Inside the abandoned ‘dome’ stadium dubbed ‘eighth wonder of the world’ that lies dormant but CAN’T be knocked down
THIS is the sad story of a stadium that has seen it all but now lies derelict.It was once dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World and hosted greats from Muhammad Ali to Elvis Presley.
The Astrodome hosting a Major League Baseball game in 1987Credit: Getty
In 1966, Muhammad Ali knocked out Cleveland Williams at the venueCredit: AP:Associated Press
The previous attempt to save the famous dome failed in 2019 after a judge’s decision on air conditioning.
The Houston Astrodome was built in 1965 and was the world’s first multi-purpose domed sports arena.
On that day, a sold out crowd of 47,879 watched a baseball game between the Astros and the New York Yankees, with President Lyndon Johnson and his wife in attendance.
Muhammad Ali would fight at the venue a year later, knocking out Cleveland Williams in November 1966.
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That would be the first of four fights he would have at the Astrodome.
And in 1970, it would host Elvis Presley, with the dome the perfect structure for the type of show the King would perform.
However, after a pre-season match was postponed in 1995 due to the dilapidated condition of the field, the Astros demanded a new stadium.
This was provided in 2000 when Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park), was built in downtown Houston.
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How the Astrodome looks from aboveCredit: Alamy
Elvis Presley would perform at the Astrodome in 1970Credit: Getty
Ali beat Buster Mathis by unanimous decision in 1971Credit: Getty
And in 2002 the Astrodome was upstaged as a concert venue by the retractable-roofed Reliant Stadium (now NRG Stadium) which moved in next door.
Three years later, it would earn fame for reasons off the field, as it led relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Over 25,000 refugees from neighbouring New Orleans were housed at the dome until they could return home or alternative accommodation was found.
But in 2008 it was cited for numerous code violations, with only maintenance workers and security guards allowed to enter the ground since.
However, the city council will not allow the venue to be demolished on environmental grounds, due to concerns that the demolition could damage the highly populated development in the surrounding area.
And in 2017 the Texas Historical Commission designated the stadium a State Antiquities Landmark, meaning nobody can alter the structure without the commission’s permission.
A number of proposals have been made for the venue, from an Olympic Stadium to indoor park.
However the one that got closest to getting off the ground was for it to be renovated and become an indoor parking garage, at a cost of $105m, or around £85m.
But Commissioners Court Judge Lina Hidalgo quashed the plan, arguing that it wouldn’t have yielded a truly reusable building.
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She also stated that the funds earmarked would not have been enough to provide sufficient air conditioning in a city where summer daytime temperatures average 33 degrees.
As a result, a stadium that saw so many magical moments lies derelict, with no prospect of it being returned to use any time soon.
In 2005, the Astrodome housed thousands of victims of Hurricane KatrinaCredit: AFP
The Houston Astros moved to Minute Maid Park in 2000Credit: Reuters
The Astrodome would later be upstaged by the NRG Stadium, which was built next door in 2002Credit: Getty More
