Astrodome

Houston, TX

Team: Houston Astros	Opening Day: April 12, 1965
Capacity: 42,217 (1965) 54,816 (1990)	Dimensions: Foul Lines 325 Power Alleys 375 CF 400
Surface: Tifway 419 Bermuda grass (1965) AstroTurf (1966 - 1999)	Closing Day: October 9, 1999
Owner: Harris County	Cost: $35 million (1965), $60 million (1989)
Architects: Herman Lloyd & W.B. Morgan & Wilson, Morris, Crain, & Anderson (Houston)	Construction: H.A. Lott, Inc. (Houston)
AKA: Harris County Domed Stadium

Memorable Moments:

1968, 1986 All Star Games.
September 13, 1965: Willie Mays hits home run number 500.
June 11, 1985: Nolan Ryan gets his 4,000th strike out.

"The Eighth Wonder of the World." This park was the original domed stadium. The roof had 4,796 panes of clear glass. This caused a glare for the fielders, so they painted two of the eight sections white, which the grass and introduced AstroTurf. (How is it a ballpark if it is played on a carpet, not grass?) The scoreboard featured a "home run spectacular". In the fall of 1989, a $60 million renovation extended the grandstands into the outfield and added 66 new sky boxes. The renovation also replaced the dirt floor with concrete and created two new playing surfaces, one for baseball and one for football. On June 15, 1976, a game was "rained out" because no one could actually get to the ballpark. After the NFL's Oilers left for Tennessee and the Astros moved to Minute Maid Park, the Astrodome was used for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, high school football tournaments, and other events. However, the NFL granted an expansion team, the Texans, and Houston built a new football stadium and convention center. This currently leaves the Astrodome vacant except for a few conventions.

Astros retired numbers are (in numerical order and the years they were retired):

25 Jose Cruz (1992)
32 Jim Umbricht (1965)
33 Mike Scott (1992)
34 Nolan Ryan (1996)
40 Don Wilson (1975)