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The Astrodome: The Eighth Wonder of the World Changed Sports and Spectatorship in America

This article was written by  Robert Trumpbour

This article was published in Dome Sweet Dome: History and Highlights from 35 Years of the Houston Astrodome

It was unlike any venue before it, as it reveled in luxury, with padded theater-style seating throughout and an array of posh amenities designed as part of its construction.  Luxury skyboxes, themed restaurants, a video scoreboard, a barbershop, a bowling alley, a weather station, and numerous other unique features were woven into the venue. The Astrodome’s amenities were so diverse that comedian Bob Hope joked, “If they had a maternity ward and a cemetery, you would never have to leave.” The structure was so impressive that it prompted visits from celebrities and dignitaries alike. 1 It was sufficiently unique that it was commonly referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

As such, the Astrodome inspired similar indoor facilities, including the Louisiana Superdome, which, paradoxically, helped contribute to its eventual obsolescence and demise. Before two newer sports venues replaced the Astrodome it had hosted baseball, football, boxing, basketball, soccer, trade shows, conventions, religious events, livestock shows, rodeos, concerts, political events, and a long list of other activities. Although it remained in place as of 2016, it was unused and in danger of demolition.

The design is an example of late modernist architecture, and the first truly massive domed structure not supported by internal columns. Preservationist Cynthia Neely asserts that the Astrodome “created a whole new style of architecture … [one that] made a lot of other famous buildings possible.” 2 Roy Hofheinz, a hard-charging entrepreneur who served as Houston’s mayor and as Harris County judge (the county’s chief administrator), supervised the construction. When it was built, the feasibility of a huge indoor sports facility was not fully certain. However, the engineers and architects were confident in their ability to follow through on a previously untested concept. The project was sufficiently ambitious that it required numerous experts to be built. The firm of Lloyd & Morgan teamed up with Wilson, Morris, Crane & Anderson to serve as architects. Hermon Lloyd, S.I. Morris, Ralph Anderson, and Robert Minchew provided much of the leadership in that area. Walter P. Moore and Associates were the structural engineers, who came under the supervision of Kenneth Zimmerman. H.A. Lott, Inc., a Houston firm, and Minneapolis-based Johnson, Drake, & Piper were general contractors. Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury, New York-based architects and engineers, were retained as consultants for the project. 3

Hofheinz was inspired to build the Astrodome after he visited Rome’s Colosseum while serving as mayor of Houston. He was told that on exceedingly hot days, a massive cover was pulled over that venue to shade the spectators. Before construction began, Hofheinz admitted to frequently pondering the Colosseum’s history. He stated, “Looking back on those ancient days, I figured that a round facility with a cover was what we needed in the United States, and that Houston would be the perfect spot because of its rainy, humid weather.” 4

Hofheinz was not the first to conceive of a domed baseball venue. During the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley explored the possibility of a building a dome, consulting with futurists Norman Bel Geddes and Buckminster Fuller. Those plans were scuttled by a variety of factors, prompting O’Malley to abandon his longtime Brooklyn home for Los Angeles. There he oversaw the construction of Dodger Stadium, which opened three years before the Astrodome’s completion. 5

Just as the ancient bread and circuses of the Colosseum served to showcase the majesty of the Roman Empire, Hofheinz was committed to hosting numerous forms of entertainment with grand and unprecedented flourishes as a way to demonstrate the rising stature of Houston. In describing the venue’s luxurious atmosphere he boasted, “Nobody can ever see this and go back to Kalamazoo, Chicago, New York, you name it, and still think this town is bush league.” 6  

Before committing to stadium construction, Hofheinz initially sought to create an indoor shopping mall that would contain a dome as part of its design. He worked closely with Buckminster Fuller as those plans unfolded. As the two were contemplating mall designs, they were, without knowing it, formulating ideas that would contribute to the Astrodome’s eventual construction. Hofheinz explained that during the fact-finding process Fuller convinced him “that it was possible to cover any size space [with a dome] if you didn’t run out of money.” 7 The mall proposal was undermined by the success of a competitor’s project, so Hofheinz shifted his talents to stadium construction at the same time as proposals were being submitted to lure a major-league baseball club to Houston.  For Hofheinz, however, hosting a team was part of a much larger vision that included construction of a grand entertainment empire.

Public-relations guru George Kirksey and oil heir Craig Cullinan were instrumental in bringing a major-league team, the Colt .45s, to Houston. In 1962 the expansion team began play in Colt Stadium, a temporary facility also built under Hofheinz’s supervision. The ballpark was located near the Astrodome site, so spectators were provided informal construction updates as they visited the temporary open-air facility.

The Colt .45s played in that venue through the close of the 1964 season as the Astrodome was being built. Houston’s oppressively hot and humid conditions and aggressive mosquito population offered evidence as to why an indoor facility was essential for baseball to succeed in Houston. While playing at Colt Stadium, fans, players, and umpires faced fatigue and heatstroke. The concession areas sold mosquito repellent to fend off insects that were so big Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax remarked, “Some of the bugs there are twin engine jobs.” 8 Conditions were so brutal that the National League adjusted its schedule in Houston to allow for more night games. 9

Kirksey and Cullinan regarded baseball as essential to the Astrodome’s future, but for Hofheinz, the facility was designed to be a larger-than-life entertainment facility, with baseball as a small part of a much more expansive plan. A year after the Astrodome was unveiled, he asserted that “we had to have a stadium that would be a spectator’s paradise, but also one that could be used for events other than sports.” 10

Hofheinz was not involved in the preliminary plans to build a baseball venue. As franchise relocation was under way during the 1950s, Kirksey and Cullinan sought to gain a major-league team. They collaborated with banking executive William Kirkland to prepare the initial case to build a new stadium as a way to lure a team to Houston. With the approval of the Texas Legislature and backing from Houston insiders, the three were able to arrange for a referendum to fund an open-air ballpark that would contain adjoining indoor convention space. The measure passed by a 3 to 1 ratio on July 26, 1958. After Hofheinz’s mall plans fell through, he persuaded Houston’s power brokers to abandon the open-air plan because a large all-purpose indoor stadium would be feasible, radically shifting the direction of the project. 

Shortly after committing to stadium construction, Hofheinz worked with master carpenter Stuart Young to build a $35,000 scale model of the project, using this model to persuade baseball executives to grant Houston an expansion franchise. On January 3, 1962, when it was time for the Astrodome’s groundbreaking, instead of using shovels, seven dignitaries fired rounds of wax bullets from Colt .45 pistols into the ground. Lawsuits, site-selection controversies, construction delays, and a need for additional funding slowed the construction process, but once completed, the Astrodome received immense publicity. 11

The facility was formally named the Harris County Domed Stadium, but few used that name in reference to the edifice. Several politicians were angered when the facility was rebranded, but Hofheinz bluntly argued, “I can’t sell that name. I need something I can sell.” The decision to rename the facility the Astrodome, was surprisingly arbitrary, however. After the Colt Industries, the conglomerate that included the gun maker, pushed to obtain royalties for official Colt .45s team merchandise, Hofheinz decided to change the baseball team’s name. He was never enthusiastic about the name anyway, feeling that it suggested more about the region’s past than its future. As metropolitan Houston was emerging as a hub for the nation’s space program, Hofheinz and his partner, Bob Smith, debated whether to choose the Stars or Astros, with the facility to be branded the Stardome or the Astrodome. Roy Hofheinz’s son, former Houston Mayor Fred Hofheinz, recounted their discussion of the merits of both options. After considerable debate, Fred Hofheinz indicated that his father “just told Mr. Smith, ‘Pick one,’ and he picked the Astrodome.” 12 After the decision was made, Hofheinz promptly announced the team’s new name, and disposed of all Colt .45s merchandise while moving forward on plans to unveil the Astrodome. 

The first public event at the Astrodome was an exhibition game between the Astros and the Yankees on April 9, 1965. That exhibition game was arguably the most ballyhooed christening of a ballpark up to that time. Among those on hand were President Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, Texas Governor John Connolly, 21 NASA astronauts, NBC news anchor David Brinkley, and numerous other dignitaries. Total attendance was 47,876, at the time a record for an indoor sporting event. Yankees legend Mickey Mantle began the game with a single, and in the sixth inning blasted the first indoor home run ever. In storybook fashion, the Astros won the game 2-1 in the 12th inning when Nellie Fox drove in a run with a pinch-hit single.

The event was featured prominently on sports pages across the nation. Several publications put it on the front page, ahead of other major news. The New York Times , as one example, offered a front-page story that focused heavily on the Astrodome, those in attendance, and reactions to the venue, while providing a panoramic four-column photograph that was taken from behind home plate. New York Times coverage offered a lead story in the sports section, too. The focus of that coverage was the game itself, although the article did offer numerous details about the stadium. 

Although a new ballpark was christened in Atlanta on the same day, coverage of that event was significantly less detailed. 13 Locally, the Houston Chronicle provided front-page coverage and numerous other stories, in addition to offering a special section on April 11 that was replete with photos of the festivities. 14 The Astros indicated that 188,762 spectators entered the turnstiles for five exhibition games prior to the regular-season opener, with reports that many had come “just to see the glittering palace.” 15

Among the most prominent features of the new venue was a $2 million scoreboard. It was 474 feet wide and weighed over 300 tons. It made all other scoreboards in use at the time look puny. It could be programmed to celebrate home runs, lead fans in cheers, and run between-inning advertisements. It served as a precursor to the Jumbotron and Diamondvision, and it was met with tremendous enthusiasm as the ballpark opened. It was such an attention-grabber that Sports Illustrated prepared a feature story on the scoreboard alone. 16                      

The first regular-season game in the Astrodome received a good deal of fanfare, too. It was the lead baseball story in several newspapers, eclipsing President Johnson’s throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for the Washington Senators on that same day. 17 The Phillies beat the Astros, 2-0, with Chris Short tossing a four-hit shutout. To enhance the contest, 24 of NASA’s 28 astronauts were on hand and introduced, with each receiving lifetime passes for baseball games inside the Astrodome. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick and National League President Warren Giles were also on hand, with a total reported attendance of 48,546. (The paid attendance was 42,652.) 18

The inaugural season in the Astrodome was a time for experimentation, and in one of the odder experiments, New York Mets announcer Lindsey Nelson provided live commentary and play-by-play on April 28 while suspended from a gondola high above the action.  Nelson and his producer, Joel Nixon, were lifted into the gondola a half-hour before the game, and remained there through the completion of a contest that concluded with a 12-9 Astros victory. It was the first time ever that an announcer provided play-by-play from fair territory. Before the game Mets manager Casey Stengel expressed delight that his team’s announcer would be a “ground rule” if he were to be hit by a ball, while Mets coach Yogi Berra bluntly told Nelson, “I think you’re crazy.” Nixon was equipped with a walkie-talkie and a phone to communicate with the regular broadcast booth. He had a scorecard and pen, but once the game began, he stopped keeping score after realizing, “If I ever dropped the pen, it would be a dangerous missile.” The experiment was not repeated, but it received abundant publicity while inspiring future use of the gondola for overhead cameras. 19

The Astrodome revolutionized the nature of sports surfaces, ushering in the use of artificial turf. The initial plan was to maintain a natural-grass surface. A special strain of grass blends called Tifway 419 Bermuda was scientifically engineered to allow for successful indoor growth in low-light settings. 20 However, the inability of ballplayers to track fly balls under the dome’s clear Lucite panels required painting the roof surfaces white. That allowed fielders to do their jobs, but blocked sunlight and prevented future indoor plant growth. As a result, the 1965 season closed out with dead grass and painted dirt, an unacceptable situation.

To resolve the problem in time for the 1966 season, Hofheinz negotiated with scientists at Chemstrand, a division of Monsanto, to produce and install an artificial grass-like surface that would not require natural light to remain green. Such a product was used sparingly in urban environments, most notably to provide play areas. In a quest for solutions, front-office executive Tal Smith visited the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, to look at such a product, then branded as ChemGrass. After observing a field that was used for that school’s sporting events, Hofheinz decided to move forward with its installation inside the Astrodome. 21 This was the first time the synthetic turf was used in a professional sports venue. The product was rebranded AstroTurf. The new surface gained widespread publicity, prompting use in other sports venues as the 1970s unfolded. 22 As installation was under way Smith asserted, “With the installation of AstroTurf, we will have eliminated the last pitfall in conjunction with the stadium.” 23

The nylon product was installed in the infield to start the 1966 season, and later was added to the outfield. The first game on an entirely artificial surface was played on July 19, with the Astros defeating the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-2. Game reports indicated that there was “no apparent effect on the play.” 24 In reality, players had to adjust for changes in how the ball reacted to the surface. Numerous baseball purists responded with revulsion to the change, particularly as it was introduced to other stadiums. 25  

Six no-hitters were pitched in the Dome’s history, all by the Astros. In the first, on June 18, 1967, Don Wilson, a rookie right-hander, allowed just three baserunners, all on walks, pitching the Astros to a 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the first major-league no-hitter ever pitched indoors. 26 In the second no-hit effort, Larry Dierker blanked the Montreal Expos, 6-0, on July 9, 1976. It earned front-page recognition in the New York Times . 27 On April 7, 1979, Ken Forsch tossed a 6-0 no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. He and Bob Forsch became the first brothers to throw no-hitters, with Bob tossing one for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1978. On September 26, 1981, 32,115 fans watched Nolan Ryan throw his fifth career no-hitter, blanking the Dodgers, 5-0.

On September 25, 1986, after nailing San Francisco’s leadoff hitter, Dan Gladden, in the back, Mike Scott settled down to toss the Astrodome’s fifth no-hitter. The game clinched the National League West crown for the Astros, as Scott dominated the Giants, 2-0, in an electrifying evening for 32,808 fans. The performance solidified Scott’s case to earn the 1986 Cy Young Award, and it marked the first time in National League history that a no-hitter won a division-clinching game. In the final Astrodome no-hitter, on September 8, 1993, Astros right-hander Darryl Kile struck out nine in a 7-1 victory over the New York Mets. A walk, a wild pitch, and an error provided the Mets’ only run, in a contest viewed by a mere 15,684 fans.

When the Astrodome was built, its roof was generally believed to be high enough to avoid being hit by baseballs, but in the first inning on June 10, 1974, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt launched a towering center-field blast that slammed into an overhead speaker attached high above a roof truss. What would have been a certain home run fell harmlessly to the field. Instead of celebrating one of the most powerful blasts ever to be hit inside the Astrodome, Schmidt earned no more than a single. After the game the future Hall of Famer admitted to being angry, while Astros center fielder César Cedeño speculated that the ball was slammed so powerfully that “it might have hit the flag above the electronic scoreboard.” Schmidt hammered two more hits that day, including a three-run double, to pace the Phillies to a 12-0 rout over the Astros. 28 He received more publicity for the unusual and prodigious hit than if he had blasted a home run. Despite being shortchanged in this game, Schmidt led the majors with 36 home runs that season.  

Although rain postponements were never supposed to be an issue inside the Astrodome, one occurred on June 15, 1976, immediately before a scheduled game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The dome remained fully intact and had no structural damage from torrential downpours that in some locations exceeded 12 inches. However, several roadways in Houston were badly flooded, road closures were numerous, isolated power failures occurred and four people in the area died.. 29 Players were at the Astrodome as the rains came down, but the umpires could not navigate the flooded roadways surrounding the building. An Astrodome spokesman called it a “rain in,” and Astros general manager Tal Smith cited safety for the postponement, indicating that the game could have been played since conditions inside were dry, “but if we had announced it was on, we could have been inviting misfortune,” since some spectators might have become stranded in the deluge. To accommodate the players, tables were moved to the infield, and the two teams enjoyed a sitdown dinner. Twenty or so fans, described as “real diehards,” were treated to a free meal in the Astrodome cafeteria, as well. The umpires retreated to a nearby hotel after their car reportedly stalled out in high water. It was the first weather-related postponement at the Astrodome, though an exhibition game had been canceled in 1968 after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. 30

The Astrodome hosted the first nationally televised college basketball game. The January 20, 1968, contest pitted John Wooden’s undefeated and number-one-ranked UCLA Bruins against the second-ranked University of Houston Cougars. The event was promoted as the “Game of the Century.” Its attendance of 52,693 stood as a single-game record for college basketball until 2003. Dick Enberg and Bob Pettit hosted the broadcast on the TVS Television Network, a pioneer in national sports syndication. Despite not being on a major broadcast network, the game attracted 12 million viewers and resulted in a $125,000 payout for each team, an amount greater than the Cougars’ earnings for the entire previous season. 31         

The event featured UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, whose Hall of Fame NBA career unfolded as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, against Elvin Hayes, whose prowess on the court in 1968 earned him recognition as The Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year. 32 The Cougars beat UCLA, 71-69, snapping the Bruins’ remarkable 47-game winning streak. The game received front-page coverage in Sports Illustrated and elsewhere. 33 Such media recognition revealed the immense commercial potential of college basketball and was a harbinger of multibillion-dollar network rights fees to broadcast the NCAA basketball tournament.  Leisure historian Howard P. Chudacoff asserts that this game “launched college basketball as an entertainment product on television,” but beyond that, the game marked a seminal moment in college sports. 34

With recognition that men’s basketball could be played in massive indoor venues rather than in traditional arenas, the 1971 NCAA Final Four and subsequent championship game were played in the Astrodome, culminating with UCLA defeating Villanova, 68-62, for the national crown in what was described as “the largest crowds in the history of the NCAA championships.” A total of 63,193 entered the Astrodome turnstiles, with 31,765 attending the championship game. 35 Future tournaments would gradually shift from sizable arenas to bigger indoor stadiums in the decades that followed. The Final Four has not been played in a traditional basketball arena since 1996.

The Astrodome also hosted the 1989 National Basketball Association All-Star game on February 12. Karl Malone earned MVP honors as the West defeated the East by a 143-134 score. The 44,735 in attendance stood as an NBA All-Star Game record until 2010.

On September 20, 1973, the Astrodome hosted the highly publicized “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. New York Times sportswriter Neil Amdur called the match “the most talked-about event in the history of tennis.” 36 Both competitors were U.S. Open and Wimbledon champions, but Riggs, at age 55, was past his prime. King, then 29, was reluctant to face Riggs, as he had beaten world-class tennis champion Margaret Court in May, but his brash taunts and insults prompted her to take up the challenge. Despite the age differential, Riggs confidently stated that “there is no way she can beat me,” and then asserted that he would “put Billie Jean and all other women’s libbers back where they belong – in the kitchen and the bedroom.” 37

King trained hard, while Riggs self-promoted his prowess, convincing oddsmakers to make him the favorite. Before a crowd of 30,492, many paying up to $100 for a seat, a circus-like atmosphere unfolded that was nationally televised on ABC. The event attracted 90 million viewers worldwide, with 50 million in the U.S. alone, the largest audience ever to watch live tennis on network television. The broadcast was hosted by a tuxedo-clad Howard Cosell. Network advertising for the spectacle sold out in a single day. 38 The event served as a watershed moment for feminism, with considerable venom aimed at Riggs for his many incendiary taunts. However, Riggs’s bravado ensured that this event would be a national spectacle, with massive amounts of money changing hands. Both Riggs and King were guaranteed $75,000 from souvenir and program sales, while the winner of the match would take home an additional $100,000. 39  

On the day of the event, King was transported to the court on a Cleopatra-style gold litter, carried by four muscular men in togas, while Riggs was wheeled in on a rickshaw propelled by six scantily clad models. Courtside spectators sipped champagne as makeshift bars were set up on the Astrodome floor. King trounced Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The event received front-page coverage in numerous newspapers. 40 King’s success was touted as a victory for the feminist movement at a time when Title IX was in its infancy and not yet vigorously applied to sports. Tennis also benefited commercially, gaining increased popularity as a result of the spectacle.

Not all sports worked, however. Hofheinz brought midget auto racing to the Astrodome in March 1969. The drivers complained about the conditions, and a crash into the wall caused A.J. Foyt to lose a dental filling. Despite the $60,000 purse, the concept never gained momentum. 41 Hofheinz also tried to introduce professional soccer to the Astrodome, taking a controlling interest in the Houston Stars in 1967. The United Soccer Association team was able to draw more than 30,000 in its opening game, but after struggling with attendance it folded after the 1968 season. The Astrodome later served as home to the Houston Hurricane, a North American Soccer League team that began play in 1978, but folded three years later. 42

However, boxing did have a degree of success within the Astrodome, with several fights featuring Muhammad Ali. The first major bout in the Astrodome involved Houston native Cleveland Williams versus Ali on November 14, 1966. Ali knocked him out in the third round after introducing the “Ali shuffle” to the crowd of 35,460. A fight between WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and Randall “Tex” Cobb on November 26, 1982, was especially memorable. Cobb took the champion the full 15 rounds, yet was brutally beaten and bloodied. After repeatedly expressing revulsion on air, Howard Cosell refused to work any future boxing broadcasts, a circumstance Cobb wryly called “my gift to boxing.” 43

The Astrodome hosted numerous trade shows and other events, including circus performances and religious revivals. A boat show, for example, was held in the Astrodome’s first year of operation. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus also performed in the Dome for many seasons, with Hofheinz briefly owning that circus operation during the 1970s. 

One of the most heavily publicized special events in the Astrodome’s first year was Billy Graham’s Crusade for Christ, a multi-day event that attracted more than 300,000 worshippers, including President Lyndon Johnson, with 61,000 packing the venue to hear Graham’s final sermon. 44 To generate extra revenue, Hofheinz began offering Astrodome tours for $1, a move that brought more than 400,000 visitors into the Dome during its first year alone.

Concerts were a profound part of the Astrodome’s history, too, with numerous top-tier acts coming through. Judy Garland was the first major artist to appear, performing on December 17, 1965, with the Supremes as the opening act. The unprecedented size of the venue was intimidating for some performers. Elvis Presley indicated that he looked forward to a return to Texas for live performances, committing to play at the 1970 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, but he bluntly confessed, “That dome has me scared.” 45

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was responsible for bringing many other top musicians to the Astrodome . In addition to Presley, the organization signed deals with Alabama, Tony Bennett, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Barry Manilow, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Lionel Ritchie, Roy Rogers, Shania Twain, Luther Vandross, Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams Jr., and ZZ Top. Many of them provided several performances over a multi-year period. Of the more than 400 nationally recognized performers featured on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo web site since its inception, the lion’s share of top acts appeared at the Astrodome. 46

Apart from the Livestock Show concerts, numerous other major artists performed at the Dome including The Who, Madonna, Paul McCartney, and the Rolling Stones. An October 28, 1981, Rolling Stones concert was marred by a fatal stabbing. The tragedy prompted a $4.7 million settlement with the victim’s family. The bulk of the settlement was to be paid by the tour promoters, Pace Concerts, though the Houston Sports Association and Harry M. Stevens, the venue’s concessionaire, also had to make payments after an investigation revealed that security was less than adequate. 47    

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was, and remains, a major force in south Texas. Historian Jason Chrystal asserted that even before the Astrodome was built, the executives from this organization were “some of the wealthiest, most powerful, and politically connected in Houston history.” 48 Their political muscle was an important factor in getting the Astrodome constructed, and, once it was built, they were major players in bringing large crowds to its events. Their move to the Astrodome propelled the multi-week Livestock Show and Rodeo to surpass one million in attendance. They continued to bring record-breaking crowds until the event was moved to nearby NRG Stadium in 2003, where, in time, its cumulative attendance exceeded 2 million.

The organization’s focus on a broad range of events meshed well with Roy Hofheinz’s vision for the Astrodome as an all-purpose entertainment venue. As the Astrodome neared completion, the organization built a less elaborate structure, dubbed Astrohall, next to the Astrodome. The building housed Livestock Show offices, administrative resources, and space for several agricultural events that might not draw huge crowds. Hofheinz later constructed AstroWorld, an elaborate theme park, near the Astrodome. It attracted large and enthusiastic crowds. Nevertheless, Hofheinz struggled to manage his finances amid the economic uncertainties of the 1970s, so he sold AstroWorld to the Six Flags Corporation. The facility continued to operate under the Six Flags brand from 1975 until it was closed in 2005.

The Astrodome was expected to host professional football when it opened in 1965, but Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams instead steered clear of the Astrodome until he reached a lease agreement before the 1968 season. Adams was a founding member of the American Football League, an upstart rival to the more powerful National Football League. Hofheinz and Adams feuded over the Astrodome’s lease terms, with Hofheinz setting exceedingly high rental prices while unsuccessfully attempting to lure a competing NFL team to play in the Dome.

Still, football was a major part of the venue’s initial years, with the University of Houston, high-school championships, and bowl games shaping the early schedule. The Astrodome’s first football game was played on September 11, 1965, with Tulsa defeating Houston, 14-0, in a nationally televised matchup. The New York Times’s Frank Litsky covered the game, but focused as much on the stadium as he did on the game. He asserted that football “seemed strange indoors,” adding, “It seemed artificial, just a bit too antiseptic.” He explained that the massive scoreboard was adapted to accommodate football, and indicated that the playing surface was dead grass that was painted green, so “players had trouble getting a grip with their cleats.” 49  

The University of Houston played in the Astrodome through 1997, though by 1993 the Cougars had moved some of their games elsewhere, including nearby Robertson Stadium on its campus; eventually it shifted all its home games to that location. In 1968 Houston trounced Tulsa, 100-6, perhaps providing revenge for the opening loss in 1965, with Larry Gatlin, who would later perform in the Dome as a country music star, scoring a touchdown late in the game. Later, Houston fans were treated to Bill Yeoman’s veer offense in the 1970s and 1980s and to David Klingler’s record-breaking passing attack from 1988 through 1991.

The Astrodome also hosted the Bluebonnet Bowl, beginning with a rebranding of the event as the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl in 1968. In the first contest, Southern Methodist beat the Oklahoma Sooners 28-27. In subsequent years traditional football powers including Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, and USC were among those invited. The game was moved to Rice Stadium in 1985 and 1986. Amid financial struggles, a swan song between Texas and Pittsburgh unfolded in the Astrodome in 1987, with the Longhorns winning 32-27. The annual game was canceled in 1988. 

Despite winning league championships during the 1960 and 1961 seasons, the Oilers struggled for respectability during their first decade in the Astrodome. Their first game there was played on August 1, 1968, a 9-3 exhibition-game victory over the Washington Redskins. Three heart-transplant survivors were introduced to the crowd, showcasing cutting-edge medicine as it evolved in Houston. 

The Oilers never played in a Super Bowl, but after the AFL and NFL merged, the game did come to Houston in 1974. To the disappointment of Roy Hofheinz, whose financial struggles and health issues limited his negotiating abilities, it was not played in the Astrodome. Instead Super Bowl VII was booked at Rice Stadium, the first time a Super Bowl was not played in a venue that served as home to an NFL team. Nevertheless, the Astrodome was chosen to host the NFL’s Super Bowl social event, informally known as the “commissioner’s party,” on the Friday before the game. The facility’s ample space allowed expansion of the invitation list to 2,900, then a record. 50

The Oilers improved dramatically in 1978 when they drafted Earl Campbell, a heralded running back from the University of Texas. Before entering college or the professional ranks, Campbell played in the Astrodome in 1973, leading his John Tyler High School team to a Texas state championship. In his rookie season, Campbell was the first running back ever to score four touchdowns on Monday Night Football , thrilling 50,290 fans with a 199-yard performance. 51  

The Oilers advanced to the AFC Championship game on January 7, 1979, and did so again on January 6, 1980. Both times they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. The 1980 loss, by a score of 27-13, included a controversial call on a pass by Dan Pastorini to Mike Renfro that would have tied the score at 17-17 if ruled complete and possibly shifted the momentum of the game.    

After that defeat, the Oilers returned to Houston, and were led by police escort into a packed Astrodome that was filled with 60,000 appreciative supporters. (Another 15,000 who couldn’t get in cheered outside. An emotional coach Bum Phillips thanked Houston’s fans and told them, “One year ago we knocked on the door, the following year we beat on the door. Next year we’re going to kick it in.” 52 That same day, the Super Bowl-bound Los Angeles Rams were greeted by a mere 3,000 fans after their NFC championship victory. 53 Despite the emotional fan support, the Oilers lost in the AFC wild card game the following year, trounced by the Oakland Raiders, 27-7, again on the road.

Those playoff failures cost Phillips his job, and the Oilers did not return to the playoffs until January 3, 1988, when quarterback Warren Moon led the Oilers to a 23-20 overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks in front of 50,519 Astrodome fans. However, the team lost the following week in Denver. During that season Oilers owner Bud Adams indicated that he was unhappy with the Astrodome, and he threatened to move to Jacksonville if the stadium situation did not improve. His displeasure prompted a $67 million renovation that expanded seating capacity by 10,000 and provided other amenities that Adams demanded. The original scoreboard was dismantled and removed to make room for some of those seats. The Oilers were a competitive team, with a passionate fan base, so the expectation was that the renovation would keep Adams in the Astrodome for at least 10 years.

The Oilers next hosted a playoff game in a newly expanded Astrodome on December 31, 1989, losing again to their perennial nemesis, the Steelers, 26-23, in overtime. A crowd of 59,406 watched Gary Anderson kick a 50-yard game-winning field goal. Two seasons later, Warren Moon tossed two touchdown passes as Houston defeated the New York Jets, 17-10, in front of 61,485 in the wild card game, again in the Astrodome, but the Oilers were defeated 26-24 by the Broncos in Denver a week later. On January 3, 1993, the Oilers made the playoffs but dropped a 41-38 overtime game to the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York, after leading 35-3 in the third quarter. On January 16, 1994, the team played its last playoff game in the Astrodome, a 28-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Adams began to lobby for a new taxpayer-funded open-air stadium. The team would never make the playoffs again while in Houston. 

Despite the $67 million renovations, Adams decided to move his team to Tennessee, making the announcement after a disappointing 1995 season. Adams’s contract with the Astrodome ran through 1997, but after the team played to sparse crowds in 1996, with fans irritated by the Oilers’ lame-duck status, Adams transferred his team to Tennessee a year early. To attract a new football team, the expansion Houston Texans, a larger retractable-roof stadium was built next to the Astrodome and completed in 2002.

Even if the Astrodome did little to satisfy Adams, the venue hosted two major-league All-Star Games, one in 1968, the other in 1986. As the 1968 All-Star Game approached, players were still trying to adjust to the novelty of Astroturf, particularly American League players. St. Louis Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst, who was piloting the NL All-Stars, said, “It takes us a couple of games to get used to it each time,” suggesting that neither league would have an advantage. 54 Despite speculation that the fast surface would result in more scoring than the previous year’s 2-1 finish, the 1968 game concluded with a 1-0 National League victory. Willie Mays earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring the game’s only run. After smashing a single, Mays advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt, took third after a wild pitch, then scored on a double-play ball hit by Giants teammate Willie McCovey. The prime-time contest featured a crowd of 48,321, a record gross of $383,733, and an estimated 60 million TV viewers. 55  

The stadium was less of a focus during the 1986 All-Star Game, presumably because the sports world had adapted to indoor facilities and artificial turf. The 3-2 American League victory attracted a turnout of 45,774, the largest baseball audience at the Astrodome in seven seasons. Texas native Roger Clemens pitched to the entire National League batting order without allowing a single baserunner, a feat that earned him Most Valuable Player honors. 56  

The 1986 season was a special one for the Astros, who advanced to the National League Championship Series to face the New York Mets, a team that racked up an impressive 108 wins. The two 1962 expansion franchises treated fans to an outstanding series. After the Mets topped the Astros in a 12-inning contest in New York to take a 3-games-to-2 lead, the series moved to the Astrodome. In Game Six, on October 15, the Astros tagged Mets starter Bob Ojeda for three runs in the first inning, but then did no more damage until the 14th. Bob Knepper kept the Mets’ potent offense from scoring for eight innings, but they rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to tie the score. The Mets scored a run in the top of the 14th on a single by Wally Backman, but Houston responded with a solo home run by Billy Hatcher. After a scoreless 15th, the Mets scored three runs in the top of the 16th inning. The Astros rallied for two runs, and with two outs and runners on first and second, Kevin Bass pushed Mets reliever Jesse Orosco to a full count, but then struck out on a low off-speed pitch. With Astros ace Mike Scott in the dugout and ready to pitch Game Seven, Houston’s fans were devastated. The Mets went on to win the World Series. Despite attending every Super Bowl ever played, veteran sportswriter Jerry Izenberg called this the “greatest game ever played.” 57

The October 15 game may have been the most exciting Astrodome moment ever, and for Astros fans perhaps the most disappointing, but the Astros provided numerous other memorable moments. The 1980 team advanced to the playoffs with a starting rotation that included Joe Niekro, Nolan Ryan, and J.R. Richard. Richard’s career was tragically ended by a stroke in July, but the team nonetheless advanced to the NLCS to face the Philadelphia Phillies with Games Three, Four, and Five inside the Dome. Houston won Game Three, 1-0, in an 11-inning pitching duel that included 10 scoreless innings from Niekro, putting Houston within one game of earning a World Series berth. However, the Astros dropped Games Four and Five. The clincher ended after Philadelphia’s Garry Maddox drove in the deciding run with a 10th-inning double, sending most of the 44,802 fans away disappointed.

As plans to move out of the Astrodome were in the works, the Astros earned a spot in the National League Division Series in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Those teams featured Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, both perennial All-Stars and, later, Hall of Fame candidates. Biggio was inducted into Cooperstown in 2015. Despite some outstanding regular seasons, the Astros again did not fare well in the postseason. They were swept, 3-0, by the Atlanta Braves in 1997, with the final defeat unfolding in the Astrodome. They avoided a sweep in 1998, but fell to the Padres 3 games to 1 after splitting Games One and Two in the Astrodome.

In the team’s final year in the Astrodome, the Astros again dropped the NLDS to the Braves. After winning Game One in Atlanta, the Astros lost the next three, despite outstanding play by third baseman Ken Caminiti. The final game, a 7-5 Astros loss, was the last major-league baseball game played inside the facility. Some fans spoke of a history of losing close games, while another fan simply said, “I hope Enron Field brings us better luck.” 58 (After Enron became enmeshed in a financial scandal and declared bankruptcy, the new ballpark’s naming rights were sold to Minute Maid, a beverage company.) 

With both the Oilers and Astros gone, the Astrodome was still booked for entertainment. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo brought with it world-class exhibitions in 2001 and 2002. On April 1, 2001, the Astrodome featured WrestleMania, drawing 67,925 fans. The event was broadcast coast-to-coast and in 50 countries. 59 The 2002 Livestock Show was the last one for which the Astrodome would serve as its primary venue. On March 3 a concert by George Strait attracted 68,266, an all-time Astrodome record. When NRG Stadium (then known as Reliant Stadium) was completed in 2002, the Astrodome became expendable as a large-scale entertainment venue.

Still, the Astrodome was put into use from time to time. In 2004 a film crew moved in to produce Friday Night Lights , the last time a Hollywood production crew would work on a major film project inside the Astrodome. It had previously served as the location for other Hollywood projects, including Brewster McCloud and a Bad News Bears sequel. In 2005 the Astrodome became a makeshift shelter for victims of Hurricane Katrina after structural damage to the Louisiana Superdome made that facility unusable for that purpose. It was the last time that the Astrodome received widespread recognition as a publicly used facility.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo moved into NRG Stadium in 2003, but still used the Astrodome for ancillary events. One was a tradition called “The Hideout,” an after-hours social event that featured live music and refreshments. The Hideout continued in the Astrodome through 2008, closing with a performance on March 22 by local country artist Johnny Bush. Few realized that that would be the last public performance in the venue. Later that year, code violations were uncovered that prevented anyone from obtaining a certificate of occupancy.

From that point onward, the Astrodome was off-limits for public events, though numerous proposals to repurpose the structure emerged. Some proposals included converting it into a casino, a film studio, a hotel, a retail center, or an indoor recreation facility. Although support to repurpose the venue emerged, no ideas gained substantial private sector financing, forcing officials into a challenging conundrum. On November 5, 2013, Houston voters were presented with a proposal to invest $217 million of public funds into revitalizing the Astrodome, but the measure failed by 53 to 47 percent.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the Astrodome on its list of the 11 most endangered historic structures in 2013, and by January 2014 the Astrodome was approved for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Cynthia Neely, a historic preservationist, nominated the Astrodome for such recognition, asserting, “It is reprehensible to allow such a valuable asset to just fall apart.” Nevertheless, the classification left the Astrodome’s future in an odd state of limbo. The formal designation, authorized by the National Park Service, added political complexities to attempts to bring the structure down, but was no guarantee against its demolition. The designation provided a mechanism to allow federal and state tax credits for private investments aimed at preservation, yet the size and scope of such a renovation was an ongoing deterrent to achieve such funding. 60

As a more economical option, Ryan Slattery, a University of Houston graduate student, suggested leaving the Astrodome’s steel skeleton and roof structure in place, creating a sort of open-air park area that would retain remnants of the old structure. 61 Later, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials, less enamored with preservation, proposed demolishing the structure and replacing it with parkland that would include a miniature version of the Astrodome in its center. 62 As Houston prepared to host the Super Bowl in 2017 at nearby NRG Stadium, the Astrodome’s exterior was power-washed, but without a substantial investment, code violations ensured that the historic venue would remain unused.

As of 2016 the Astrodome’s future was uncertain, but its legacy as a revolutionary architectural achievement remained secure. The unique structure envisioned by Roy Hofheinz changed the nature of sports spectatorship, introducing fans to previously unmatched levels of opulence and comfort. For better or worse, the Astrodome served to usher in an ideology of consumerism that influenced sports-related construction in cities throughout the world.

ROBERT C. TRUMPBOUR is associate professor of communications at Penn State Altoona. He is the author of The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston’s Iconic Astrodome (Nebraska University Press) and The New Cathedrals: Politics and Media in the History of Stadium Construction (Syracuse University Press). He has taught at Pennsylvania State University, Southern Illinois University, Saint Francis University, and Western Illinois University. Prior to teaching, Trumpbour worked in various capacities at CBS for the television and radio networks.

1 Reid Laymance, “Astros Top 50 Moments.” Houston Chronicle , September 30, 2012: section 2, p. 4

2 Allan Turner, “Despite National Listing, Dome Still Could be Razed,” Houston Chronicle , February 1, 2014: A1.

3 Robert C. Trumpbour and Kenneth Womack, The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Life of Houston’s Iconic Astrodome (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2016). Lloyd & Morgan was renamed Lloyd, Morgan, & Jones while the Astrodome construction was under way, but the initial documentation listed Lloyd & Morgan as architects of record during the planning stages.

4 Edgar Ray, The Grand Huckster: Houston’s Judge Roy Hofheinz, the Genius of the Astrodome (Memphis: Memphis State University Press, 1980), 231.

5 James Gast, The Astrodome: Building an American Spectacle (Boston: Aspinwall Press, 2014), 15-21. 

6 Robert Lipsyte, “Astrodome Opulent, Even for Texas,” New York Times, April 8, 1965: 50.

7 Ray, 257.

8 Roger Kahn, A Season in the Sun (New York: Diversion Books, 2012), 53.

9 Bill McCurdy, “Houston’s Role in the Initiation of Sunday Night Baseball,” The National Pastime , July 2014: 5-9.

10 “The Man and the Idea,” in The Astrodome: Eighth Wonder of the World (Houston: Houston Sports Association, 1966), 5.

11 Trumpbour and Womack.

12 John P. Lopez, “Here Domes the Judge,” Houston Chronicle , March 26, 1995: B26.

13 Robert Lipsyte, “Johnson Attends Opening of Houston’s Astrodome,” New York Times , April 10, 1965: 1; Joseph Durso, “Astros Down Yanks, 2-1, in First Game Played Under Roof, New York Times , April 10, 1965: 23; “60,000 in Atlanta Welcome Braves,” New York Times , April 10, 1965: 23.

14   Dick Peebles, “LBJ: ‘Everybody Will Visit Dome,’ ” Houston Chronicle , April 10, 1965: 1. “Chronicle Cameras at the Dome: Celebrities Help Open Sparkling New Stadium,” Houston Chronicle , April 11, 1965, special section.

15 “Phils Top Astros, 2-0, on Short’s 4-Hitter Before 48,546,” New York Times , April 13, 1965: 43.

16 Joe J ares , “The Big Screen Is Watching,” Sports Illustrated , May 31, 1965: 30.

17 “Baseball Season Opens Today with 270,000 Expected to Attend Nine Games: Astros and Phils in Indoor Contest,” New York Times , April 12, 1965: 46.

18 “Phils Top Astros,” New York Times , April 13, 1965: 43.

19 Barney Kremenko, “Aircaster Perches in Gondola for Bird’s-Eye View of Mets,” The Sporting News , May 15, 1965: 20.

20 “World’s Most Pampered Grass,” in Inside the Astrodome: Eighth Wonder of the World , (Houston: Houston Sports Association, 1965), 76-77.

21 Trumpbour and Womack.

22 Barbara Moran, “Artificial Turf and How It Grew,” American Heritage of Invention and Technology, 20.4, Spring 2005: 8-16.

23  Jason Bruce Chrystal. “The Taj Mahal of Sport: The Creation of the Houston Astrodome.” Ph.D. diss., Iowa State University, 2004, 319-20.

24 “Astros Triumph Over Phillies, 8-2,” New York Times , July 20, 1966: 64.

25 Trumpbour and Womack.

26 “Wilson, Astros Rookie, Pitches a No-Hitter in 2-0 Triumph Over Braves,” New York Times , June 19, 1967: 48. 

27 “No-Hitter for Dierker,” New York Times , July 10, 1976: 1.

28 Ken Rappoport, “As Phils Blast Astros, Astrodome Roof Speaker Is Hit for the First Time,” Corpus Christi Times , June 11, 1974: 13A.

29 “Rains Up to 12 Inches Soak Houston; 4 Dead,” Corpus Christi Times , June 16, 1976: 14A.

30 B.F. Kellum, “Bucs Now History-Makers in Houston,” Franklin (Pennsylvania) News Herald , June 16, 1976: 16. Frank Brown, “Rainout Unique for Rooters,” Franklin News Herald , June 16, 1976: 16.

31 Howard P. Chudacoff , Changing the Playbook: How Power, Profit, and Politics Transformed College Sports (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2016), 45-46.

32 Oscar Kahan, “Alcindor, Hayes Top All-America,” The Sporting News , March 9, 1968: 35.

33 “Big EEE over Big Lew: Houston Upsets UCLA,” Sports Illustrated , January 29, 1968: 1.

34 Chudacoff , 46.

35 Jerry Wizig, “UCLA Stalls Way to 5th Cage Crown,” The Sporting News , April 10, 1971: 60. 

36 Neil Amdur, “Discussed and Dissected, Billie Jean, Bobby Ready,” New York Times , September 20, 1973: 57.

37 Richard O. Davies, Sports in American Life: A History (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2012), 320.

38 “Billie Jean vs. Bobby Match Is Expected to Be the Richest,” Wall Street Journal , August 3, 1973: 7.

39 Barry Tarshis, “A Lot Preceded the Ms.-Match,” New York Times , September 23, 1973: 215.

40 Neil Amdur, “Mrs. King Defeats Riggs, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, Amid a Circus Atmosphere,” New York Times , September 21, 1973: 1.

41 Bob Ottum, “Poor Li’l Midgets, Texas Style,” Sports Illustrated , March 17, 1969: 24.

42 “A Soccer History of Houston,” U.S. National Soccer Players website. ussoccerplayers.com/a-soccer-history-of-houst .

43 Mickey Herskowitz, “Super Bowl XXXVIII – Greetings From Flat City,” Houston Chronicle , January 25, 2004: Outlook, 1.

44 “Finale by Graham Attended by 61,000,” Galveston Daily News, November 29, 1965: 3B.

45 “Elvis Performs Live,” Austin Daily Texan , March 1, 1970: 11.

46 “Past RodeoHouston Performers,” Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo website. rodeohouston.com/Concerts/PastRODEOHOUSTONPerformers.aspx .

47 “Settlement Reached in Concert Slaying,” Galveston Daily News , August 24, 1986: 4A.

48 Chrystal, 37.

49 Frank Litsky, “Tulsa Downs Houston in Astrodome, 14-0,” New York Times , September 12, 1965: S1.

50 Michael MacCambridge, America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation (New York: Random House, 2009), 314.

51 “Campbell Leads Oilers to Win,” Galveston Daily News , November 21, 1978: 1B.

52 “Oiler Rally Draws 75,000,” Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette , January 7, 1980: 3B.

53 “3,000 Fans Greet Rams,” Cedar Rapids Gazette , January 7, 1980: 3B.

54 “Visitors Study Grass and Roof,” New York Times , July 9, 1968: 43. 

55 Leonard Koppett, “National League Wins All-Star Game 1-0 on Mays’s Unearned Run in First,” New York Times , July 10, 1968: 28.

56 Michael Martinez, “All-Star Game a Special Occasion,” New York Times , July 17, 1986: B10.

57 Jerry Izenberg, The Greatest Game Ever Played (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1988).

58 Todd Ackerman, “Astros Last Game in Dome Not So Fan-tastic,” Houston Chronicle , October 10, 1999: A37.

59 Dale Lezon and Danny Perez, “Wild About Wrestlemania/Event Draws Rigs Around All Other Entertainment, Fans Insist,” Houston Chronicle , April 2, 2001: A15.

60 Turner, A1.

61 Kiah Collier, “Pivotal Dates Loom on Fate of Astrodome,” Houston Chronicle , June 8, 2013: A1.

62 Kiah Collier, “Plan: Raze Dome, Build Park: County to Study $66 Million Idea Suggested by Rodeo, Texans,” Houston Chronicle , July 11, 2014: A1.

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11 Most Endangered Historic Places

The Astrodome

• Constructed: 1964
• Location: Houston, Texas

Constructed in 1964, the Astrodome was deemed the “Eighth Wonder of the World” when it opened in 1965. As the world’s first indoor, air conditioned domed stadium, the 18-story multipurpose structure set the bar for arena design and construction for decades to come. A year after opening, it showcased the first installation of an artificial playing surface, soon to be known as Astroturf.

The Dome hosted a variety of sports and entertainment activities in its 40-plus year run. MLB’s Houston Astros and the NFL’s Houston Oilers both claimed it as home field. It was the backdrop for the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match where Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs, as well as for Evel Knievel’s world-record-setting jump in 1971. Countless celebrities performed there, including Judy Garland, the Supremes, Elvis, Selena, and George Strait. It even witnessed major current events: The 1992 Republican Convention was held there, and thousands of evacuees from New Orleans took refuge under its roof after Hurricane Katrina.

With such a rich history, the Astrodome was listed on the National Register of Historic Places both for its architectural and cultural significance in 2014.

The stadium has stood vacant for almost a decade.

In 2013, a county-led plan to reuse the Dome was not approved by voters.

Today, the Dome has been approved for a $105 million renovation plan.

The NFL Oilers left Houston in 1996, the MLB Astros relocated to Minute Maid Park in 2000, and a new NFL franchise, the Houston Texans, began their run in 2002 in the new Reliant Stadium, which is adjacent to the Astrodome. In 2006, the final tenant moved out of the Dome, leaving Houston's "lonely landmark" without a use. Citing code violations, the City of Houston shuttered the structure in 2008. It remains vacant today.

In June 2013, the National Trust added the Astrodome to its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places . That same month, the Harris County Sports and Convention Authority unveiled a proposal to renovate and redevelop the Dome into the world’s largest multipurpose events space. Dubbed the “New Dome Experience,” the plan sought to reinvent the Astrodome as the “front door to Reliant Stadium." By late summer, it was determined that the issue would go before voters as Harris County Proposition 2—a $217 million bond referendum.

While the referendum was unsuccessful, the National Trust worked with Harris County Commissioners Court to identify alternative options for preserving and reusing this landmark. In 2016, the Commissioners Court voted to renovate the Astrodome and begin the redesign process, rather than raze it. In addition, the Texas Historical Commission designated the Astrodome a state antiquities landmark.

Thanks to broad public support and years of advocating for this National Treasure, the National Trust and our partners, including the Astrodome Conservancy , Preservation Houston , Houston Mod , AIA Houston , and Houston Arts & Media , urged Harris County to move forward with a $105 million, preservation-friendly design and restoration plan for the Astrodome in April 2018.

To celebrate this preservation win, the National Trust co-hosted the Domecoming event with the Astrodome Conservancy on April 9, 2018. It was billed as the last opportunity for Houstonians to see inside the Dome before construction began. Approximately 75,000 attended the event, with a line wrapping all the way around the Astrodome itself.

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Houston's Astrodome: 'the eighth wonder of the world' – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 12

Fifty years old today, can the vast, abandoned Houston Astrodome find unlikely redemption as one of the world’s largest indoor parks?

W hen Dene Hofheinz Anton was a young girl in the early 1950s, her father would carve time out of his busy schedule as the mayor of Houston , Texas, to take her to see the Buffaloes, the city’s minor-league baseball team. Mayor Roy Hofheinz had previously served in the state legislature and also as the top official in Harris County, which includes Houston, and his significant status meant he was intimately connected with the goings-on of the city.

Baseball games provided rare bonding time for the politician and his only daughter. In the stands at Buffalo Stadium, the pair would endure heat, humidity and mosquitoes to watch games together, but too often their bonding time was cut short by rain. For young Dene, each rained-out game meant less time with her father.

“One night I just casually said, ‘Daddy, why can’t we play baseball indoors?’” she recalls. “In my 10-year-old mind that seemed like a solution. I was only thinking in terms of, ‘Then we won’t get rained out, and then I get to spend more time with you.’”

Hofheinz saw the wisdom in his daughter’s question. Over the course of the next decade he gathered political, architectural and engineering resources – as well as roughly $31m in public funding – and built what was then the world’s largest indoor stadium, the Harris County Domed Stadium, better known as the Astrodome.

On 9 April 1965, the $37m, county-owned Astrodome opened to the public, with Houston’s business elite comfortably seated in its innovative luxury boxes, its climate controlled to 72F (22C) and its grounds surrounded by thousands of parking spaces. The Astrodome’s first event was an exhibition baseball game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, which president Lyndon B Johnson attended. More than 20 US astronauts from the nearby Nasa centre simultaneously threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and later baseball legend Mickey Mantle hit a home run. The evangelist Billy Graham soon declared the stadium the “eighth wonder of the world”.

Today, 50 years later, the space-age Astrodome sits shuttered, locked behind a fence, riddled with asbestos and used only for storage. Victim to an era it almost single-handedly created, in which teams and fans leave behind old stadiums for flashy new ones, the Astrodome has been idle since 2008 – the Astros moved into a newer stadium downtown in 2000, and the Oilers American football team played there from 1968 before leaving Houston for a newer stadium in Tennessee in 1996.

Dozens of ideas for what to do with the empty building have since been proposed, from hotels and theme parks to ski slopes, but none have mustered the support nor the tens – or more likely hundreds – of millions of dollars it would take to turn those ideas into reality. Demolition alone could cost up to $80m. A November 2013 bond election in Harris County to raise $217m in public funds to refurbish the building into a multi-use facility they called the New Dome Experience failed, with 53.5% of voters against the idea. Previously hailed as an architectural marvel, Houston’s Astrodome now faces an uncertain future.

But now, a new plan gathering support among local politicians, stakeholders and preservationists could save the Astrodome. Proposed by an expert panel convened through the Urban Land Institute, this “vision for a repurposed icon” calls for grass fields, trees, play equipment and exhibition spaces in what could be one of the largest indoor parks in the world.

Seeing the Astrodome in person, it’s hard to imagine such a large building could be so ignored. Its sword-shaped columns tower up almost 100 feet, and grey concrete walls careen around its nearly half-mile circumference. Above, the dome slopes up close to 200 feet high, its thousands of Lucite skylight panels bulbing out geometrically, like the eyeball of a fly.

Inside, there’s more than 350,000 sq ft of area from wall to wall, and with its playing field recessed 30 ft below ground level, an 18-storey building could stand up inside. At its fullest capacity, for its farewell concert in 2002 by the country star George Strait, more than 68,000 people paid to get inside.

Even after years unused, the Astrodome remains Houston’s most-recognisable icon. The fourth most populous city in the US with roughly 2.1 million people, Houston suffers from a reputation associated with unchecked sprawl and car-dependence. It is the largest US city with no zoning regulations. But it’s also one of its most ethnically diverse big cities, and one seeing a rising demand for residential space in the core of the city – inside the “610 loop”, a nearly 100 sq mile area ringed by Interstate 610.

Downtown is in a building boom, and a burgeoning light-rail system is slowly offering new ways to get around at least some segments of the gigantic city. (For a recent nighttime rodeo event, a train emptied almost completely at the stop on the edge of the Astrodome complex, just outside its still-packed 26,000-space parking lot.) The city is densifying and changing, yet transportation officials are also planning to complete a 180-mile-long outer beltway 25 miles from the city centre that would travel through seven counties, pushing the edge of the region’s sprawl even farther.

Houston is perhaps the most American of US cities, straying far from the strict European models of citymaking found so frequently elsewhere. For many, the Astrodome exemplifies that uniqueness, symbolising not just a moment in time or an architectural feat, but a new type of city living.

“When it was built, it really did represent a lot of what was great about Texas and Houston,” says James Glassman, who runs Houstorian , a website about the city’s history. “Whether it was Nasa and the space industry developing, or the air-conditioned model, the car culture – all those things that came out of the 1950s and 60s were put right there into the Astrodome.”

Glassman is one of many Astrodome enthusiasts who’ve rallied to save it by celebrating its reputation. He sells Astrodome T-shirts on his website, and plans to produce 3D-printed Astrodome cufflinks for its 50 th anniversary. More than 7,000 people lined up outside the Astrodome in 2013 for a fundraising auction that sold off hundreds of pairs of stadium seats, memorabilia and even chunks of AstroTurf, netting the county more than $800,000. Near downtown, the 8 th Wonder Brewery recently opened an Astrodome-themed taproom, complete with seats from the stadium auction and the dome’s arching truss painted below its warehouse ceiling. The Astros are honouring the 50 th anniversary at their 18 April game by giving fans small replicas of their former stadium.

But this nostalgia isn’t necessarily widespread. Glassman says Houstonians have a “history problem”, likening it to amnesia. “We’re such a forward-looking city that sometimes great, older properties or sites get neglected or just knocked down altogether,” he says.

Through a 2015 lens, the Astrodome is arguably just another stadium. Despite being the first large indoor stadium, the first to use AstroTurf, the first to entice big spenders with luxury boxes, the first to precisely control the climate and conditions of play, it’s now just one of hundreds worldwide that have done the same and more. The Houston Chronicle’s NFL writer, John McClain, summed up the ambivalence of many people in this March 2013 Twitter post : “If they can tear down Yankee Stadium and the Boston Garden, they can demolish the Astrodome. That’s what pictures, video and books are for.”

The prospect of demolition – raised repeatedly in recent years – disturbed many in Houston and beyond, and spurred local preservationists to come to the Astrodome’s defence. Cynthia Neely, a gregarious, gold-and-silver-haired Houston transplant, is one defender. Sitting on a bench outside the Astrodome on a hot and humid spring day, with carnival rides from the annual Livestock Show and Rodeo swinging in the background, Neely says the first thing she did after moving to Houston in 1980 was take a $1 tour of the Astrodome.

After its closure she worried officials would demolish the building, which its lack of historic status could have allowed with little difficulty. Along with fellow preservationist Ted Powell, Neely submitted an application in 2013 to include the Astrodome on the National Register of Historic Places, unbeknown to county officials. That process requires a building’s owner to apply for recognition and, as a taxpayer in Harris County, Neely is technically one of the Astrodome’s owners – which, she says, “is how I caught them off guard”.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation got involved, naming the Astrodome one of “ America’s 11 most endangered historic places ” in 2013. Beth Wiedower, who heads the National Trust’s Houston office, says the Astrodome is at an awkward age where people don’t think it’s old enough to merit preservation. It’s a problem that’s faced other 30- to 50-year-old buildings, despite being celebrated pieces of architecture. Bertrand Goldberg’s brutalist 1975 Prentice Women’s Hospital building in Chicago began demolition in 2013, for example, and Paul Rudolph’s modernist 1967 Orange County Government Center in New York was recently slated for demolition. “It’s psychological,” Wiedower says. “Once a building is past the 60-year mark, it’s easier to get people behind preserving it.”Demolition was still an option as recently as last summer, when the Texans and the Livestock Show and Rodeo announced a proposal to tear down the Astrodome to its columns and build, in its centre, a scaled-down, 25,000-square-foot version of the stadium they called the Astrodome Hall of Fame.

That proposal didn’t gather much traction, but it got Harris County Judge Ed Emmett thinking. A former state legislator and member of the George HW Bush presidential administration, Emmett has served as the county’s chief-executive since 2007, the year before the Astrodome was shuttered. He’s been a Houstonian since high school in 1966, and lived less than a mile from the stadium – “If you climbed the tree in our front yard you could see the Astrodome,” he says. Now, as the top official in charge of the county-owned stadium, it’s his responsibility to figure out what to do with it. At times that’s been a burden, but Emmett now sees it as an opportunity.

“If you were to start from scratch today and try to build the Astrodome, I don’t think the voters would approve it,” Emmett says. “But it’s an asset that we already own. It already belongs to the taxpayers. Why not put it to some better use?”

Throughout his tenure, Emmett has fielded dozens for projects including hotels, water parks and movie studios. One proposal even suggested flooding the recessed playing field to reenact naval battle scenes. “Obviously that wasn’t going to work,” Emmett laughs, “but it was at least inventive.”

After so many failed ideas for private redevelopments and the county’s own attempt to sell the idea of the “New Dome Experience”, Emmett decided to call in some experts. The county contacted the Urban Land Institute and commissioned a panel of real estate developers, planners, architects and politicians to visit Houston in late 2014 and offer advice on the future of the Astrodome.

In December, the panel released preliminary recommendations, which called for the Astrodome’s interior to be gutted and for the building to be turned into a massive indoor park. Pastel drawings of the proposed park space show grass fields, meandering pathways, full-sized trees, carnival rides and exhibition spaces. The park would be a covered and climate-controlled space available year-round – an oasis in a city where humidity is often in the 80% range and temperatures can leap or fall 40 degrees from one day to the next. Crucially, the report also includes ideas on how such a project could be funded and made financially sustainable.

“I think we were able to produce a plan that was quite specific. It certainly is conceptual but it has a lot of substance to it, and I think that’s an easier thing for people to understand,” says Wayne Ratkovich, a Los Angeles-based developer who chaired the panel. “It has more allure to it, more excitement to it than simply a verbal idea that says, ‘Let’s have this bond measure and we’ll figure out what to do with the Astrodome.’”

“Preservation is no longer about freezing something in time, it’s about giving it new life,” says Stephanie Ann Jones, executive director of Preservation Houston, which has been lobbying on the Astrodome’s behalf for years. Officials foresee the park being used for football tailgate parties, concerts and large events, and as part of the fan experience when Houston hosts the 2017 Super Bowl – something of an internal deadline to get renovations going.

“In two years we’re hoping to have something,” says Edgardo Colón, chairman of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation. “Is it going to be a full-blown park? Probably not. What you see on day one is not necessarily what you’ll see in year five or year ten.” Cushioned stadium seats from the Astrodome sit in the conference room at his law firm’s offices, and renderings of “the New Dome Experience” are still on display. He expects the indoor park plan to be finalised and begin implementation within the next year. Fundraising is underway. Another Astrodome seat sale is being held as part of its 50 th anniversary celebrations.

The park’s cost depends on an as-yet-undecided design, says Emmett, but it’s almost certain to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Colón is confident that some funding can be raised through philanthropy, but public funding, likely a bond, would also be required. It’s an uneasy prospect, given the last Astrodome bond’s failure, which, Emmett notes, didn’t even have an organised opposition. “You have to really sell it. And we understand that whatever we do next time on the dome is going to take an all-out effort.”

To help build his case for a park, Emmett recently travelled to Brandenburg, Germany, to visit Tropical Islands Resort , a 700,000 sq ft indoor beach park built within the hangar of a bankrupt airship company. He’s hoping to bring back lessons about how the park works, and how the skylights in the Astrodome can be tweaked so that grass and other plants can thrive.

For Dene Hofheinz Anton, there are echoes in this trip of her father’s Astrodome-related fact-finding missions during its development, visiting Rome to learn about the Colosseum and the dome-shaped Palazzetto dello Sport basketball stadium. “Judge Emmett is, in his own way I think, kind of inspired by my dad,” she says.

If the current county judge is taking lessons from the predecessor who built a stadium that, in many ways, changed history, it’s a sign that the Astrodome may have another life ahead. Hofheinz Anton, who essentially came up with the concept of the Astrodome, wants it to reopen as soon as possible so that new generations can experience a building she loves so much. “You go in there and look up at that ceiling and you’re just overwhelmed,” she says. “Everybody deserves to walk in there one time in their life.”

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Houston astrodome made its debut 56 years ago today as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’.

Briana Zamora-Nipper , Community Producer

Once billed the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Astrodome is arguably Houston’s most iconic landmark.

With its 9.5-acre footprint, domed roof and electrifying scoreboard, the gleaming Astrodome, officially named the Harris County Domed Stadium (it didn’t stick), debuted April 9, 1965, 56 years ago, as the world’s first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium. Sealed off against Houston’s less than ideal weather, the futuristic, climate-controlled space was considered the first air-conditioned event venue of its size.

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For nearly forty years, the gargantuan structure played host to baseball, football and basketball games, Muhammad Ali boxing matches, rodeos, concerts by stars like Elivs Presley, Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Madonna and Selena, and memorable events like tennis champion Billie Jean King’s legendary triumph over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match and the 1992 Republican convention where Houston resident George Bush won the Republican presidential nomination.

For a time, the Astrodome was among the most-visited man-made attractions in the country, outranked only by the Golden Gate Bridge and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. But by 1996, the Houston Oilers had abandoned the Astrodome, and the state, for a new name and better prospects in Tennessee. And come 1999, the Astros ditched the stadium for Enron Field. The Astrodome fell into disrepair and has sat largely vacant since 2005, when it was briefly reopened as an emergency shelter for thousands of New Orleans residents fleeing Hurricane Katrina.

The Astrodome was condemned in 2009.

In 2014, the Astrodome was listed on the National Register of Historic Places both for its architectural and cultural significance. In 2017, it was designated a state antiquity landmark, joining the auspicious ranks of the Alamo and State Capitol.

The Harris County Commissioners Court approved a plan to repurpose the Astrodome in 2018. Under the $105 million plan, the space was to be transformed into a multi-functional park and event space. In November 2019, the project was scrapped.

“The plan that had been designed wouldn’t have yielded, truly a usable building,” said Hidalgo in 2019. “It’s just not something that would have made it competitive against convention centers elsewhere.”

Hidalgo added that there were no new plans for the Astrodome at the time.

“Right now we don’t have specific plans for the Astrodome,” said Hidalgo in 2019. “It’s just not a priority right now.”

What happened to potential plans for the Astrodome?

Copyright 2021 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Briana zamora-nipper.

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.

ARTS & CULTURE

Remembering the astrodome, the eighth wonder of the world.

Fifty years after its grand opening, the spectre of the Houston stadium still looms large

Jeff MacGregor

Writer-at-Large,  Smithsonian

It was the past’s vision of the future. The greatest dome ever conceived, a climate-controlled wonderland of science and cutting-edge engineering, the biggest indoor space ever made by man, an immense decorated cylinder with a flying-saucer roofline. Half-a-mile around, it was as big as Houston’s dream for itself, as big as the idea of Texas.

Next month marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Houston Astrodome, one of many wonders once dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World. Before  Star Wars  and “Star Trek,” there were  Sputnik , John Glenn and the Jetsons, back when every elementary school cafeteria was filled with metal lunchboxes painted with astronauts and rocket ships. Back when we all believed technology could save us.

The idea of a domed stadium wasn’t new, but it took Judge Roy Hofheinz, a larger-than-life Houston booster, to make it happen. He sweet-talked and strong-armed the city fathers until in 1962 they found themselves—all Brylcreem and two-button suits, Stetsons and heavy shoes—breaking ground on the new home of football’s Oilers and baseball’s Colt 45s not with shovels but with six-guns.

When the building opened, three years later, the renamed Astros beat the Yankees in an exhibition game. It was April 9, 1965. Mickey Mantle hit major-league history’s first indoor home run, but it was the building people talked about. It was everything they said it would be. But it was not then, and is not now, very beautiful.

It wasn’t the curve and counter-curve of Googie-style coffee shops, of ’50s spaceships and San Fernando car washes. Nor was it Eero Saarinen’s lighter-than-air TWA terminal at JFK. Except for its scale, the Astrodome was a shape out of the past, a Colosseum on the bayou.

It was twice as large as any single enclosure ever built before. The immense greenhouse ceiling was a marvel, like the great train sheds of Victorian Europe—but once the Astros outfielders started losing fly balls in the glare, the transparent ceiling was painted over. Which meant the grass died, which meant “AstroTurf” had to be invented. A year later it was America’s third most-visited man-made attraction after the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Rushmore. Between innings the grounds crew wore spacesuits and helmets and cleaned the diamond with vacuums.

Elvis filled the place more than once. Everyone from Evel Knievel and Muhammad Ali to Billy Graham and the Supremes had their names on the marquee. Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King fought the “Battle of the Sexes” here in 1973 (women won), and Nolan Ryan threw one of his seven no-hitters under that unlikely ceiling. Refugees from Katrina washed up here in the hurricane summer of 2005. Like Ellis Island, and not without controversy, it briefly held, housed, then redistributed thousands of them.

By then it was long since clear that the Astrodome was an anachronism. Its replacement since 2002, a gigantic pole barn now called NRG Stadium—get it?—was built beside it, so close that each subtracts from the other in a way every architecture student but no developer or politician understands.

Proposals float up, weightless, to repurpose the emptied Astrodome, reclaim its greatness. No one pulls the trigger. The Astrodome isn’t saved—but somehow it isn’t gone. It’s the perfect avatar of its time, big enough to hold our space age optimism and allay our space age fears.

When the time comes, all you can do is abandon it.

The Astrodome: Building an American Spectacle

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Jeff MacGregor | | READ MORE

Jeff MacGregor is the award-winning Writer-at-Large for Smithsonian . He has written for the New York Times , Sports Illustrated , Esquire , and many others, and is the author of the acclaimed book Sunday Money . Photo by Olya Evanitsky.

The eighth wonder of the world

The astrodome takes off .

In the first ten years of the Astrodome's existence, it was ranked by the U.S. Commerce Department as the third most popular manmade attraction in the United States. Every year, more than 400,000 people came to see the "Eighth Wonder of the World," as it became known.

Most Houstonians were proud of the association of their new dome with space exploration. In the 1960s there was nothing more exciting, more fashionable, than astronauts and outer space.  President Kennedy had declared in his famous 1962 speech at Houston’s Rice University, "We choose to go to the moon," and the national commitment to exploration (and, not incidentally, beating the Soviets in the space race) ignited the imagination of millions of Americans.  Just weeks before the opening of the Astrodome, in fact, the first crewed Gemini flight took off from Cape Kennedy. The timing was perfect.

The new NASA facility was located just south of Houston, in Clear Lake. Its proximity was a chance to brand both the Dome and the city of Houston as modern and technologically advanced.  Astrodome developer Judge Roy Hofheinz (also known as just "the Judge") tacked the "Astro-" theme on to everything he could -- he even recruited 22 astronauts to throw out the first pitch of the first official game, on April 13, 1965. 

AstroTurf square. Contributed by  Bill Vaught. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.

While the dome roof was originally designed to be transparent, when the Astros began to play baseball there in 1965 they quickly discovered that it was somewhere between difficult and impossible to see pop-ups during day games because of the glare (more on those difficulties  here ). Hofheinz ordered the roof painted to cut the glare, at which point the grass died. After watching the Astros play most of their season on dead grass, painted green, Hofheinz implemented the solution that became one of the most persistent parts of the Astrodome's legacy: AstroTurf.

AstroTurf was developed by an R&D section of Monsanto Chemical Company, which was looking for opportunities in the consumer market (Gast, 159). They developed a carpet of interlaced nylon fibers and called it Chemgrass. When Hofheinz learned of Chemgrass, he met with Monsanto executives, who agreed to install their brand-new carpet in the Astrodome as a testbed in time for the next baseball season, free of charge. Changing the name of the product from Chemgrass to AstroTurf was a marketing triumph for both Hofheinz and Monsanto. Although the product would not become profitable for many years, it was installed at many other ballparks and enjoyed consumer name recognition as well due to the development of the AstroTurf doormat with its iconic white daisy.

Astrodome. (1964). Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries.

The dome craze

The dome was designed to be multipurpose, to be used for a variety of sports, concerts, conventions, and any other public gathering Hofheinz could think of. But its primary purpose was to provide a stadium for major league baseball in Houston (more on how that happened  here ). 

In addition to providing a comfortably air-conditioned baseball park, Hofheinz and his associates virtually invented many of the standard features of today's sports arenas, such as luxury boxes, an enormous dynamic scoreboard, numerous and high-quality concessions and restaurants, and better seats for fans. Ben McGuire, an aide to Hofheinz, described his boss's approach:

"Everything had to be spotlessly clean. We went to several World Series together. He saw how dirty the stadiums were, and he said his stadium was never going to be that way....He said he was going to have the best dressed people in town, in neckties and coats, with air conditioning, and he was right. He got people out to baseball games that wouldn’t go in other cities" (Ray, 337).

After the Astrodome's hugely successful launch, sports teams across the country began their own investigations into the feasibility of enclosing or replacing their ballparks. Even in Boston, Red Sox owners considered replacing venerable Fenway Park with an enclosed stadium far from the original location. In Detroit, discussions of building a dome lasted into the early 1970s, and were revived in the mid-1980s when owner Tom Monaghan hired engineers to look into adding a roof to historic Tiger Stadium. In 1966 nearby Louisiana residents passed legislation to fund a dome in New Orleans--by the largest margin in state history. The Superdome opened in 1975.

In early 1967, Harris County Commissioners were informed that Hofheinz had ordered a substantial remodeling of a section of stadium behind the scoreboard. Judge Hofheinz had recently lost his wife, sold his home, and was living in a hotel as a result of his efforts to raise money to buy out former partner Bob Smith. He decided to enlarge his two-story Astrodome office suite into a five-story residence for himself and VIP guests. The renovations would be paid for the Houston Sports Association (HSA) of which Hofheinz owned 88% of the stock (Ray, 362).

Israel, Harold. Foyer to the Presidential Suite in the Astrodome . Copyright Astrodome USA.

The Judge hired a former Disney designer to help him select antique furnishings and develop themes for the various rooms. Hofheinz's private quarters eventually included a miniature golf course, a bowling alley, a beauty parlor, and a puppet theater for his grandchildren. In an effort to lure President Johnson to visit the Dome again, Hofheinz included a presidential suite, complete with the official seal said to be used with permission from LBJ himself. It could also serve as a marketing tool to wow other potential clients, including both the Democratic and Republican 1968 national conventions. 

The Houston Astrodome: A brief history on the iconic stadium

6th April 1965: The Houston Astrodome Stadium, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alan Band/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

HOUSTON - It's considered Houston's Eighth Wonder of the World and despite its dormancy for years, the legacy behind the Astrodome remains a significant part of the city's history. 

MORE: Astrodome designated Texas Historic Landmark

The Astrodome first debuted in April 1965, as the first fully-enclosed, air-conditioned sports stadium that could seat more than 70,000 fans with enough space to add a bowling alley. 

UNDATED: AN INTERIOR SHOT OF THE HOUSTON ASTRODOME IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. Mandatory Credit: Tony Duffy/ALLSPORT

For nearly 40 years, the dome hosted some of the most iconic sporting events, conventions, and concerts. In fact, the King of Rock & Roll himself, Elvis Presley, also performed there. 

(Original Caption) Elvis Presley, sporting his new mod hairstyle, is shown during his recent performance at the Houston Astrodome.

The late great heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali also showed the world a side of him no one had ever seen in his fight against Ernie Terrell after he refused to call him by his newly given name. 

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 06: Boxing: WBA Heavyweight Title, Muhammad Ali (R) in action, throwing punch vs Ernie Terrell (L) at Astrodome, Houston, TX 2/6/1967 (Photo by James Drake/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X12188)

SUGGESTED: How Muhammad Ali, African American Muslims established Houston’s most historic mosque

Not to mention, iconic Tejano singer, Selena Quintanilla had her last performance at the Astrodome before her untimely death in 1995. 

American singer Selena (born Selena Quintanilla-Perez, 1971 - 1995) performs onstage during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo at the Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas, February 26, 1995. The performance was her last before her murder the fol

Astros fans reminisce about the Astrodome

**EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a 2020 report** Longtime Astros fans remember what it was like to watch the 'Stros at the Astrodome.

Since then, the stadium has been relatively inactive and actually closed its doors in 2009. 

In 2012-2013, there were talks to demolish it and have it converted into a parking lot for NRG Park. 

Plan approved to rebuild Astrodome

FOX 26 News anchor/reporter Scarlett Fakhar

Naturally, this was met with heavy criticism, and in 2016, then Harris County Judge Ed Emmett as well as other city council members spared the Dome from a wrecking ball.

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This after thousands of residents packed the million-square-foot stadium in celebration of its 50-year-anniversary in 2015. 

Thousands pack inside the Astrodome for Domecoming celebration

**EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a report in 2018 before renovations were scheduled to be made**

"I remain amazed at the profound emotional bond that Harris County residents, and Texans at large, have with this distinctive building," Emmett said in a letterhead back in 2015. "But it is after all just a building – a debt-free asset owned by the taxpayers of Harris County. And it’s time – past time, really - to put that asset back to work for Harris County and the tenants of NRG Park."

The Debrief - Astrodome renovation

**EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a 2018 report with our Damali Keith**

There were also plans to revitalize the dome, but nothing ever solidified. However, in 2018, the Astrodome was designated as a state landmark ; thereby securing its protection. 

"This Dome is a lot more than just a structure," Emmett said in 2018." It's our history, and it's our lives."

RELATED: NCAA 1971 Original Men’s Basketball Championship Court from the Astrodome now on display

Years since then, the future of the historic stadium remains unclear, but its legacy will remain unforgettable. Additionally, efforts are still being made to maintain the landmark's integrity through the Astrodome Conservancy. 

Astrodome designated as a Texas Historic Landmark

FOX 26 News Reporter Greg Groogan

On Saturday, April 15, residents are invited to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the Astrodome's opening with a race through NRG Park, as well as a post-race birthday party adjacent to the Dome. 

MORE STORIES BY THE AUTHOR

Saturday's event will be the third annual race held by the Astrodome Conservancy, with a 1K race for children and a 5K race for adults. 

You can register for the race by clicking here . To learn more about the Astrodome, visit NRG Park's website. You may also help donate to save the Dome by visiting the Astrodome Conservancy's website.

The Astrodome Conservancy is the champion of the landmark Astrodome on behalf of the people of Houston and Harris County.  

April 6, 2024, houston, let’s get ready to race for the dome >>>.

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Space waste: future of long-dormant astrodome remains up in the air.

The NCAA Men’s Final Four has the national spotlight on Houston and NRG Park, where the historic domed stadium sits unused. What’s next for the Astrodome? In short, not much at all.

Houstonians have historically referred to the Astrodome as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." More recently, though, they might just wonder what has become of it.

The world's first domed sports stadium, a colossal, air-conditioned creation of former Harris County judge, Houston mayor and Houston Astros co-owner Roy Hofheinz in the early 1960s, housed the city's professional baseball and football franchises as well as the United States' largest rodeo. The Astrodome also hosted a Republican National Convention and some of the biggest events and stars in American sports and entertainment, with Elvis Presley, Selena and George Strait performing concerts there, "The Battle of the Sexes" tennis match being staged there, Muhammad Ali fighting there and the "Game of the Century" – a nationally televised college basketball showdown between the University of Houston and UCLA in 1968 – being played there.

Now, as the NCAA Men's Final Four brings a national spotlight back to Houston this weekend , the Astrodome just sits there, having been mostly unused and unoccupied for the last two decades. It could be described as a 9-acre waste of space next to NRG Stadium, which dwarfs the once-iconic dome and will play host to the college basketball games on Saturday and Monday.

And while seeing the Astrodome might inspire awe and conjure fond memories among those coming to town, it also figures to be a source of curiosity for visitors and locals wondering what’s going on with it. The state of the dome and prospects for its future weigh on the minds of those who scout the surrounding NRG Park for special events, according to Ryan Walsh, the CEO and executive director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, a governmental nonprofit that manages the complex on behalf of the county.

"It's coming up in conversation more and more about, ‘What are you guys doing with that?'" Walsh said. "When people come and tour these facilities, for these large events, it's, ‘What about that large building over there? What about the Astrodome?' Unfortunately, it's been the same answer we've had for, gosh, a decade or more now."

That answer is nothing and no changes are imminent. The Astrodome was condemned by the City of Houston in 2009 and does not have a working HVAC system or plumbing, according to Walsh, and a series of ideas to refurbish and repurpose the building since that time have not come to fruition.

Former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett led a $105 million proposal to convert the county-owned Astrodome into a multi-purpose event space with under-the-floor parking, which county commissioners approved in 2018 , but the project fizzled out after Emmett lost an election to Lina Hidalgo later that year. There were concerns about the plan's long-term cost and viability , according to Hidalgo and Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who voted in support of the proposal but said he always had reservations about it.

Ellis, who represents the part of Houston where the Astrodome is located, said there is no longer an interest in spending taxpayer money to refurbish it as construction costs have escalated and county leaders have more pressing priorities such as flood control, community healthcare needs and a backlog in their criminal justice system. Walsh said the county spends about $150,000 per year in utility and insurance costs for the Astrodome as a part of the larger NRG Park complex, and Ellis said any additional funding would need to come from the private or philanthropic sectors.

A plan to resurrect the Astrodome also would need the support of the NFL's Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which are NRG Park's primary tenants. Tearing down the mostly revered domed stadium – an idea for which many Houstonians have expressed support over the years – is off the table after the Astrodome received a state historical designation a few years ago that largely protects it from being demolished or significantly altered.

"We're really in a conundrum trying to figure out how to reuse it, how to make it work," Ellis said. "We've got to make sure we comply with historic preservation and rehabilitation standards but also come up with some design and philanthropic or private-sector funding to make it work.

"I hope it happens," Ellis added. "I haven't seen it."

Looking back, moving forward

Walsh said his nonprofit is starting to have conversations about the future of NRG Park with the Texans and rodeo, which have leases at NRG Stadium through 2032, adding that the Astrodome will be part of those talks. Rodeo president and CEO Chris Boleman, who recently wrapped up the 2023 event, said he wants to see the Astrodome become a usable space and would support a plan that benefits the rodeo and its operations.

The Astrodome Conservancy, a private nonprofit which formed in 2016 at the urging of Emmett, is gradually working to solicit public input, conduct market research and vet outside proposals to get the building up and running again. Executive director Beth Wiedower Jackson said she fields multiple inquiries per month about the Astrodome.

She added that the conversancy, which has a fundraising run scheduled for April 15, has a "very lean budget" and is "very much in the process" of finding a viable solution. Ellis said it's likely to be at least a couple more years before an idea could be galvanized and set in motion at the Astrodome, which is paid for and "structurally solid as a rock," according to Jackson.

The conservancy conducted a public-input campaign in 2021 , with Jackson saying an overwhelming majority of the 7,500-plus respondents wanted to see the Astrodome utilized in some capacity.

"There is very much the public will, and even the political will, to do something with this building," she said. "But there is not a vision right now, today currently, for the public or the politicians to rally around or get behind. There is not even something to say, ‘No, that's not it.' We're trying to come up with that vision."

There has been no shortage of ideas, according to Emmett, who became county judge in 2007 and said he heard proposals to convert the Astrodome into a hotel, a museum, an urban park , a movie studio, an indoor skiing area, a site for archery competitions and even a place where history buffs could flood the dome floor and reenact famous battles. He and some of his staffers traveled to Germany, using money from Emmett's campaign fund, to visit a similar domed structure and get inspiration.

Harris County voters rejected a bond referendum in 2013 to spend $217 million to turn the Astrodome into a multi-purpose event space – with Emmett saying some who voted against it claimed they thought they were voting to demolish the building. A streamlined version of the plan was approved by Harris County Commissioners Court in 2018, with Emmett saying his long-term vision was to raze some of the Astrodome's sidewalls to create a covered-but-open-air facility and eventually have the upper reaches of the building, which has more than 300,000 square foot of space, house offices or businesses.

Emmett said he urged Hidalgo to keep his plan in place and blame him if it didn't work out, but that didn't happen. He said he still hears from Houston-area residents who "swear the reason I lost is because I wouldn't tear down the Astrodome."

Emmett did not express regret, though.

"I think the (plan) we had on the table is by far the most viable," he said.

Hidalgo, who was elected to a second four-year term in November, said in a statement that the previous plan was “simply unrealistic” for a variety of reasons and any proposal for the Astrodome moving forward should be "fiscally responsible and the community must be on board." A future use of the building must be self-sustaining from a revenue standpoint and would ideally come with a benefit to the public, according to Ellis.

Jackson said such a plan also would need to have enough buy-in – from NRG Park tenants, county officials and the Houston-area community – to withstand elections and shifting political winds. She envisions some sort of hub or marketplace that could incorporate local bars and restaurants and tap into Houston's standing as a national leader in medicine as well as space exploration.

"Sustainability and viability hinge on the resources to maintain the building once it's operational and to program it in a way that keeps it dynamic and keeps it on people's radar screen," Jackson said. "It's not just coming once and checking a box, but engaging with the Astrodome over and over again."

Perhaps the Astrodome could once again capture the hearts and imaginations of Houstonians and others around the country and the world, and not just those of a certain age who remember the structure in its heyday. Ellis said he guided a bike tour of Houston that included a young man from India who laughed when told the building was known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” until Ellis arranged for him to see the inside of the Astrodome and it “really did amaze him."

Boleman said rodeo officials are grateful for their run at the Astrodome, which ended in 2002, and recognize its historical significance as well as the deep-seated, emotional connection it has with many Houstonians. As it stands now, though, the dome is less an awe-inspiring place and more of an obstacle for those who use and visit NRG Park.

"We need to address it," Boleman said. "We need to figure something out."

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8th Wonder: A Tour of Houston's Rotting Astrodome

April 3, 2012 4:00AM

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Houston-based LLC envisions an 'Astrodome reIMAGINEd' that would be privately-funded

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A second life for the "8th Wonder of the World"?

"I envision a gateway to the future of NRG Park," native Houstonian Mike Acosta told ABC13 on Wednesday. "A multi-faceted entertainment village."

Early in 2023, Acosta began the formal process of putting together a plan to revitalize the Astrodome - a building he says remains structurally sound. In light of recent statements by local officials, many made to ABC13 , he's ready to match those comments with concepts.

"My goal is to bring a vision," Acosta revealed. "Let's not talk about what is difficult - that's not what Houston is. Houston is about getting things done."

What Acosta, along with three partners - all with connections to the Dome, wants to get done through an LLC called Astrodome reIMAGINEd , is use private funds to develop the Dome into a publicly-accessible, revenue-generating destination to work with NRG Park's primary tenants.

"Creating an extension, another unit that works seamlessly with what the Houston Rodeo and the Texans do there," Acosta said of the longstanding tenants of NRG Park. "Where you can watch the game that's going on next door, you can dine at a brewery, you can go to a concession stand, you can buy Astrodome, Houston Texans, and Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo retail products in there. You can run around on the field of the Astrodome, which is set up with multiple football fields of different sizes. All this project has been done architecturally feasible."

Acosta says it's time to reimagine our city's timeless structure.

"The last public events in the Dome were 15 years ago, almost," Acosta noted. "The Astrodome was built to last. It was over-engineered. But you can't just leave it sitting there."

For more sports news, follow Adam Winkler on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

SEE ALSO: When's Houston hosting another Super Bowl? Astrodome's unsettled future may hold key to the answer

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Wait, What's Going On With the Astrodome Now?

By Morgan Kinney March 25, 2019 Published in the April 2019 issue of Houstonia Magazine

Image: Library of Congress

We thought this was over, too. After more than a decade of bickering about its future, the 54-year-old Astrodome was supposedly saved—just a $105 million nip and tuck away from a second life as a multi-use event space and parking structure. Then Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo surfaced a little-known detail in a recent KUHF interview : “What I’m discovering is that the 105 [million] that was allocated is not enough to air-condition the building,” she said before explaining her intention to reevaluate the county’s plans put into motion by her predecessor, former county judge Ed Emmett. What exactly does that mean for the state of the Dome? Let’s break it down.

What’s the plan that Hidalgo inherited?

Under the $105 million plan unanimously approved by County Commissioners in April of last year, the new Astrodome would feature a 1,400-space parking garage to replace the sunken playing field, along with nine acres of indoor event space on top. Indeed, replacing the Dome’s 6,000-ton air-conditioning condenser was not factored into those costs: Judge Emmett repeatedly stated that his priority was to get the Dome back in operation as a revenue-generating asset. The idea was that the space would be useable, at least initially, without full climate control. County Engineer John Blount is on the record as saying A/C was on the table for “further phases” of renovation. Yet, as Hidalgo wondered in the same interview: “Is the current design enough for folks to actually want to rent it out?”

What alternative plans have been considered for the stadium?

Many will remember the contentious $217 million Astrodome bond proposal that went before voters in 2013. Similarly to the current plan, the bond sought to convert the Eighth Wonder of the World into event space alongside 400,000 square feet of plaza and green areas, but voters, unconvinced of its value, rejected it. Other, more fanciful ideas for the landmark have ranged from movie studio to indoor amusement attraction to the world’s largest indoor park. A number of temporary “activations,” too, have been submitted to spruce up the place while we wait for construction to start; one dormant proposal for a “Star Dome” sought to harness the building’s 4,000 skylights to create “the biggest screen in the world” for light shows and movie screenings.

What would it take to install the air-conditioning?

There are only estimates so far, but to re-create what was once perhaps the largest A/C project of all time (engineers basically invented the technology for the Astrodome back in the ’60s) is sure to cost a good chunk of change. Commissioners have pegged the figure for installation in the tens-of-millions range.

This is getting expensive. Can we still just tear it down?

In January 2017 the Texas Historical Commission unanimously voted to designate the Dome a state antiquities landmark, meaning that along with other all-time classics including the Alamo and the State Capitol, you can’t knock down or even alter the stadium without a THC permit. And even if such a permit were granted, a teardown would prove challenging. For one, the Dome sits too close to NRG Stadium to safely implode, so the thing would have to be dismantled piece by piece. Then you would have to truck in enough dirt to fill the 25-foot-deep hole where the sunken playing field sits. Low-end estimates for the entire process start at about $40 million and skyrocket from there. Add the fact that flattening the Dome into a parking lot would yield roughly a third as many revenue-generating spaces as the current plan, and the county makes a logical case that renovation would prove more cost-effective in the long run.

So what can we expect going forward?

More waiting! “This is really on the back burner for us at this juncture,” Kiran Khalid, Hidalgo’s director of communications, told Houstonia . She explained that county priorities currently include how to best disburse last year’s $2.5 billion Harvey flood bond to affected communities, and the criminal-justice reform proposals Hidalgo campaigned on. The county is “still working through the plan details” with project managers to determine how to approach the Dome’s air-conditioning issue, among others. The path forward remains hazy, in other words, but Khalid made one thing quite clear: “Speculating on what will happen with the Astrodome and when is not at the top of mind for us.”

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Space waste: Future of long-dormant Astrodome remains up in the air

Houstonians have historically referred to the Astrodome as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." More recently, though, they might just wonder what has become of it.

The world's first domed sports stadium, a colossal, air-conditioned creation of former Harris County judge, Houston mayor and Houston Astros co-owner Roy Hofheinz in the early 1960s, housed the city's professional baseball and football franchises as well as the United States' largest rodeo. The Astrodome also hosted a Republican National Convention and some of the biggest events and stars in American sports and entertainment, with Elvis Presley, Selena and George Strait performing concerts there, "The Battle of the Sexes" tennis match being staged there, Muhammad Ali fighting there and the "Game of the Century" – a nationally televised college basketball showdown between the University of Houston and UCLA in 1968 – being played there.

Now, as the NCAA Men's Final Four brings a national spotlight back to Houston this weekend , the Astrodome just sits there, having been mostly unused and unoccupied for the last two decades. It could be described as a 9-acre waste of space next to NRG Stadium, which dwarfs the once-iconic dome and will play host to the college basketball games on Saturday and Monday.

And while seeing the Astrodome might inspire awe and conjure fond memories among those coming to town, it also figures to be a source of curiosity for visitors and locals wondering what’s going on with it. The state of the dome and prospects for its future weigh on the minds of those who scout the surrounding NRG Park for special events, according to Ryan Walsh, the CEO and executive director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, a governmental nonprofit that manages the complex on behalf of the county.

"It's coming up in conversation more and more about, ‘What are you guys doing with that?'" Walsh said. "When people come and tour these facilities, for these large events, it's, ‘What about that large building over there? What about the Astrodome?' Unfortunately, it's been the same answer we've had for, gosh, a decade or more now."

That answer is nothing and no changes are imminent. The Astrodome was condemned by the City of Houston in 2009 and does not have a working HVAC system or plumbing, according to Walsh, and a series of ideas to refurbish and repurpose the building since that time have not come to fruition.

Former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett led a $105 million proposal to convert the county-owned Astrodome into a multi-purpose event space with under-the-floor parking, which county commissioners approved in 2018 , but the project fizzled out after Emmett lost an election to Lina Hidalgo later that year. There were concerns about the plan's long-term cost and viability , according to Hidalgo and Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who voted in support of the proposal but said he always had reservations about it.

Ellis, who represents the part of Houston where the Astrodome is located, said there is no longer an interest in spending taxpayer money to refurbish it as construction costs have escalated and county leaders have more pressing priorities such as flood control, community healthcare needs and a backlog in their criminal justice system. Walsh said the county spends about $150,000 per year in utility and insurance costs for the Astrodome as a part of the larger NRG Park complex, and Ellis said any additional funding would need to come from the private or philanthropic sectors.

A plan to resurrect the Astrodome also would need the support of the NFL's Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which are NRG Park's primary tenants. Tearing down the mostly revered domed stadium – an idea for which many Houstonians have expressed support over the years – is off the table after the Astrodome received a state historical designation a few years ago that largely protects it from being demolished or significantly altered.

"We're really in a conundrum trying to figure out how to reuse it, how to make it work," Ellis said. "We've got to make sure we comply with historic preservation and rehabilitation standards but also come up with some design and philanthropic or private-sector funding to make it work.

"I hope it happens," Ellis added. "I haven't seen it."

Looking back, moving forward

Walsh said his nonprofit is starting to have conversations about the future of NRG Park with the Texans and rodeo, which have leases at NRG Stadium through 2032, adding that the Astrodome will be part of those talks. Rodeo president and CEO Chris Boleman, who recently wrapped up the 2023 event, said he wants to see the Astrodome become a usable space and would support a plan that benefits the rodeo and its operations.

The Astrodome Conservancy, a private nonprofit which formed in 2016 at the urging of Emmett, is gradually working to solicit public input, conduct market research and vet outside proposals to get the building up and running again. Executive director Beth Wiedower Jackson said she fields multiple inquiries per month about the Astrodome.

She added that the conversancy, which has a fundraising run scheduled for April 15, has a "very lean budget" and is "very much in the process" of finding a viable solution. Ellis said it's likely to be at least a couple more years before an idea could be galvanized and set in motion at the Astrodome, which is paid for and "structurally solid as a rock," according to Jackson.

The conservancy conducted a public-input campaign in 2021 , with Jackson saying an overwhelming majority of the 7,500-plus respondents wanted to see the Astrodome utilized in some capacity.

"There is very much the public will, and even the political will, to do something with this building," she said. "But there is not a vision right now, today currently, for the public or the politicians to rally around or get behind. There is not even something to say, ‘No, that's not it.' We're trying to come up with that vision."

There has been no shortage of ideas, according to Emmett, who became county judge in 2007 and said he heard proposals to convert the Astrodome into a hotel, a museum, an urban park , a movie studio, an indoor skiing area, a site for archery competitions and even a place where history buffs could flood the dome floor and reenact famous battles. He and some of his staffers traveled to Germany, using money from Emmett's campaign fund, to visit a similar domed structure and get inspiration.

Harris County voters rejected a bond referendum in 2013 to spend $217 million to turn the Astrodome into a multi-purpose event space – with Emmett saying some who voted against it claimed they thought they were voting to demolish the building. A streamlined version of the plan was approved by Harris County Commissioners Court in 2018, with Emmett saying his long-term vision was to raze some of the Astrodome's sidewalls to create a covered-but-open-air facility and eventually have the upper reaches of the building, which has more than 300,000 square foot of space, house offices or businesses.

Emmett said he urged Hidalgo to keep his plan in place and blame him if it didn't work out, but that didn't happen. He said he still hears from Houston-area residents who "swear the reason I lost is because I wouldn't tear down the Astrodome."

Emmett did not express regret, though.

"I think the (plan) we had on the table is by far the most viable," he said.

Hidalgo, who was elected to a second four-year term in November, said in a statement that the previous plan was “simply unrealistic” for a variety of reasons and any proposal for the Astrodome moving forward should be "fiscally responsible and the community must be on board." A future use of the building must be self-sustaining from a revenue standpoint and would ideally come with a benefit to the public, according to Ellis.

Jackson said such a plan also would need to have enough buy-in – from NRG Park tenants, county officials and the Houston-area community – to withstand elections and shifting political winds. She envisions some sort of hub or marketplace that could incorporate local bars and restaurants and tap into Houston's standing as a national leader in medicine as well as space exploration.

"Sustainability and viability hinge on the resources to maintain the building once it's operational and to program it in a way that keeps it dynamic and keeps it on people's radar screen," Jackson said. "It's not just coming once and checking a box, but engaging with the Astrodome over and over again."

Perhaps the Astrodome could once again capture the hearts and imaginations of Houstonians and others around the country and the world, and not just those of a certain age who remember the structure in its heyday. Ellis said he guided a bike tour of Houston that included a young man from India who laughed when told the building was known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” until Ellis arranged for him to see the inside of the Astrodome and it “really did amaze him."

Boleman said rodeo officials are grateful for their run at the Astrodome, which ended in 2002, and recognize its historical significance as well as the deep-seated, emotional connection it has with many Houstonians. As it stands now, though, the dome is less an awe-inspiring place and more of an obstacle for those who use and visit NRG Park.

"We need to address it," Boleman said. "We need to figure something out." Copyright 2023 Houston Public Media News 88.7. To see more, visit Houston Public Media News 88.7 .

A Lasting Memory: Selena Quintanilla's Cadillac and the Echoes of Her Last US Concert

Selena Quintanilla , the beautiful and talented “ Queen of Tex-Mex ,” captivated audiences at every concert, performing songs that became fan favorites, such as “ Amor Prohibido ,” “ Si Una Vez ,” “ Como La Flor ,” “ Carcacha ,” “ Bidi Bidi Bom Bom ,” among many others that marked a repertoire full of hits.

Fans remember various anecdotes about the famous star who was also a businesswoman, fashion designer, and car collector, marking important stages in her life.

A very particular detail was her last concert held at the Houston Astrodome in Texas in February 1995 , when the young singer and her band “ Los Dinos ” won over more than 70,000 people who attended the most memorable event in Selena's history . This event, besides being so special, was also the last of her artistic career.

It was precisely at this concert in the United States that, at the moment of finishing and saying goodbye to her audience, she did so from a classic-style convertible Cadillac , while waving goodbye with her hands. This scene you can see in the video at the end of this article.

What Cadillac did Selena Quintanilla enjoy at her last great concert?

Obviously, for such an event in Houston, Texas in February 1995, a car that starred alongside and accompanied Selena Quintanilla could not be missing. What better selection for an unforgettable queen than the 1975 Cadillac , completely adapted for the occasion as a convertible, with automatic transmission and a 500ci V8 engine.

This model was intended for the most impressive performer of all time to say goodbye to her audience at the end of the concert at the Houston Astrodome in February 1995 . She made a tour that became the most memorable in musical history and for her fans.

Another special detail of this vintage and elegant car are its reclining front seats and the spacious rear area where the singer appeared, completely comfortable with a total capacity of 5 seats.

These seats are designed with high-quality leather upholstery, featuring the instrument panel in front of the driver that displays the indicators for speedometer, fuel, air pressure, wood details up to the simplicity of driving at 190HP.

In the following video, you can see star Selena Quintanilla saying goodbye to her audience as she enters the grand 1975 Cadillac Eldorado to make the final tour of her life in front of all her fans.

Video of Selena Quintanilla in the Cadillac Eldorado

Where is the Astrodome going - THU 8A The Walton & Johnson Show

On this hour of the W&J show, the boys talk about a possibly upcoming apocalypse and in other news, the Astrodome may be moved.

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