Astrodome
The NRG Astrodome,[6] formerly and also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, United States, with a record attendance of 68,266 set by George Strait in 2001.
This article is about the stadium in Houston, Texas. For aeronautical use, see Astrodome (aeronautics).Former names
- Harris County Domed Stadium (1965)
- Houston Astrodome
(1965–2000) - Reliant Astrodome
(2000–2014)
8400 Kirby Drive
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Astrodome USA
George Strait concert 68,266
- Original
- Left field – 340 ft (104 m)
- Left center – 375 ft (114 m)
- Center field – 406 ft (124 m)
- Right center – 375 ft (114 m)
- Right field – 340 ft (104 m)
- Backstop – 60.5 ft (18 m)
- Final
- Left field – 325 ft (99 m)
- Left center – 375 ft (114 m)
- Center field – 400 ft (122 m)
- Right center – 375 ft (114 m)
- Right field – 325 ft (99 m)
- Backstop – 52 ft (16 m)
- Grass (1965)
- Painted dirt (1965)
- AstroTurf (1966–present)
January 3, 1962
April 9, 1965
1988–1989
2008
December 8, 2013 (partial)
US$35 million
($338 million in 2023 dollars[3])
- Hermon Lloyd & W. B. Morgan
- Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson
- Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury
- I.A. Naman Associates, Inc.
- John G. Turney & Associates
H. A. Lott, Inc.[1]
January 15, 2014
January 27, 2017
It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz, mayor of Houston and known for pioneering modern stadiums. Construction on the stadium began in 1963, more than a year after the ceremonial groundbreaking, and it officially opened in 1965. It served as home to the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 until 1999, and the home to the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL)/National Football League (NFL) from 1968 until 1996, and also the part-time home of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1971 until 1975. Additionally, the Astrodome was the primary venue of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo from 1966 until 2002. When opened, it was named the Harris County Domed Stadium and was nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
After the original natural grass playing surface died, the Astrodome became the first major sports venue to install artificial turf in 1966, which became known as AstroTurf. In another technological first, the Astrodome featured the "Astrolite", which was the first animated scoreboard. The stadium was renovated in 1988–1989, expanding seating and altering many original features.
By the 1990s, the Astrodome was becoming obsolete. Unable to secure a new stadium, Oilers owner Bud Adams moved the team to Tennessee after 1996, and became the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The Astros played at the dome through 1999, then relocated to Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park) in 2000.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continued to be held at the Astrodome until the opening of the adjacent NRG Stadium in 2002 (which coincided with the debut of the Houston Texans, the team that replaced the Oilers). Although the Astrodome no longer had any primary tenants, it regularly hosted events during the early 2000s. It was used as a shelter for residents of New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Astrodome was declared non-compliant with fire code by the Houston Fire Department in 2008 and parts of it were demolished in 2013 after several years of disuse. In 2014, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2][7]
History[edit]
Conception[edit]
Major League Baseball expanded to Houston in 1960, when the National League agreed to add two teams. The Houston Colt .45s (renamed the Astros in 1965) were to begin play in 1962, along with their expansion brethren New York Mets. Roy Hofheinz, a former mayor of Houston, and his group were granted the franchise after they promised to build a covered stadium. It was thought a covered stadium was a must for a major league team to be viable in Houston due to the area's subtropical climate and hot summers. Game-time temperatures are usually above 97 °F (36 °C) in July and August, with high humidity and a likelihood of rain. Hofheinz claimed inspiration for what became the Astrodome from a tour of Rome, where he learned that the builders of the ancient Colosseum installed a giant velarium (fabric awning) to shield spectators from the sun.
The Astrodome was conceived by Hofheinz as early as 1952, when he and his daughter Dene were rained out once too often at Buffalo Stadium, home of Houston's minor league baseball team, the Houston Buffs. Hofheinz abandoned his interest in the world's first air-conditioned shopping mall, The Galleria, and set his sights on bringing major league baseball to Houston.[8]
Closure[edit]
In 2008, the facility was cited for numerous code violations. Since then, only maintenance workers and security guards have been allowed to enter the stadium while it is brought up to code.[31] The city council rejected demolition plans on environmental grounds, over concerns that demolition of the Dome might damage the dense development that today closely surrounds it.[32]