Houston Astrodome (photo by Kenn Stearns)

When it opened in 1965, the Harris County Domed Stadium was nicknamed the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Today the Houston Astrodome is living on borrowed time, one of many major city stadiums eclipsed by more modern corporate-friendly facilities. As a young boy I recall watching the Houston Colt .45s which were renamed the Houston Astros when the new stadium opened.

Opening with a Bermuda grass field and semitransparent Lucite panes in the domed roof,  players complained about glare so two large sections of panes were painted white which killed the grass. A year later a new type of artificial grass was installed and AtroTurf was born. Of my many visits to the Astrodome over the decades that followed, I most recall the scoreboard. It was four-stories tall and was animated with indoor fireworks and thousands of lights. After every Astros home run, the scoreboard would come alive with a long animated celebration featuring pistols, bulls, and a baseball bursting through the domed ceiling. Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams caused the scoreboard to be removed in September 1988 to make way for renovations.

From Mickey Mantle’s first Astrodome home run in 1965 to the NBA All-Star Game in 1989 and many years of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo performances to Hurricane Katrina relief for 25,000 New Orleans evacuees in 2005, the Astrodome has lived a long and memorable life as a Houston landmark.