million
($301 million in 2021 dollars[3])
Architect
  • Hermon Lloyd & W. B. Morgan
  • Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson
  • Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury
Structural engineerWalter P Moore
Services engineer
  • I.A. Naman Associates, Inc.
  • John G. Turney & Associates
General contractorH. A. Lott, Inc.[1]
Tenants
The Astrodome
Houston
Houston
NRHP reference No.13001099[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 15, 2014
Designated TSALJanuary 27, 2017

It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz, mayor of Houston and known for pioneering modern stadiums. Construction on the stadium began in 1962, and it officially opened in 1965. It served as home to the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB) from its opening until 1999, and the home to the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL)/National Football League (NFL) from 1968 until 1996, and also the part-time home of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1971 until 1975. Additionally, the Astrodome was the primary venue of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo from 1966 until 2002. When opened, it was named the Harris County Domed Stadium and was nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World".

After the original natural grass playing surface died, the Astrodome became the first major sports venue to install artificial turf in 1966, which became known as AstroTurf. In another technological first, the Astrodome featured the "Astrolite", which was the first animated scoreboard. The stadium was renovated in 1988, expanding seating and altering many original features.

By the 1990s, the Astrodome was becoming obsolete. Unable to secure a new stadium, Oilers owner Bud Adams moved the team to Tennessee after 1996, and became the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The Astros played at the dome through 1999, then relocated to Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park) in 2000.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continued to be held at the Astrodome until the opening of the adjacent NRG Stadium in 2002 (which coincided with the debut of the Houston Texans, the team that replaced the Oilers). Although it no longer had any primary tenants, the venue regularly hosted events during the early 2000s, and was used as a shelter for residents of New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Astrodome was declared non-compliant with fire code by the Houston Fire Department in 2008 and parts of it were demolished in 2013 after several years of disuse. In 2014, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2][5]

History

Conception

Major League Baseball expanded to Houston in 1960, when the National League agreed to add two teams. The Houston Colt .45s (renamed the Astros in 1965) were to begin play in 1962, along with their expansion brethren New York Mets. Roy Hofheinz, a former mayor of Houston, and his group were granted the franchise after they promised to build a covered stadium. It was thought a covered stadium was a must for a major league team to be viable in Houston due to the area's subtropical climate and hot summers. Game-time temperatures are usually above 97 °F (36 °C) in July and August, with high humidity and a likelihood of rain. Hofheinz claimed inspiration for what became the Astrodome from a tour of Rome, where he learned that the builders of the ancient Colosseum installed a giant velarium (fabric awning) to shield spectators from the sun.

The Astrodome was conceived by Hofheinz as early as 1952, when he and his daughter Dene were rained out once too often at Buffalo Stadium, home of Houston's minor league baseball team, the Houston Buffs. Hofheinz abandoned his interest in the world's first air-conditioned shopping mall, The Galleria, and set his sights on bringing major league baseball to Houston.[6]

Design and construction

 The county commissioner was positively indignant at the way everybody, particularly the news media, kept calling the new county facility by the wrong name. "The county built it and the county paid for it," he loudly complained to a packed hearing room, "and, dammit, the county owns it!" Growing purplish, the commissioner blustered that "People by God ought to start calling it by its right name: The Harris County Domed Stadium!!"
 "Well," soothed the agreeable Judge, "you can call it whatever you wanta call it." With the temperate grace of a statesman he smiled amicably, puffed his cigar and added, "But the World is gonna know it as the Astrodome."

"An Astrofable" (April 1975), Texas Monthly[7]

The Astrodome was designed by architects Hermon Lloyd & W. B. Morgan, and Wilson, Morris, Crain and Anderson (Morris Architects). Structural engineering and structural design were performed by Walter P Moore Engineers and Consultants of Houston. Credit[8] for the design work on the dome roof structural goes to Dr. G.R. Kiewitt and Mr. Louis O. Bass of Roof Structures, Inc. It was constructed by H. A. Lott, Inc. for Harris County. It stands 18 stories tall, covering 9.5 acres (3.8 ha). The dome is 710 feet (220 m) in diameter and the ceiling is 208 feet (63 m) above the playing surface, which itself sits 25 feet (7.6 m) below street level.[9] The air conditioning system was designed by I.A. Naman; other aspects that were considered included visibility (which could be reduced by cigarette smoke), light admittance, and acoustics (requiring approximately 1⁄2 the roof area to be covered with sound-absorbing materials), the air handling units were designed to move 2,500,000 cu ft/min (1,200 m3/s) of air, with approximately 10% of that being fresh air from outside to limit carbon dioxide buildup.[10]

 
Astrodome Skylights

The scoreboard, eventually known as the "Astrolite", was designed by Fair Play Scoreboards of Des Moines, Iowa.[11] Having designed the scoreboard for Dodger Stadium several years prior, team owner Roy Hofheinz was not impressed with the initial proposal for a much more generic type of scoreboard. Project designer Jack Foster teamed up with a creative professional based in Kansas City to create the first animated scoreboard. Its reported cost was $2.1 million.[11]

The Dome was completed in November 1964, six months ahead of schedule.[12] Many engineering changes were required during construction, including the modest flattening of the supposed "hemispherical roof" to cope with environmentally induced structural deformation and the use of a new paving process called "lime stabilization" to cope with changes in the chemistry of the soil. The air conditioning system was designed by Houston mechanical engineers Israel A. Naman and Jack Boyd Buckley of I. A. Naman + Associates.

The multi-purpose stadium, designed to facilitate both football and baseball, is nearly circular and uses movable lower seating areas. It also ushered in the era of other fully domed stadiums, such as the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, as well as the all now-demolished Pontiac Silverdome near Detroit, Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Kingdome in Seattle, and RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

To test what effect the enclosed air-conditioned environment might have on the delivery of breaking balls, Satchel Paige, in full Astros uniform, threw the first pitches at the Astrodome on February 7, 1965.[13][14] He later concluded that it was a "pitcher's paradise", as the lack of wind allowed for sensitive pitches to maneuver more easily.

Hofheinz had an opulent apartment in the Dome, which was removed when the facility was remodeled in 1988.[15]

Opening and reception

The stadium's opening day took place on April 9, 1965. A sold-out crowd of 47,879 watched an exhibition game between the Astros and the New York Yankees. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife Lady Bird were in attendance, as well as Governor John Connally and Mayor Louie Welch. Governor Connally tossed out the first ball for the first indoor MLB game. Dick "Turk" Farrell of the Astros threw the first pitch. Mickey Mantle had both the first hit (a single) and the first home run in the Astrodome, but the Astros won 2–1 in twelve innings.[16][17][18]

 
The Astrodome in 1965

President Johnson stopped at the Astrodome that evening en route to his home in Johnson City and paid his respects to baseball and Astros president Roy Hofheinz, a campaign manager for Johnson in the 1940s, just as the second inning got underway. He and Lady Bird watched the opening night game from behind the glass in Judge Hofheinz's private box high in the right field just to the right of the giant scoreboard. LBJ ate hors d'œuvres and chicken and ice cream while watching the game.[18] "Roy, I want to congratulate you; it shows so much imagination", he was heard to say. Later, he called the stadium "massive" and "beautiful." Although the president's visit overshadowed all others, dignitaries swarmed through the "Eighth Wonder of the World" during the three days of the exhibition series and for opening night against the Phillies on April 12. Chris Short of the Phillies shut out the Astros on four hits, with 12 strikeouts.[19][20]

The first artist to play the Astrodome was Judy Garland on December 17, 1965; The Supremes were her opening act, and tickets were priced $1.00 to $7.50. The dome seated 48,000, and another 12,000 seats were added for this show. Paid $43,000 for the one show, Garland appeared on stage at 10 p.m. and sang for forty minutes, with her set of songs including: "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands"; "Just In Time"; "My Kind Of Town, Houston Is"/"Houston"; "As Long As He Needs Me"; "Joey, Joey, Joey"; "Do It Again"; "What Now My Love?"; "By Myself"; "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby"; "San Francisco"; "Chicago"; and "Over The Rainbow." Mort Lindsey conducted.[21]

"The Rainout"

The Astrodome suffered a rainout on June 15, 1976. The Astros' scheduled game against the Pittsburgh Pirates was called when massive flooding in the Houston area prevented all but a few fans from reaching the stadium. Both teams had arrived early for practice, but the umpires were several hours late. At 5 pm that day, with only a handful of fans on hand and already several hours behind, the umpires and teams agreed to call the game off. Tables were brought onto the field and the teams ate dinner together.[22] Although the Astros still had a home series with Pittsburgh in August, this game was made up in Pittsburgh in July.

Recent history

 
Astrodome interior in 2004

In 1989, four cylindrical pedestrian ramp columns were constructed outside the Dome for accessibility. This enabled the Astrodome to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The 1992 Republican National Convention was held at the Astrodome in August of that year. The Astros accommodated the convention by taking a month-long road trip. A manually operated scoreboard debuted that season.

On August 19, 1995, a scheduled preseason game between the Oilers and the San Diego Chargers had to be canceled due to the dilapidated condition of the playing field. Oilers owner Bud Adams demanded a new stadium, but the city of Houston refused to fund it. After years of threats, Adams moved the team to Nashville, Tennessee after the 1996 season.[23] Around that time the Astros also threatened to leave the city unless a new ballpark was built.[23] The retractable-roofed Enron Field (now known as Minute Maid Park) opened for the 2000 season in downtown Houston.

One of the largest crowds in the Astrodome's history, more than 66,746 fans, came on Sunday, February 26, 1995, to see Tejano superstar Selena and her band Los Dinos perform for a sell-out crowd during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.[24] Selena y Los Dinos performed two consecutive times before at the Astrodome, breaking previous attendance records each time. This was Selena's last televised concert before she was fatally shot on March 31, 1995, by her fan club president.

 
NRG Park area, Houston, Texas. Astrodome, with NRG Stadium at center of this 2010 astronaut photo

The Astrodome was joined by a new neighbor in 2002, the retractable-roofed Reliant Stadium (now known as NRG Stadium), which was built to house Houston's new NFL franchise, the Houston Texans. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo moved to the new venue in 2003, leaving the Astrodome without any major tenants. The last concert at the Astrodome was George Strait & the Ace in the Hole Band during the 2002 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, before a record crowd of 68,266; the performance was recorded in For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome.[25]

Hurricane Katrina

 
Survivors of Katrina in the Astrodome, 2005

On August 31, 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Harris County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the State of Louisiana came to an agreement to allow at least 25,000 evacuees from New Orleans, especially those that were sheltered in the Louisiana Superdome, to move to the Astrodome until they could return home. The evacuation began on September 1, 2005. All scheduled events for the final four months of 2005 at the Astrodome were cancelled.[26] Overflow refugees were held in the surrounding Reliant Park complex. There was a full field hospital inside the Reliant Arena, which cared for the entire Katrina evacuee community.

The entire Reliant Park complex was scheduled to be emptied of hurricane evacuees by September 17, 2005. Originally, the Astrodome was planned to be used to house evacuees until December. However, the surrounding parking lots were needed for the first Houston Texans home game. Arrangements were made to help Katrina evacuees find apartments both in Houston and elsewhere in the United States. By September 16, 2005, the last of the hurricane evacuees living in the Astrodome had been moved out either to the neighboring Reliant Arena or to permanent housing north of Houston.[27] As of September 20, 2005, the remaining Katrina evacuees were relocated to Arkansas due to Hurricane Rita.[28] The Astrodome was partially demolished in 2007.

Closure

In 2008, the facility was cited for numerous code violations. Since then, only maintenance workers and security guards have been allowed to enter the stadium while it is brought up to code.[29] The city council rejected demolition plans on environmental grounds, over concerns that demolition of the Dome might damage the dense development that today closely surrounds it.[30]

Refurbishment plans

Numerous renovation/refurbishment plans for the dome have been presented over the years. Houston's plan to host the 2012 Summer Olympics included renovating the Astrodome for use as an Olympic Stadium hosting the ceremonies,athletics and soccer finals.[31] Houston became one of the USOC's bid finalists, but the organization chose New York City as its candidate city, and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games were held in London, Great Britain by the IOC.

 
An aerial view of the Astrodome in 1999

Plans to convert the Astrodome into a luxury hotel were rejected.[32] A proposal to convert the Astrodome into a movie production studio was also considered but rejected.[33] Regardless of the type of renovation, all renovation plans must deal with the problem of occupancy code violations that have basically shuttered the Astrodome for the near future.[34]

In June 2013, a comprehensive plan was unveiled that would have seen the aging structure undergo an almost $200 million renovation into a multi-purpose event/convention facility. The measure would have to have been approved first through a bond election in Harris County for the publicly funded project to go forward or else, officials warned, the iconic structure would be demolished.[35] Voters ended up rejecting the measure on November 5, 2013.[36]

2013 referendum and aftermath

On November 5, 2013, voters in Houston turned down a $213 million referendum to renovate and convert the Astrodome into a state-of-the-art convention center and exhibition space known as "New Dome Experience".[37] Until a final disposition is made, Harris County commissioners will not approve demolition of the stadium. "The building's still there. There's no formal plan or authorization to demolish the building, and until somebody brings such a plan to fruition, there's a chance," according to Willie Loston, executive director of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation. "The proposal was rejected by the voters. We're back to where we were. Square one," according to Steve Radack, Harris County commissioner.[38]

Three exterior pedestrian ramp towers were demolished on December 8, 2013. Around that time, the ramp bridges were disconnected from the main structure and the surrounding grass berms were lowered. The ticket booths were also removed along with the interior seats. The demolition was planned prior to the referendum.[39][40]

Astrodome Indoor City Park

After the failed bond election of 2013, the county went back to the drawing board and in August 2014 the County Commissioners Court announced a new plan to save and rejuvenate the Astrodome. The new concept centered around leaving the Dome's roof intact and converting the Astrodome's vast central space into a covered semi-climate-controlled city park that could have flexible uses for both public recreation and gatherings such as festivals and concerts. The remainder of the complex would have been redeveloped over time using a combination of public and private funds and include elements such as an educational exploration area to encourage students to learn about the sciences and engineering and possibly meeting, exhibition, and restaurant areas that would not only serve the general public, but could also add value to the Houston Texans' Game Day Experiences and be used by the Rodeo. A key element of this proposal centered around the ability for the county to proceed with the initial phases of the project using existing funds without having to seek voter approval for an expensive bond referendum.[41] However, this plan failed as well.

Astrodome Revitalization Project

After the failed plans of past years, the Astrodome Revitalization Project was proposed in September 2016. This plan would turn the dome into a massive underground parking garage. Specifically, the first step would raise the dome floor and use the space underneath that as parking, leaving the floor above for other uses. On September 27, 2016, the Harris County Commissioners approved the first part of the plan. This marked a major turning point for the dome, as some feared if the plan wasn't approved the building would be demolished.[42][43][44] On January 27, 2017, the Texas Historical Commission voted unanimously to designate the dome a State Antiquities Landmark.[45] Under the designation, the Astrodome may no longer be removed, altered, damaged, salvaged, or excavated without a permit from the commission.[46] The Harris County Commissioners voted to approve a $105 million renovation plan on February 13, 2018. This plan keeps the parking garage from the Revitalization Project. Construction was set to start in October 2018 and would be completed sometime in 2020.[47] The construction start date was later moved to early 2019 and was expected to finish in 2020.[48] However, as of September 2019, the plan was put on hold with no word when construction might take place.[49] It was announced in November 2019 that the Revitalization Project has been scrapped by Commissioners Court Judge Lina Hidalgo. Hidalgo explained that "The plan that had been designed wouldn't have yielded truly a usable building". As of November, there have been no new plans for the Astrodome.[50]

Notable events

'Game of the Century'
 
Houston and UCLA play against each other in the 1968 Game of the Century at the Astrodome
 
The aftermath of Houston's 71–69 victory over UCLA

Baseball

  • The first home run in the Astrodome was hit by Mickey Mantle off of pitcher Turk Farrell on April 9, 1965, in an exhibition game between the Astros and Yankees.[51] The first official home run was hit by Dick Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies in a game on April 12 of that year—a 2–0 Astros loss.[52]
  • Lindsey Nelson, an announcer for the visiting New York Mets, broadcast a game on April 28, 1965, while perched in a gondola suspended from the roof above second base.[53]
  • At the beginning of the 1980 playoff series between the Astros and the Phillies, KILT AM radio announced that the Astros' number one fan "Astroman" would live on top of the Domed stadium and would not come down until the Astros won the World Series. Over the next 10 days Astroman, played by KILT salesman Denver Griffith, lived on top of the Astrodome in a six-man tent. On top of the Astrodome was also a telephone hot line back to KILT radio where Griffith as Astroman would give interviews throughout the day. Astroman was completely cut off and could only get food and drink by lowering a rope with a basket the 18 stories from the top of the Astrodome to the center of the playing field. At one point Griffith got so desperate for food and drink that his mother had to intervene and interrupt an Oilers practice so that the needed supplies could be delivered. Every night a local TV station would sign off with a shot of Astroman on top of the Astrodome waving to a circling news chopper. Although the Astros never played in a World Series while at the Dome, they have participated in five Fall Classics at Minute Maid Park (2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022). By the time the Astros finally won the Series in 2017, they had switched to the American League.
  • On October 15, 1986, the Astros and the visiting New York Mets played Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS. The 16-inning contest was at the time the longest game in MLB post season history. The Mets would take a 7–4 lead into the bottom of the 16th inning and hold on for a 7–6 victory over the Astros. Coincidentally, the record was broken in Houston 19 years later at Minute Maid Park during the 2005 NLDS when the Astros won an 18-inning game against the Atlanta Braves.
  • On October 3, 1999, the Astros played their final regular season game at the Astrodome, clinching the NL Central Division title with a 9–4 win over the Dodgers. The final Astros game in the stadium occurred 6 days later when the Braves eliminated the Astros in Game 4 of the Division Series.

Basketball

  • The 'Game of the Century' between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins took place at the Astrodome on January 20, 1968, before a crowd of 52,963—the record for the largest attendance ever at a basketball game until 2003. The first NCAA regular-season game broadcast nationwide in prime time, the Game of the Century established college basketball as a sports commodity on television, and paved the way for the modern "March Madness" television coverage. The Cougars, coached by Guy V. Lewis, defeated coach John Wooden's Bruins, led by Lew Alcindor, 71–69 behind a 39-point scoring effort from Elvin Hayes.
  • The Astrodome hosted the 1989 NBA All-Star Game. Attendance was 44,735 and Karl Malone won MVP honors.

Tennis

The Battle of the Sexes tennis match occurred on September 20, 1973, aired on ABC with Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs in three straight sets. While more of a publicity stunt than a serious match, it made national headlines and stands as a milestone in the progress of women's sports. Scenes were filmed in the Astrodome for the 2017 film Battle of the Sexes which starred Emma Stone and Steve Carell, who played King and Riggs, respectively.

Boxing & WWE

Concerts

Motorsports

The Astrodome held several motorsports events throughout its lifetime. The AMA Grand National Championship held events starting in 1968 and running for 18 years, utilizing the Short Track and TT Steeplechase track configurations in their visits. The AMA Supercross Championship held its first ever indoor Supercross at the Astrodome in 1974, won by Jim Pomeroy. In the mid-1980s the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group held several Stadium Off-Road Racing Series events, showcasing such drivers as Ivan Stewart, Robby Gordon, and Walker Evans (racing driver). Beginning in the early 1980s, both TNT Motorsports and the United States Hot Rod Association held events showcasing mud bogging, truck and tractor pulling, and monster trucks in the Astrodome. After a buy-out of TNT Motorsports, the USHRA continued holding events that would later transform into the current Monster Jam events.

USAC held the Astro Grand Prix as part of the National Midget Championship in the Astrodome on a temporary 1⁄4-mile dirt oval—which was called the Eighth Wonder International Motor Speedway. Gary Bettenhausen and Lee Kunzman won the feature races in 1969, while Tom Bigelow won the overall event championship.[57] The event returned for 1970, hometown favorite A. J. Foyt won the feature race.[58] Bettenhausen won the final edition in 1972.

With the opening of NRG Stadium in late 2002, the events held in early 2002 by AMA Supercross and Monster Jam would be their last in the Astrodome before moving next door for 2003, where they continue to hold events every year.

  • KTRK-TV Channel 13 Eyewitness News anchorman Dave Ward was injured during a motocross exhibition race (which also included Channel 13 sports anchor Bob Allen, as well as other local media figures) in the Astrodome in the early 1970s.
  • Evel Knievel jumped 13 cars two nights in a row, drawing over 100,000 spectators to the Astrodome in January 1971, and though there was talk of him making an actual jump over the stadium itself sometime in the future, it never happened.
  • The Astro Spiral car jump was performed January 12, 1972, by Chick Galiano of J.M. Productions' Hell Drivers. This stunt was later performed in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.

Domecoming

On April 9, 2018, the Astrodome was used as a museum for the event known as "Domecoming".[59]

In popular culture

Awards and recognitions

Features

Scoreboard

 
Astrolite, the Astrodome's scoreboard, in 1969; it was the world's first animated scoreboard.

The Astrodome was renowned for its four-story "Astrolite" scoreboard, composed of thousands of light bulbs that featured animation. After every Astros home run, the scoreboard played a minute-long animated celebration of pistols, bulls, and fireworks.[65] The scoreboard remained intact until 1988, when Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) owner Bud Adams suggested its removal to accommodate increased capacity for football, baseball and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Harris County spent $67 million of public funds on renovations.[66] Approximately 15,000 new seats resembling the 1970s rainbow uniform pattern were installed to bring seating capacity to almost 60,000 for football. On September 6, 1988, a final celebration commemorating the scoreboard occurred prior to expansion renovations commencing.

Playing surface

The playing surface was originally Tifway 419 Bermuda grass, bred for indoor use. The dome ceiling contained thousands of semi-transparent Lucite panes.[67] Players soon complained that glare from the panes made it hard for them to track fly balls; to solve the problem, two sections of panes were painted white in April.[67][68] Unfortunately, within a few months the grass died from lack of sunlight.[69] For most of the 1965 season, the Astros played on green-painted dirt and dead grass. Even before then, the grass tended to hold, then release moisture. The resulting condensation often forced games to be delayed while the grounds crews cleaned up the playing surface.

 
The playing surface in 1999

The solution was to install a new type of artificial grass on the field, ChemGrass, which became known as AstroTurf, named after the stadium. Because the supply of AstroTurf was limited, only a small amount was available at the start of the 1966 season. There was not enough for the entire outfield, so the first phase covered only the traditional grass portion of the infield and foul territory,[70] at a cost of $2 per square foot. It was installed in time to test out during exhibition games against the Dodgers in March.[71][72][73][74][75] The outfield remained painted dirt until after the All-Star Game. The Astros completed a seven-game home stand on Wednesday, July 6, then went on a road trip on both sides of the All-Star break. The installation of the outfield portion of AstroTurf was completed for the three-game series with the Phillies starting on Tuesday, July 19, finally covering the entire field.[76][77][78] Groundskeepers dressed as astronauts kept the turf clean with vacuum cleaners between innings. The infield design had the same large dirt arc and running paths as a traditional natural grass field.

In 1973, the Astros installed an all-AstroTurf infield, except for dirt patches around the bases. This "sliding pit" configuration was introduced by Cincinnati with the opening of Riverfront Stadium on June 30, 1970. It was then installed in the new stadiums in Philadelphia in 1971, and Kansas City in 1973. The artificial turf fields of Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and San Francisco, all installed in 1970, were traditionally configured like the Astrodome and later changed to sliding pits. San Francisco converted in 1971, Pittsburgh in 1973, and St. Louis in 1978. Rogers Centre in Toronto was the last park in the majors to have sliding pits; it opened in 1989 and switched to a traditional dirt skin infield in 2016.

Throughout its history, the Astrodome was known as a pitcher's park. The power alleys were never shorter than 370 feet (113 m) from the plate; on at least two occasions they were as far as 390 feet (119 m). Over time, it gave up fewer home runs than any other park in the National League.[6] The Astrodome's reputation as a pitcher's park continued even in the mid-1980s, when the fences were moved in closer than the Metrodome, which had been long reckoned as a hitter's park.

Seating capacity

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ballparks by Munsey and Suppes". Ballparks.com. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places listings for January 31, 2014". U.S. National Park Service. January 31, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "NRG Astrodome - NRG Park". December 8, 2016.
  5. ^ Barks, Joseph V. (November 2001). "Powering the (new and improved) 'Eighth Wonder of the World'". Electrical Apparatus. findarticles.com. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Smith, Curt (2001). Storied Stadiums. New York City: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-1187-6.
  7. ^ Reinert, Al (April 1975). "Greetings from the Eighth Wonder Of The World". Texas Monthly. Vol. 3, no. 4. Austin, Texas: Mediatex Communications Corporation. pp. 82–90, 98. ISSN 0148-7736.
  8. ^ Zimmerman, Kenneth E.; Gosain, Narenda; Moore, Walter P. Astrodome, An Engineering Marvel of the 1960s (PDF). Texas Tech College of Architecture. Retrieved July 26, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Houston Astros – Stadium". Baseball-statistics.com. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  10. ^ Naman, I.A. (June 2009). (PDF). ASHRAE Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 14, 2010.
  11. ^ a b Graczyk, Michael L. (September 4, 1988). "Astrodome Scoreboard Headed for Scrap Heap". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  12. ^ "Prominent Houstonians' ideas on what to do with Dome". Houston Chronicle. April 4, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  13. ^ "Dome is Hurlers' Heaven". The San Bernardino Sun. April 11, 1965. p. 69.
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Further reading

Articles

  • Paige, Leroy "Satchel". "Dome is Hurler's Heaven, Says Satchel". San Bernardino Sun-Telegram. April 11, 1965. pp. 69, 72.
  • Mack, Darrell (UPI). "Roberto Draws Dome Cheers; Clemente's double grabs termed 'greatest ever'". The Franklin News-Herald. June 16, 1971. p. 21.

Books

  • Chandler, Adam. "The Sad Fate (But Historic Legacy) of the Houston Astrodome." The Atlantic. November 8, 2013.
  • Trumpbour, Robert C., and Kenneth Womack. The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston's Iconic Astrodome (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2016).

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Astrodome.
  • Carlton, Harold (1968). "The 8th Wonder of the World—The Houston Astrodome". Sunday Times Magazine. London.
  • Smith, Liz (April 12, 1965). "Giltfinger's Golden Dome". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 11, 2012.
  • Sarnoff, Nancy (April 26, 2010). "The Astrodome: 'Houston's Eiffel Tower'". Houston Chronicle.
  • Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. TX-108, "Houston Astrodome, 8400 Kirby Drive, Houston, Harris County, TX"
  • LIFE 23 Apr 1965
  • Film footage of the Astrodome at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
Events and tenants
Preceded by Home of the
Houston Oilers
1968–1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home of the
Houston Astros
1965–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home of the
Bluebonnet Bowl
1968–1984
1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NCAA
Men's Division I
Basketball Tournament
Finals Venue
1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
MLB All-Star Game
1968
1986 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
NBA All-Star Game
1989 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of WrestleMania
2001 		Succeeded by

May 04, 2023
astrodome, this, article, about, stadium, houston, texas, aeronautical, aeronautics, also, known, houston, simply, world, first, multi, purpose, domed, sports, stadium, located, houston, texas, united, states, with, record, attendance, world, wrestling, federa. This article is about the stadium in Houston Texas For aeronautical use see Astrodome aeronautics The NRG Astrodome 4 also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome is the world s first multi purpose domed sports stadium located in Houston Texas United States with a record attendance of 67 925 set by the World Wrestling Federation in 2001 NRG AstrodomeAstrodome in 2014Former namesHarris County Domed Stadium 1965 Houston Astrodome 1965 2000 Reliant Astrodome 2000 2014 Address8400 Kirby DriveLocationHouston Texas U S Coordinates29 41 6 N 95 24 28 W 29 68500 N 95 40778 W 29 68500 95 40778 Coordinates 29 41 6 N 95 24 28 W 29 68500 N 95 40778 W 29 68500 95 40778Public transitNRG ParkOwnerHarris CountyOperatorAstrodome USARecord attendanceWWF WrestleMania X Seven 67 925Field sizeOriginalLeft field 340 ft 104 m Left center 375 ft 114 m Center field 406 ft 124 m Right center 375 ft 114 m Right field 340 ft 104 m Backstop 60 5 ft 18 m FinalLeft field 325 ft 99 m Left center 375 ft 114 m Center field 400 ft 122 m Right center 375 ft 114 m Right field 325 ft 99 m Backstop 52 ft 16 m SurfaceGrass 1965 Painted dirt 1965 AstroTurf 1966 present ConstructionBroke groundJanuary 3 1962OpenedApril 9 1965Renovated1988 1989Closed2008DemolishedDecember 8 2013 partial Construction costUS 35 million 301 million in 2021 dollars 3 ArchitectHermon Lloyd amp W B MorganWilson Morris Crain amp AndersonPraeger Kavanagh WaterburyStructural engineerWalter P MooreServices engineerI A Naman Associates Inc John G Turney amp AssociatesGeneral contractorH A Lott Inc 1 TenantsHouston Astros MLB 1965 1999Houston Cougars NCAA 1965 1997Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 1966 2002Houston Stars USA NASL 1967 1968Houston Oilers AFL NFL 1968 1996Bluebonnet Bowl NCAA 1968 1984 1987Houston Rockets NBA 1971 1975Houston Texans WFL 1974Houston Hurricane NASL 1978 1980Houston Gamblers USFL 1984 1985Houston Bowl NCAA 2000 2001Houston Energy WPFL 2002 2006The AstrodomeU S National Register of Historic PlacesTexas State Antiquities LandmarkHoustonShow map of the United StatesHoustonShow map of TexasNRHP reference No 13001099 2 Significant datesAdded to NRHPJanuary 15 2014Designated TSALJanuary 27 2017It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz mayor of Houston and known for pioneering modern stadiums Construction on the stadium began in 1962 and it officially opened in 1965 It served as home to the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball MLB from its opening until 1999 and the home to the Houston Oilers of the American Football League AFL National Football League NFL from 1968 until 1996 and also the part time home of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association NBA from 1971 until 1975 Additionally the Astrodome was the primary venue of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo from 1966 until 2002 When opened it was named the Harris County Domed Stadium and was nicknamed the Eighth Wonder of the World After the original natural grass playing surface died the Astrodome became the first major sports venue to install artificial turf in 1966 which became known as AstroTurf In another technological first the Astrodome featured the Astrolite which was the first animated scoreboard The stadium was renovated in 1988 expanding seating and altering many original features By the 1990s the Astrodome was becoming obsolete Unable to secure a new stadium Oilers owner Bud Adams moved the team to Tennessee after 1996 and became the Tennessee Titans in 1999 The Astros played at the dome through 1999 then relocated to Enron Field now Minute Maid Park in 2000 The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continued to be held at the Astrodome until the opening of the adjacent NRG Stadium in 2002 which coincided with the debut of the Houston Texans the team that replaced the Oilers Although it no longer had any primary tenants the venue regularly hosted events during the early 2000s and was used as a shelter for residents of New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 The Astrodome was declared non compliant with fire code by the Houston Fire Department in 2008 and parts of it were demolished in 2013 after several years of disuse In 2014 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places 2 5 Contents 1 History 1 1 Conception 1 2 Design and construction 1 3 Opening and reception 1 4 The Rainout 1 5 Recent history 1 6 Hurricane Katrina 2 Closure 3 Refurbishment plans 3 1 2013 referendum and aftermath 3 2 Astrodome Indoor City Park 3 3 Astrodome Revitalization Project 4 Notable events 4 1 Baseball 4 2 Basketball 4 3 Tennis 4 4 Boxing amp WWE 4 5 Concerts 4 6 Motorsports 4 7 In popular culture 5 Awards and recognitions 6 Features 6 1 Scoreboard 6 2 Playing surface 6 3 Seating capacity 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 9 1 Articles 9 2 Books 10 External linksHistory EditConception Edit Major League Baseball expanded to Houston in 1960 when the National League agreed to add two teams The Houston Colt 45s renamed the Astros in 1965 were to begin play in 1962 along with their expansion brethren New York Mets Roy Hofheinz a former mayor of Houston and his group were granted the franchise after they promised to build a covered stadium It was thought a covered stadium was a must for a major league team to be viable in Houston due to the area s subtropical climate and hot summers Game time temperatures are usually above 97 F 36 C in July and August with high humidity and a likelihood of rain Hofheinz claimed inspiration for what became the Astrodome from a tour of Rome where he learned that the builders of the ancient Colosseum installed a giant velarium fabric awning to shield spectators from the sun The Astrodome was conceived by Hofheinz as early as 1952 when he and his daughter Dene were rained out once too often at Buffalo Stadium home of Houston s minor league baseball team the Houston Buffs Hofheinz abandoned his interest in the world s first air conditioned shopping mall The Galleria and set his sights on bringing major league baseball to Houston 6 Design and construction Edit The county commissioner was positively indignant at the way everybody particularly the news media kept calling the new county facility by the wrong name The county built it and the county paid for it he loudly complained to a packed hearing room and dammit the county owns it Growing purplish the commissioner blustered that People by God ought to start calling it by its right name The Harris County Domed Stadium Well soothed the agreeable Judge you can call it whatever you wanta call it With the temperate grace of a statesman he smiled amicably puffed his cigar and added But the World is gonna know it as the Astrodome An Astrofable April 1975 Texas Monthly 7 The Astrodome was designed by architects Hermon Lloyd amp W B Morgan and Wilson Morris Crain and Anderson Morris Architects Structural engineering and structural design were performed by Walter P Moore Engineers and Consultants of Houston Credit 8 for the design work on the dome roof structural goes to Dr G R Kiewitt and Mr Louis O Bass of Roof Structures Inc It was constructed by H A Lott Inc for Harris County It stands 18 stories tall covering 9 5 acres 3 8 ha The dome is 710 feet 220 m in diameter and the ceiling is 208 feet 63 m above the playing surface which itself sits 25 feet 7 6 m below street level 9 The air conditioning system was designed by I A Naman other aspects that were considered included visibility which could be reduced by cigarette smoke light admittance and acoustics requiring approximately 1 2 the roof area to be covered with sound absorbing materials the air handling units were designed to move 2 500 000 cu ft min 1 200 m3 s of air with approximately 10 of that being fresh air from outside to limit carbon dioxide buildup 10 Astrodome Skylights The scoreboard eventually known as the Astrolite was designed by Fair Play Scoreboards of Des Moines Iowa 11 Having designed the scoreboard for Dodger Stadium several years prior team owner Roy Hofheinz was not impressed with the initial proposal for a much more generic type of scoreboard Project designer Jack Foster teamed up with a creative professional based in Kansas City to create the first animated scoreboard Its reported cost was 2 1 million 11 The Dome was completed in November 1964 six months ahead of schedule 12 Many engineering changes were required during construction including the modest flattening of the supposed hemispherical roof to cope with environmentally induced structural deformation and the use of a new paving process called lime stabilization to cope with changes in the chemistry of the soil The air conditioning system was designed by Houston mechanical engineers Israel A Naman and Jack Boyd Buckley of I A Naman Associates The multi purpose stadium designed to facilitate both football and baseball is nearly circular and uses movable lower seating areas It also ushered in the era of other fully domed stadiums such as the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans as well as the all now demolished Pontiac Silverdome near Detroit Georgia Dome in Atlanta Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis Kingdome in Seattle and RCA Dome in Indianapolis To test what effect the enclosed air conditioned environment might have on the delivery of breaking balls Satchel Paige in full Astros uniform threw the first pitches at the Astrodome on February 7 1965 13 14 He later concluded that it was a pitcher s paradise as the lack of wind allowed for sensitive pitches to maneuver more easily Hofheinz had an opulent apartment in the Dome which was removed when the facility was remodeled in 1988 15 Opening and reception Edit The stadium s opening day took place on April 9 1965 A sold out crowd of 47 879 watched an exhibition game between the Astros and the New York Yankees President Lyndon B Johnson and his wife Lady Bird were in attendance as well as Governor John Connally and Mayor Louie Welch Governor Connally tossed out the first ball for the first indoor MLB game Dick Turk Farrell of the Astros threw the first pitch Mickey Mantle had both the first hit a single and the first home run in the Astrodome but the Astros won 2 1 in twelve innings 16 17 18 The Astrodome in 1965 President Johnson stopped at the Astrodome that evening en route to his home in Johnson City and paid his respects to baseball and Astros president Roy Hofheinz a campaign manager for Johnson in the 1940s just as the second inning got underway He and Lady Bird watched the opening night game from behind the glass in Judge Hofheinz s private box high in the right field just to the right of the giant scoreboard LBJ ate hors d œuvres and chicken and ice cream while watching the game 18 Roy I want to congratulate you it shows so much imagination he was heard to say Later he called the stadium massive and beautiful Although the president s visit overshadowed all others dignitaries swarmed through the Eighth Wonder of the World during the three days of the exhibition series and for opening night against the Phillies on April 12 Chris Short of the Phillies shut out the Astros on four hits with 12 strikeouts 19 20 The first artist to play the Astrodome was Judy Garland on December 17 1965 The Supremes were her opening act and tickets were priced 1 00 to 7 50 The dome seated 48 000 and another 12 000 seats were added for this show Paid 43 000 for the one show Garland appeared on stage at 10 p m and sang for forty minutes with her set of songs including He s Got The Whole World In His Hands Just In Time My Kind Of Town Houston Is Houston As Long As He Needs Me Joey Joey Joey Do It Again What Now My Love By Myself Rock A Bye Your Baby San Francisco Chicago and Over The Rainbow Mort Lindsey conducted 21 The Rainout Edit The Astrodome suffered a rainout on June 15 1976 The Astros scheduled game against the Pittsburgh Pirates was called when massive flooding in the Houston area prevented all but a few fans from reaching the stadium Both teams had arrived early for practice but the umpires were several hours late At 5 pm that day with only a handful of fans on hand and already several hours behind the umpires and teams agreed to call the game off Tables were brought onto the field and the teams ate dinner together 22 Although the Astros still had a home series with Pittsburgh in August this game was made up in Pittsburgh in July Recent history Edit Astrodome interior in 2004 In 1989 four cylindrical pedestrian ramp columns were constructed outside the Dome for accessibility This enabled the Astrodome to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The 1992 Republican National Convention was held at the Astrodome in August of that year The Astros accommodated the convention by taking a month long road trip A manually operated scoreboard debuted that season On August 19 1995 a scheduled preseason game between the Oilers and the San Diego Chargers had to be canceled due to the dilapidated condition of the playing field Oilers owner Bud Adams demanded a new stadium but the city of Houston refused to fund it After years of threats Adams moved the team to Nashville Tennessee after the 1996 season 23 Around that time the Astros also threatened to leave the city unless a new ballpark was built 23 The retractable roofed Enron Field now known as Minute Maid Park opened for the 2000 season in downtown Houston One of the largest crowds in the Astrodome s history more than 66 746 fans came on Sunday February 26 1995 to see Tejano superstar Selena and her band Los Dinos perform for a sell out crowd during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 24 Selena y Los Dinos performed two consecutive times before at the Astrodome breaking previous attendance records each time This was Selena s last televised concert before she was fatally shot on March 31 1995 by her fan club president NRG Park area Houston Texas Astrodome with NRG Stadium at center of this 2010 astronaut photo The Astrodome was joined by a new neighbor in 2002 the retractable roofed Reliant Stadium now known as NRG Stadium which was built to house Houston s new NFL franchise the Houston Texans The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo moved to the new venue in 2003 leaving the Astrodome without any major tenants The last concert at the Astrodome was George Strait amp the Ace in the Hole Band during the 2002 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo before a record crowd of 68 266 the performance was recorded in For the Last Time Live from the Astrodome 25 Hurricane Katrina Edit Survivors of Katrina in the Astrodome 2005 On August 31 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina the Harris County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the State of Louisiana came to an agreement to allow at least 25 000 evacuees from New Orleans especially those that were sheltered in the Louisiana Superdome to move to the Astrodome until they could return home The evacuation began on September 1 2005 All scheduled events for the final four months of 2005 at the Astrodome were cancelled 26 Overflow refugees were held in the surrounding Reliant Park complex There was a full field hospital inside the Reliant Arena which cared for the entire Katrina evacuee community The entire Reliant Park complex was scheduled to be emptied of hurricane evacuees by September 17 2005 Originally the Astrodome was planned to be used to house evacuees until December However the surrounding parking lots were needed for the first Houston Texans home game Arrangements were made to help Katrina evacuees find apartments both in Houston and elsewhere in the United States By September 16 2005 the last of the hurricane evacuees living in the Astrodome had been moved out either to the neighboring Reliant Arena or to permanent housing north of Houston 27 As of September 20 2005 the remaining Katrina evacuees were relocated to Arkansas due to Hurricane Rita 28 The Astrodome was partially demolished in 2007 Closure EditIn 2008 the facility was cited for numerous code violations Since then only maintenance workers and security guards have been allowed to enter the stadium while it is brought up to code 29 The city council rejected demolition plans on environmental grounds over concerns that demolition of the Dome might damage the dense development that today closely surrounds it 30 Refurbishment plans EditNumerous renovation refurbishment plans for the dome have been presented over the years Houston s plan to host the 2012 Summer Olympics included renovating the Astrodome for use as an Olympic Stadium hosting the ceremonies athletics and soccer finals 31 Houston became one of the USOC s bid finalists but the organization chose New York City as its candidate city and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games were held in London Great Britain by the IOC An aerial view of the Astrodome in 1999 Plans to convert the Astrodome into a luxury hotel were rejected 32 A proposal to convert the Astrodome into a movie production studio was also considered but rejected 33 Regardless of the type of renovation all renovation plans must deal with the problem of occupancy code violations that have basically shuttered the Astrodome for the near future 34 In June 2013 a comprehensive plan was unveiled that would have seen the aging structure undergo an almost 200 million renovation into a multi purpose event convention facility The measure would have to have been approved first through a bond election in Harris County for the publicly funded project to go forward or else officials warned the iconic structure would be demolished 35 Voters ended up rejecting the measure on November 5 2013 36 2013 referendum and aftermath Edit On November 5 2013 voters in Houston turned down a 213 million referendum to renovate and convert the Astrodome into a state of the art convention center and exhibition space known as New Dome Experience 37 Until a final disposition is made Harris County commissioners will not approve demolition of the stadium The building s still there There s no formal plan or authorization to demolish the building and until somebody brings such a plan to fruition there s a chance according to Willie Loston executive director of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation The proposal was rejected by the voters We re back to where we were Square one according to Steve Radack Harris County commissioner 38 Three exterior pedestrian ramp towers were demolished on December 8 2013 Around that time the ramp bridges were disconnected from the main structure and the surrounding grass berms were lowered The ticket booths were also removed along with the interior seats The demolition was planned prior to the referendum 39 40 Astrodome Indoor City Park Edit After the failed bond election of 2013 the county went back to the drawing board and in August 2014 the County Commissioners Court announced a new plan to save and rejuvenate the Astrodome The new concept centered around leaving the Dome s roof intact and converting the Astrodome s vast central space into a covered semi climate controlled city park that could have flexible uses for both public recreation and gatherings such as festivals and concerts The remainder of the complex would have been redeveloped over time using a combination of public and private funds and include elements such as an educational exploration area to encourage students to learn about the sciences and engineering and possibly meeting exhibition and restaurant areas that would not only serve the general public but could also add value to the Houston Texans Game Day Experiences and be used by the Rodeo A key element of this proposal centered around the ability for the county to proceed with the initial phases of the project using existing funds without having to seek voter approval for an expensive bond referendum 41 However this plan failed as well Astrodome Revitalization Project Edit After the failed plans of past years the Astrodome Revitalization Project was proposed in September 2016 This plan would turn the dome into a massive underground parking garage Specifically the first step would raise the dome floor and use the space underneath that as parking leaving the floor above for other uses On September 27 2016 the Harris County Commissioners approved the first part of the plan This marked a major turning point for the dome as some feared if the plan wasn t approved the building would be demolished 42 43 44 On January 27 2017 the Texas Historical Commission voted unanimously to designate the dome a State Antiquities Landmark 45 Under the designation the Astrodome may no longer be removed altered damaged salvaged or excavated without a permit from the commission 46 The Harris County Commissioners voted to approve a 105 million renovation plan on February 13 2018 This plan keeps the parking garage from the Revitalization Project Construction was set to start in October 2018 and would be completed sometime in 2020 47 The construction start date was later moved to early 2019 and was expected to finish in 2020 48 However as of September 2019 the plan was put on hold with no word when construction might take place 49 It was announced in November 2019 that the Revitalization Project has been scrapped by Commissioners Court Judge Lina Hidalgo Hidalgo explained that The plan that had been designed wouldn t have yielded truly a usable building As of November there have been no new plans for the Astrodome 50 Notable events Edit Game of the Century Houston and UCLA play against each other in the 1968 Game of the Century at the Astrodome The aftermath of Houston s 71 69 victory over UCLA Baseball Edit The first home run in the Astrodome was hit by Mickey Mantle off of pitcher Turk Farrell on April 9 1965 in an exhibition game between the Astros and Yankees 51 The first official home run was hit by Dick Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies in a game on April 12 of that year a 2 0 Astros loss 52 Lindsey Nelson an announcer for the visiting New York Mets broadcast a game on April 28 1965 while perched in a gondola suspended from the roof above second base 53 At the beginning of the 1980 playoff series between the Astros and the Phillies KILT AM radio announced that the Astros number one fan Astroman would live on top of the Domed stadium and would not come down until the Astros won the World Series Over the next 10 days Astroman played by KILT salesman Denver Griffith lived on top of the Astrodome in a six man tent On top of the Astrodome was also a telephone hot line back to KILT radio where Griffith as Astroman would give interviews throughout the day Astroman was completely cut off and could only get food and drink by lowering a rope with a basket the 18 stories from the top of the Astrodome to the center of the playing field At one point Griffith got so desperate for food and drink that his mother had to intervene and interrupt an Oilers practice so that the needed supplies could be delivered Every night a local TV station would sign off with a shot of Astroman on top of the Astrodome waving to a circling news chopper Although the Astros never played in a World Series while at the Dome they have participated in five Fall Classics at Minute Maid Park 2005 2017 2019 2021 and 2022 By the time the Astros finally won the Series in 2017 they had switched to the American League On October 15 1986 the Astros and the visiting New York Mets played Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS The 16 inning contest was at the time the longest game in MLB post season history The Mets would take a 7 4 lead into the bottom of the 16th inning and hold on for a 7 6 victory over the Astros Coincidentally the record was broken in Houston 19 years later at Minute Maid Park during the 2005 NLDS when the Astros won an 18 inning game against the Atlanta Braves On October 3 1999 the Astros played their final regular season game at the Astrodome clinching the NL Central Division title with a 9 4 win over the Dodgers The final Astros game in the stadium occurred 6 days later when the Braves eliminated the Astros in Game 4 of the Division Series Basketball Edit The Game of the Century between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins took place at the Astrodome on January 20 1968 before a crowd of 52 963 the record for the largest attendance ever at a basketball game until 2003 The first NCAA regular season game broadcast nationwide in prime time the Game of the Century established college basketball as a sports commodity on television and paved the way for the modern March Madness television coverage The Cougars coached by Guy V Lewis defeated coach John Wooden s Bruins led by Lew Alcindor 71 69 behind a 39 point scoring effort from Elvin Hayes The Astrodome hosted the 1989 NBA All Star Game Attendance was 44 735 and Karl Malone won MVP honors Tennis Edit The Battle of the Sexes tennis match occurred on September 20 1973 aired on ABC with Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs in three straight sets While more of a publicity stunt than a serious match it made national headlines and stands as a milestone in the progress of women s sports Scenes were filmed in the Astrodome for the 2017 film Battle of the Sexes which starred Emma Stone and Steve Carell who played King and Riggs respectively Boxing amp WWE Edit WrestleMania X Seven set an attendance record for the AstrodomeThree time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali fought Cleveland Williams in the Astrodome in November 1966 On April 1 2001 the WWE then known as the WWF hosted WrestleMania X Seven which set an all time record attendance for the Astrodome of 67 925 The main event of the card saw Texas native Stone Cold Steve Austin challenge and defeat WWF Champion The Rock in a No Disqualification Match for the WWF Championship The card also featured the first of Houston native The Undertaker s three WrestleMania victories over Triple H and the second TLC match for the WWF Tag Team Championship with Edge amp Christian defeating WWF Tag Team Champions The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz The card is perceived by many fans and wrestling historians to be the greatest WrestleMania ever Concerts Edit Elvis Presley gave six performances there between February and March 1970 setting an attendance record with 200 000 over the six shows He performed there again on March 3 1974 setting a single day attendance record The first annual Astrodome Jazz Festival presented by George Wein and the Newport Jazz Festival took place on July 7 8 1972 Performers included Ike amp Tina Turner B B King Cannonball Adderley Roberta Flack Lou Rawls Herbie Mann Dave Brubeck with Paul Desmond Jimmy Smith and The Giants of Jazz supergroup featuring Gerry Mulligan Dizzy Gillespie Thelonious Monk Art Blakey Kai Winding and Al McKibbon 54 55 The Rolling Stones played October 28 amp 29 1981 on their American Tour 1981 They again played November 8 1989 on the Steel Wheels Urban Jungle Tour The Jacksons performed there during their Victory Tour on two nights in November 1984 With Michael Jackson as the lead performer the group performed on November 9 1984 and November 10 1984 with attendance of 80 000 Madonna played a concert on July 24 1987 as part of her Who s That Girl World Tour Pink Floyd played a concert on November 18 1987 as part of their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour September 4 1992 Co headlining tour of Metallica and Guns N Roses with special guest Faith No More News footage of this concert can be found on YouTube 56 Additionally MTV filmed an episode of Live n Loud during the show Genesis played a concert at the Astrodome as part of the We Can t Dance Tour on May 9 1992 Live The Last Concert is a live album by Mexican American singer Selena It was recorded on February 26 1995 at the Houston Astrodome and was televised live on Univision Over 60 000 people attended U2 played at the Houston Astrodome during their Popmart Tour in 1997 On August 6 2000 the Up in Smoke Tour came to the Astrodome Motorsports Edit The Astrodome held several motorsports events throughout its lifetime The AMA Grand National Championship held events starting in 1968 and running for 18 years utilizing the Short Track and TT Steeplechase track configurations in their visits The AMA Supercross Championship held its first ever indoor Supercross at the Astrodome in 1974 won by Jim Pomeroy In the mid 1980s the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group held several Stadium Off Road Racing Series events showcasing such drivers as Ivan Stewart Robby Gordon and Walker Evans racing driver Beginning in the early 1980s both TNT Motorsports and the United States Hot Rod Association held events showcasing mud bogging truck and tractor pulling and monster trucks in the Astrodome After a buy out of TNT Motorsports the USHRA continued holding events that would later transform into the current Monster Jam events USAC held the Astro Grand Prix as part of the National Midget Championship in the Astrodome on a temporary 1 4 mile dirt oval which was called the Eighth Wonder International Motor Speedway Gary Bettenhausen and Lee Kunzman won the feature races in 1969 while Tom Bigelow won the overall event championship 57 The event returned for 1970 hometown favorite A J Foyt won the feature race 58 Bettenhausen won the final edition in 1972 With the opening of NRG Stadium in late 2002 the events held in early 2002 by AMA Supercross and Monster Jam would be their last in the Astrodome before moving next door for 2003 where they continue to hold events every year KTRK TV Channel 13 Eyewitness News anchorman Dave Ward was injured during a motocross exhibition race which also included Channel 13 sports anchor Bob Allen as well as other local media figures in the Astrodome in the early 1970s Evel Knievel jumped 13 cars two nights in a row drawing over 100 000 spectators to the Astrodome in January 1971 and though there was talk of him making an actual jump over the stadium itself sometime in the future it never happened The Astro Spiral car jump was performed January 12 1972 by Chick Galiano of J M Productions Hell Drivers This stunt was later performed in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun DomecomingOn April 9 2018 the Astrodome was used as a museum for the event known as Domecoming 59 In popular culture Edit Robert Altman s 1970 comedy film Brewster McCloud is set at the Astrodome the eponymous hero is an eccentric young man who lives at the stadium On Get Your Freak On episode of King of the Hill parts of the episode showed the Astrodome and took place there The 1972 special Road Company was videotaped here which starred Dom DeLuise Bob Hynes Sheila MacRae amp Kenny Rogers The Astrodome was the setting for the filming of an exhibition game with the fictional Houston Toros in the 1977 movie The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training The made for TV movie Murder at the World Series was filmed here about a fictional 1977 World Series between the Astros and Oakland Athletics the real 1977 World Series featured the Yankees and Dodgers In the science fiction movie 2010 The Year We Make Contact the 1984 sequel to 2001 A Space Odyssey Dr Heywood Floyd Roy Scheider and the spaceship Discovery s designer Walter Curnow John Lithgow discuss their favorite sports stadium hot dogs Curnow says he likes the hot dogs at the Astrodome while Floyd prefers those at Yankee Stadium In 2001 U2 filmed the music video for Stuck in a Moment You Can t Get Out Of inside the Astrodome In 2004 the Astrodome was the setting of the 1988 5A Football State Championship in the movie Friday Night Lights between the Permian Panthers and the Carter High Cowboys The Astrodome is a playable field on MVP Baseball 2005 as it was in 1999 A fictional meeting in the Astrodome between the narrator Pocahontas and Indian rights activist actor Marlon Brando is mentioned in the song Pocahontas It was written by Neil Young and was first released on his 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps Awards and recognitions EditOn June 19 2013 the Astrodome was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation s annual list of America s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places as well as to its 60 portfolio 61 The Astrodome was added to the National Register of Historic Places in January 2014 62 The dome celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 9 2015 A time capsule buried under the site at the time of construction was located However it was not extricated to celebrate the occasion based on concerns about the cost and potential to compromise the structure of a retaining wall This was also one of the very few times that the Astrodome has been open for the public since 2006 63 In 2017 the Texas Historical Commission designated the dome as a State Antiquities Landmark 46 On May 29 2018 the dome received a Texas State Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission 64 Features EditScoreboard Edit Astrolite the Astrodome s scoreboard in 1969 it was the world s first animated scoreboard The Astrodome was renowned for its four story Astrolite scoreboard composed of thousands of light bulbs that featured animation After every Astros home run the scoreboard played a minute long animated celebration of pistols bulls and fireworks 65 The scoreboard remained intact until 1988 when Houston Oilers now Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams suggested its removal to accommodate increased capacity for football baseball and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Harris County spent 67 million of public funds on renovations 66 Approximately 15 000 new seats resembling the 1970s rainbow uniform pattern were installed to bring seating capacity to almost 60 000 for football On September 6 1988 a final celebration commemorating the scoreboard occurred prior to expansion renovations commencing Playing surface Edit The playing surface was originally Tifway 419 Bermuda grass bred for indoor use The dome ceiling contained thousands of semi transparent Lucite panes 67 Players soon complained that glare from the panes made it hard for them to track fly balls to solve the problem two sections of panes were painted white in April 67 68 Unfortunately within a few months the grass died from lack of sunlight 69 For most of the 1965 season the Astros played on green painted dirt and dead grass Even before then the grass tended to hold then release moisture The resulting condensation often forced games to be delayed while the grounds crews cleaned up the playing surface The playing surface in 1999 The solution was to install a new type of artificial grass on the field ChemGrass which became known as AstroTurf named after the stadium Because the supply of AstroTurf was limited only a small amount was available at the start of the 1966 season There was not enough for the entire outfield so the first phase covered only the traditional grass portion of the infield and foul territory 70 at a cost of 2 per square foot It was installed in time to test out during exhibition games against the Dodgers in March 71 72 73 74 75 The outfield remained painted dirt until after the All Star Game The Astros completed a seven game home stand on Wednesday July 6 then went on a road trip on both sides of the All Star break The installation of the outfield portion of AstroTurf was completed for the three game series with the Phillies starting on Tuesday July 19 finally covering the entire field 76 77 78 Groundskeepers dressed as astronauts kept the turf clean with vacuum cleaners between innings The infield design had the same large dirt arc and running paths as a traditional natural grass field In 1973 the Astros installed an all AstroTurf infield except for dirt patches around the bases This sliding pit configuration was introduced by Cincinnati with the opening of Riverfront Stadium on June 30 1970 It was then installed in the new stadiums in Philadelphia in 1971 and Kansas City in 1973 The artificial turf fields of Pittsburgh St Louis and San Francisco all installed in 1970 were traditionally configured like the Astrodome and later changed to sliding pits San Francisco converted in 1971 Pittsburgh in 1973 and St Louis in 1978 Rogers Centre in Toronto was the last park in the majors to have sliding pits it opened in 1989 and switched to a traditional dirt skin infield in 2016 Throughout its history the Astrodome was known as a pitcher s park The power alleys were never shorter than 370 feet 113 m from the plate on at least two occasions they were as far as 390 feet 119 m Over time it gave up fewer home runs than any other park in the National League 6 The Astrodome s reputation as a pitcher s park continued even in the mid 1980s when the fences were moved in closer than the Metrodome which had been long reckoned as a hitter s park Seating capacity Edit Baseball Years Capacity1965 42 2171966 1967 46 0001968 1974 44 5001975 1981 45 1011982 1989 47 6901990 1991 54 8161992 1994 53 8211995 1999 54 370 Football Years Capacity1965 1978 50 0001979 1981 50 1531982 1983 50 4521984 1986 50 495 79 1987 1988 50 594 80 1989 60 5021990 1991 62 4391992 1994 62 021 81 1995 2001 59 969 82 See also Edit Texas portal Baseball portal American football portal National Register of Historic Places portalList of tennis stadiums by capacity National Register of Historic Places listings in Harris County Texas Delta Dome List of tallest domesReferences Edit Ballparks by Munsey and Suppes Ballparks com Retrieved April 2 2013 a b National Register of Historic Places listings for January 31 2014 U S National Park Service January 31 2014 Retrieved January 31 2014 1634 1699 McCusker J J 1997 How Much Is That in Real Money A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States Addenda et Corrigenda PDF American Antiquarian Society 1700 1799 McCusker J J 1992 How Much Is That in Real Money A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States PDF American Antiquarian Society 1800 present Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Consumer Price Index estimate 1800 Retrieved April 16 2022 NRG Astrodome NRG Park December 8 2016 Barks Joseph V November 2001 Powering the new and improved Eighth Wonder of the World Electrical Apparatus findarticles com Retrieved July 22 2019 a b Smith Curt 2001 Storied Stadiums New York City Carroll amp Graf ISBN 0 7867 1187 6 Reinert Al April 1975 Greetings from the Eighth Wonder Of The World Texas Monthly Vol 3 no 4 Austin Texas Mediatex Communications Corporation pp 82 90 98 ISSN 0148 7736 Zimmerman Kenneth E Gosain Narenda Moore Walter P Astrodome An Engineering Marvel of the 1960s PDF Texas Tech College of Architecture Retrieved July 26 2019 permanent dead link Houston Astros Stadium Baseball statistics com Retrieved April 2 2013 Naman I A June 2009 Domed Stadium Air Conditioning Design PDF ASHRAE Journal Archived from the original PDF on April 14 2010 a b Graczyk Michael L September 4 1988 Astrodome Scoreboard Headed for Scrap Heap Los Angeles Times Retrieved February 16 2016 Prominent Houstonians ideas on what to do with Dome Houston Chronicle April 4 2011 Retrieved April 2 2013 Dome is Hurlers Heaven The San Bernardino Sun April 11 1965 p 69 Tagliabue Emil February 11 1965 No Real Difference Baseball Won t Change Indoors Corpus Christi Caller Times p 24 Conniff Richard March 14 1988 Farewell To An Odd Dome Home Judge Hofheinz s private Astrodome quarters will soon be just a gaudy memory Sports Illustrated Vault Retrieved July 22 2019 Houston Atlanta fields dedicated Eugene Register Guard Oregon Associated Press April 10 1965 p 2B Yanks hit by Astros blastoff Pittsburgh Press UPI April 10 1965 p 7 a b Braswell Sean April 9 2015 Flashback When Texas Opened the 8th Wonder of the World OZY Retrieved May 22 2015 Bob Hulsey April 9 1965 First Game In The Astrodome The Indoor Era Begins AstrosDaily John Wilson April 24 1965 Everyone in Orbit Over Astrodome LBJ Plus 188 762 Attend Liftoff of Eighth Wonder The Sporting News Scott Schechter August 25 2006 Judy Garland The Day by Day Chronicle of a Legend Taylor Trade Publishing p 310 ISBN 978 1 4616 3555 0 Retrieved April 9 2013 Hoffman Astros made history with a rainout Houston Chronicle June 17 2009 Retrieved April 2 2013 a b Holeywell Ryan November 30 2011 When Teams Leave What Do You Do With the Stadium Governing com Archived from the original on May 8 2013 Retrieved April 2 2013 Mazz Cuando Tu Te Vayas wmv Tejanomusicvideos com Archived from the original on January 14 2014 Retrieved April 2 2013 Thomas Stephen February 11 2003 For the Last Time Live from the Astrodome George Strait Songs Reviews Credits Awards AllMusic Retrieved April 2 2013 Superdome evacuation disrupted after shots fired ESPN September 2 2005 Retrieved September 27 2020 Frank Thomas September 1 2005 Astrodome to take refugees USA Today Dahlburg John Thor Gold Scott La Ganga Maria L September 21 2005 Hurricane Rita Rattles Coast Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on September 23 2015 Retrieved May 23 2012 Astrodome Hit With Code Violations click2houston com Archived from the original on July 22 2008 Retrieved July 18 2008 Harris County officials consider the future of the Astrodome khou com Houston Khou com April 2 2012 Archived from the original on November 3 2013 Retrieved April 2 2013 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Google News Archive Search November 18 2015 Archived from the original on November 18 2015 Financial crunch may stall effort on Astrodome hotel Houston Chronicle December 8 2008 Retrieved April 2 2013 Wrigley Deborah April 29 2008 Proposal suggests turning Astrodome into movie studio abc13 com Abclocal go com Archived from the original on February 3 2014 Retrieved May 25 2017 Liz Austin Peterson February 20 2009 Broken down Astrodome may have seen its last rodeo Houston Chronicle Retrieved May 25 2017 Fans React to 4 Million Astrodome Renovation Plan Archived from the original on December 15 2013 Retrieved July 22 2019 Voters strike down proposal to save Astrodome abc13 com Abclocal go com November 6 2013 Archived from the original on December 15 2013 Retrieved May 25 2017 Hernandez Pat August 13 2013 Astrodome Referendum Will Be On The November Ballot KUHF Archived from the original on February 22 2014 Retrieved March 26 2014 Plushnick Masti Ramit November 10 2013 Astrodome may see 1 last inning after no vote CSN Houston Associated Press Archived from the original on October 30 2014 Retrieved March 26 2014 3 pedestrian towers razed at Houston Astrodome Houston Chronicle Associated Press December 9 2013 Archived from the original on December 15 2013 Retrieved July 22 2019 Russell Rucks December 9 2013 Astrodome ramps demolished as clock ticks on its future KHOU Archived from the original on December 14 2013 Retrieved December 11 2013 New Astrodome concept would turn the landmark into an outdoor usable space Houston Chronicle June 15 2016 Retrieved May 25 2017 Astrodome parking plan could save Houston s historic 8th Wonder Houston Chronicle September 22 2016 Retrieved May 25 2017 Pulsinelli Olivia September 27 2016 Astrodome renovation project gets approved Houston Business Journal Retrieved August 12 2020 What 105 million buys for the Astrodome Houston Chronicle September 26 2016 Retrieved May 25 2017 Banks Gabrielle January 27 2017 Astrodome joins Alamo as state antiquities landmark Houston Chronicle Houston Texas Retrieved January 30 2017 a b Houston Astrodome Receives State Antiquities Landmark Designation from Texas Historical Commission Press release Austin Texas Texas Historical Commission Retrieved January 30 2017 Harris County OKs 105 million renovation of Astrodome February 13 2018 Hlavaty Craig September 26 2018 Astrodome extreme makeover should begin after RodeoHouston 2019 concludes Houston Chronicle McGuinness Dylan September 9 2019 What s going on with the Astrodome Nothing really Houston Chronicle Retrieved August 12 2020 Arnold Robert November 21 2019 What happened to potential plans for the Astrodome KPRC Retrieved January 17 2020 Mickey Mantle s NYC Archived from the original on June 2 2008 Retrieved May 18 2008 Houston Astros history 1965 season Astrosdaily com Retrieved May 25 2017 Strubel John December 10 2013 Life Under the Big Top metsmerizedonline com Retrieved June 25 2014 A Houston Timeline 1972 1985 Houston Art History Gonzales J R May 29 2012 Dome of the Month The Astrodome Jazz Festival Houston Chronicle News Clip Metallica amp Guns N Roses in Houston 1992 YouTube October 15 2015 Archived from the original on December 12 2021 Retrieved July 22 2019 Poor Li l Midgets Texas Style BOb Ottum Sports Illustrated 17 March 1969 USAC Midget 1970 04 The Third Turn Retrieved August 12 2020 Join Us for Domecoming April 9 2018 Astrodome Conservancy astrodomeconservancy org Retrieved June 27 2018 National Treasures National Trust for Historic Preservation savingplaces org Retrieved July 22 2019 National spotlight shines on Dome Houston Chronicle Retrieved October 20 2017 Astrodome lands on National Register of Historic Places astros com News Mlb mlb com Retrieved March 26 2014 Banks Gabrielle April 30 2015 Search for Dome time capsule hits a snag Hearst Newspapers Retrieved May 2 2015 The Astrodome gets its own Texas State Historical Marker May 30 2018 Domed stadium has everything Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press February 16 1965 p 11 Fowler Ed 1997 Loser Takes All Bud Adams Bad Football amp Big Business Longview Press p 8 ISBN 1 56352 432 5 a b Astrodome glare fades with paint Tuscaloosa News Alabama Associated Press April 23 1966 p 5 Dome needs another coat Spokesman Review Spokane Washington Associated Press May 24 1965 p 10 Lowry Phillip 2005 Green Cathedrals New York City Walker amp Company ISBN 0 8027 1562 1 Astroturf planned for Houston field Florence Times Alabama Associated Press March 13 1966 p 18 Astroturf looks great but Eugene Register Guard Oregon Associated Press March 20 1966 p 2b What s new Astroturf Toledo Blade Ohio Associated Press March 21 1966 p 23 Zippered grass big hit in Astrodome Daytona Beach Sunday News Journal Florida Associated Press March 20 1966 p 1B Bledsoe Terry March 20 1966 Astrodome s synthetic grass gets 1st test with skids and bounces Milwaukee Journal p 1 sports Rathet Mike March 21 1966 Brickbats starting to fly over Houston s Astroturf Victoria Advocate Texas Associated Press p 8 Phils Astros plan tonight on artificial grass Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Associated Press July 19 1966 p 23 Phil find Farrell turf unfriendly Eugene Register Guard Oregon Associated Press July 20 1966 p 3C Astros clout Phils Farrell leads way Victoria Advocate Texas Associated Press July 20 1966 p 8 Nichols Bruce April 10 1985 Prototype Astrodome Celebrates 20th Birthday The Spokesman Review Houston s Mistake Pittsburgh Post Gazette January 2 1988 Bonkowski Jerry December 7 1992 Oilers Entertain Bears With Playoffs on Mind USA Today Carter Al September 18 1995 Revamped Oilers Fall to Browns 14 7 The Dallas Morning News Further reading EditArticles Edit Paige Leroy Satchel Dome is Hurler s Heaven Says Satchel San Bernardino Sun Telegram April 11 1965 pp 69 72 Mack Darrell UPI Roberto Draws Dome Cheers Clemente s double grabs termed greatest ever The Franklin News Herald June 16 1971 p 21 Books Edit Chandler Adam The Sad Fate But Historic Legacy of the Houston Astrodome The Atlantic November 8 2013 Trumpbour Robert C and Kenneth Womack The Eighth Wonder of the World The Life of Houston s Iconic Astrodome Lincoln NE University of Nebraska Press 2016 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Astrodome Carlton Harold 1968 The 8th Wonder of the World The Houston Astrodome Sunday Times Magazine London Smith Liz April 12 1965 Giltfinger s Golden Dome Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on December 11 2012 Sarnoff Nancy April 26 2010 The Astrodome Houston s Eiffel Tower Houston Chronicle Historic American Engineering Record HAER No TX 108 Houston Astrodome 8400 Kirby Drive Houston Harris County TX LIFE 23 Apr 1965 Film footage of the Astrodome at Texas Archive of the Moving ImageEvents and tenantsPreceded byRice Stadium Home of theHouston Oilers1968 1996 Succeeded byLiberty Bowl Memorial StadiumPreceded byColt Stadium Home of theHouston Astros1965 1999 Succeeded byMinute Maid ParkPreceded byRice Stadium Home of theBluebonnet Bowl1968 19841987 Succeeded byRice StadiumPreceded byCole Field House NCAAMen s Division IBasketball TournamentFinals Venue1971 Succeeded byLos Angeles Memorial Sports ArenaPreceded byAnaheim StadiumHubert H Humphrey Metrodome Host of theMLB All Star Game19681986 Succeeded byRobert F Kennedy Memorial StadiumOakland Alameda County ColiseumPreceded byChicago Stadium Host of theNBA All Star Game1989 Succeeded byMiami ArenaPreceded byArrowhead Pond Host of WrestleMania2001 Succeeded bySkyDome Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Astrodome amp oldid 1153165700, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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