One Site, So Many Memories ASTRODOMEMEMORIES.ORG

One Site, So Many Memories
ASTRODOMEMEMORIES.ORG
THE ASTRODOME
Called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” when it opened, the Harris County Domed
Stadium would soon become known as the Houston Astrodome. It was built with
shameless audacity and meticulous attention to detail, on 200 empty acres six
miles southeast of downtown Houston.
The Astrodome, located in the NRG (formerly Reliant) Park complex, provided many
exciting and memorable moments in the lives of countless Houstonians as well as
visitors from around the world when it opened in 1965 until it closed in 1999. Its
history is a significant and important part of the City of Houston. The Astrodome
was the first fully-domed and air-conditioned sports stadium in the world, the first
stadium with luxury skyboxes and the first stadium to install artificial turf. Owned by
Harris County, it was home to the Astros, the Oilers, the Rockets, and the Houston
Livestock Show and Rodeo. It has held record-breaking crowds at concerts, been
the highlight of local events, and served as a place of refuge after Hurricane Katrina.
In 2014, the Astrodome was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The vision behind the Astrodome began with Judge Roy Hofheinz and Houston Sports
Association members Craig Cullinan and George Kirksey. With support from the taxpayers,
Harris County led the project, and a team of architects and engineers, including S.I. Morris,
made history with their bold new plan. Many more Houstonians would play a role in bringing this
plan to life.
On April 9, 1965, a sold-out crowd watched the first indoor, air-conditioned sports event in
history. Texas Governor John Connally threw the first pitch while President Lyndon B. Johnson
and his wife Lady Bird watched the game from the private box of Judge Roy Hofheinz. The
Astros beat the Yankees that night, 2-1.
In 1962, the Colt .45s were an expansion team in Houston. The Astros team name was adopted
three years later, when they moved into the Astrodome where they played until 1999. Houston
Astros players like Larry Dierker, José Cruz, and Nolan Ryan became a part of Houston sports
history in the Dome.
The Houston Oilers played in the Astrodome from 1968 to 1996. Luv Ya Blue fever swept
Houston in the late 1970s when the Oilers, under Coach A.O. “Bum” Phillips, went to two
straight AFC Championship games. Despite losing both games, the team returned to Houston
to a packed Astrodome of cheering fans.
AstroWorld, which opened on June 1, 1968, was envisioned by Judge Roy Hofheniz as part
of the Astrodomain complex, and the design was held to his high standards. Modern tram
vehicles shuttled guests from parking lots by the Astrodome to the Astroworld entry plaza on the
opposite side of the freeway.
The scoreboard in the Dome was a modern marvel on its own. The four-story “Astrolite” was
composed of thousands of light bulbs that would run animations of pistols, bulls, fireworks, and
the famous Chester Charge character.
In the new Astrodome, attention was paid to every detail. Futuristic costumes were designed for
all the employees including the Spacettes, or hostesses, and the Space Finders, or parking lot
attendants, who would help you park your car. Even the groundskeepers and ushers seemed
ready for space flight with their glistening uniforms.
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali fought Cleveland Williams in the Astrodome on
November 14, 1966 in front of a then-indoor world record crowd of 35,460 people. In February
1967, Ali was back in the Dome against Ernie Terrell having told him in an interview: “My name is
Muhammad Ali, and you will announce it right there in the center of that ring after the fight.” Ali
dominated both matches.
Tennis turned spectacle in the Astrodome on September 20, 1973 when Billie Jean King
accepted Bobby Riggs’ challenge and then defeated him in the Battle of the Sexes. The
audience of 30,472 in the Astrodome, a record in tennis until 2012, saw King carried aloft into
the match to wild cheers.
In 1970, the Astrodome was chosen as the first venue outside of Las Vegas for Elvis to perform
in this phase of his career. When asked in an interview about the inside of the Dome, Elvis
laughed and replied: “It’s a big place, man, you know.” Elvis played in the Dome again in 1974.
Selena’s legendary performance at the Houston Astrodome on February 26, 1995 set the record
for the largest crowd in the history of the Houston Astrodome with more than 61,000 spectators.
The Astrodome was home to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo from 1966 until 2002.
Barrel races, bucking broncos, and big-name concerts made the Rodeo in the Dome the
signature Houston event and the largest indoor rodeo in the world.
In August 2005, the Astrodome’s doors were opened to 25,000 New Orleans residents seeking
refuge after Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of Houstonians answered the call to volunteer. Harris
County Judge Robert Eckels said in the Houston Chronicle, “She’s still a proud house. This was
probably her highest calling.”
There are so many memories of the Houston Astrodome, the Eighth Wonder of the World, and
we encourage you to share your own at astrodomememories.org.
Astrodome memories are your memories: of Houston, of big sports events, highschool moments of fame, rodeos, astronauts, and history in the making. We were
all there together!
The Astrodome Memories project brings together images, documents, and
multimedia from archives in Houston, in Texas, and nationwide with memories—
both big and small—from across our community.
The goal of the Astrodome Memories Project is to capture and preserve the cultural
history of the Astrodome. The website has been created to allow researchers,
students, and community members to interact with and contribute to preserving
this heratage.
Astrodome Memories project partners include the Houston Public Library, the
Harris County Archives, the University of Houston Libraries, the Woodson Research
Center at Rice University’s Fondren Library, the Texas Archive of the Moving Image,
and the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at
Austin.
The Astrodome Memories Coloring Book was produced by Houston Public Library,
March 2016.
Artwork by Deon Robinson
This project has been made possible in part by support from
the Institute of Museum and Library Services provided by
the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.