Houston Astrodome
| Eighth Wonder of the World | |
View of the Astrodome in 2014
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| Former names | Harris County Domed Stadium (1965) Houston Astrodome (1965–2000) Reliant Astrodome (2000–2014) |
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| Location | 8400 Kirby Drive Houston, Texas 77054 |
| Coordinates | 29°41′6″N 95°24′28″W / 29.68500°N 95.40778°WCoordinates: 29°41′6″N 95°24′28″W / 29.68500°N 95.40778°W |
| Public transit | NRG Park |
| Owner | Harris County |
| Operator | Astrodome USA |
| Record attendance | Wrestlemania XVII 67,925 |
| Field size | Original Left field – 340 feet (104 m) Left Center Field – 375 feet (114 m) Center field – 406 feet (124 m) Right Center Field – 375 feet (114 m) Right field – 340 feet (104 m) Backstop – 60.5 feet (18 m) Final Left field – 325 feet (99 m) Left Center Field – 375 feet (114 m) Center field – 400 feet (122 m) Right Center Field – 375 feet (114 m) Right field – 325 feet (99 m) Backstop – 52 feet (16 m) |
| Surface | Grass (1965) Painted Dirt (1965) AstroTurf (1966–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 3, 1962 |
| Opened | April 9, 1965 |
| Renovated | 1988, 1989 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Construction cost | US$35 million ($266 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Hermon Lloyd & W. B. Morgan Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury |
| Structural engineer | Walter P Moore |
| Services engineer | I.A. Naman Associates, Inc. John G. Turney & Associates |
| General contractor | H. A. Lott, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
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Houston Astros (MLB) (1965–99) Houston Cougars (NCAA) (1965–97) (1966–2002) Houston Stars (USA/NASL) (1967–68) Houston Oilers (AFL/NFL) (1968–96) Bluebonnet Bowl (NCAA) (1968–84, 1987) Houston Rockets (NBA) (1971–75) Houston Texans (WFL) (1974) Houston Hurricane (NASL) (1978–80) Houston Gamblers (USFL) (1984–85) Houston Bowl (NCAA) (2000–01) Houston Energy (WPFL) (2002–06) |
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The Astrodome
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| NRHP Reference # | 13001099 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 15, 2014 |
| Designated TSAL | January 27, 2017 |
The NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply The Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas. Construction on the stadium began in 1962, and it officially opened in 1965. It served as home to the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB) from its opening in 1965 until 1999, and the home to the Houston Oilers of the 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 from 1966 until 2002. When opened, it was named the Harris County Domed Stadium and was nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
While originally utilizing a natural grass playing surface, the Astrodome became the first major sports venue to feature artificial turf, which became known as AstroTurf. In another technological first, the Astrodome featured the "Astrolite", which was the first animated scoreboard. The Astrodome received considerable renovations in 1988 that significantly expanded seating, and altered 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 the 1996 season, where they eventually became the Tennessee Titans. The Astros played at the dome through the 1999 season, before relocating to Minute Maid Park in 2000, while the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continued to be held at the Astrodome until the opening of the adjacent NRG Stadium in 2002. Although it no longer had any primary tenants, the venue regularly hosted events during the 2000s, and in 2005, was used as a shelter for residents of New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina. 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. In 2017, the Texas Historical Commission designated the Astrodome a State Antiquities Landmark.
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