Really sad to see my favorite place as a kid in the 80's look so terrible.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2012/04/03/photos-the-astrodome-then-and-now/




























[This message has been edited by Steve Billings (edited 4/4/2012 7:55a).]

[This message has been edited by Steve Billings (edited 4/4/2012 7:59a).]

Did it get Katrina'd?

What's crazy is the city still owes money for the stadium expansion done in the late 80's.

It's sad to see the stadium just rot however I understand why nothing has been done. Gaylord hotels had a good idea once but the Rodeo Commission blocked it from coming into fruition.

It really is sad. I remember going to the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl vs. TCU in 2001 and thinking how bad it was at that time.

As much as I hate to say it, they really should just demolish the thing. Every Astros/Oilers/rodeo fan and lots of high school football fans have great memories there--both triumphant and heartbreaking--but it's time to let the thing go.

...Unless they want to make it into a huge and badass indoor water park.

I'll never forget my first Astros game ever there as a kid watching Daryl Kile pitch and getting a blue astros flashlight and Daryl Kile poster (promotions of the day). Vivid images of the scoreboard animations

I loved the atmosphere in the dome and the best jumbo tron animations...original killer Bees would come up to bat and the place would go nuts

Hated the Killer B's and the stupid buzzing noises when they came to bat


I remember how loud it got in that place, had some good memories there as well, even though they usually beat up on the Cubs

The best part about the Astrodome is the city of Houston decided to build TWO new stadiums to replace something they still owe money on!

Astrodome was also a GREAT place for High School Football playoffs in the 90's

LOL Houston

RIP HOUSE OF PAIN

a sad situation

and the rodeo does indeed deserve a lot of blame. They are very, very selfish.

the dome can't be imploded with all the asbestos inside. An environmental nightmare. Some kind of abatement would need to take place and that would be off the charts expensive. Remember all the concourses are coated with it in the ceilings

Saw my first NFL and MLB games there.. Just sad

With that being said, Minute Maid and Reliant are awesome

All good things must be imploded

Love the Astroodome. Its sad they have just let the Dome sit there and rot.
If they had kept it up she would still be functional and could he used for High school football, concerts, conferences, fights, monster truck, ect ect ect.
Its a shame its just sitting there the way it is and inevitability will be just an empty lot, much like the old Astroworld across the street is.

Thats sad! I remember when I used to go watch stros games there! Ugh. They need to keep it up!!!!1 It could be so nice inside!

looks like one of those images from "Life After People"

article in the Chronicle says $78 million to implode including $10 million for asbestos abatement. The county still owes $29 million for the mid-80's renovations. Situation not good

[This message has been edited by W (edited 4/17/2012 12:02p).]

can somebody explain the Rodeo situation that a few have referenced on this thread? thanks.

Why would you High school football, concerts, conferences, fights, monster truck, ect ect ect. at Astrodome if you could just do it at Reliant?

need to sell off some of the better conditioned seats, signage, lockers, etc.... there's a fortune in memories just sitting there

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need to sell off some of the better conditioned seats, signage, lockers, etc.... there's a fortune in memories just sitting there

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Not really. What special ever happened in the dome? It's not like Yankee Stadium (the house that Ruth built) or Boston. It has absolutely no real history other than being the first dome. People aren't going to pay a whole lot for that.

http://athleticbusiness.com/articles/article.aspx?articleid=1651&zoneid=35
Detriot has a bit more history and only got ~$700k. Less than 1% of the demo cost for the dome.

[This message has been edited by agracer (edited 4/17/2012 9:25a).]

I would buy a couple orange seats if I could. It's not history that I care about, it's my personal memories of growing up adn going to the dome.

I would buy some of the old signs for sure.

Somewhat like the chernobyl pictures taken recently.

Nuke it from orbit.

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Ah, The Astrodome.......where I learned the words "Mezzanine" and "Loge"

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+1

Lots of Consol playoff games in the late 80s/early 90s

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Ah, The Astrodome.......where I learned the words "Mezzanine" and "Loge"

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+1

Lots of Consol playoff games in the late 80s/early 90s

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A couple state championship games for my consol tigers played in the astrodome, one victory.

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article in the Chronicle says $78 million to implode including $10 million for asbestos abatement. The county still owes $29 million for the mid-80's renovations. Situation not good

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Assuming it was the same article that I read, that $78M number is bunk and everyone knows it. Most other comparable stadiums that have been torn down in the last few years were done for less than $10M. It also refuted the assertation that its proximity to Reliant was a problem. Either someone didn't know what they were talking about when they wrote that study, someone was trying to line some pockets, or someone had some motive in making sure the "cost" of tearing down the Astrodome was...wait for it...ASTROnomical.

With regards to the lack of significant historical events, probably the two most significant events that took place in the Astrodome were not football or baseball related. The Battle of Sexes between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs and the Game of the Century basketball game between UH and UCLA in 1968.

steve billings, can you please find me a home white 1989 astros jersey? email me bluejaysforever at yahoo dot com

Ive always thought having an open air exoskeleton type structure would be an awesome park idea. But definitely costly

Not gonna lie...It'd be pretty cool to walk up and stand on the top of the Dome.

Would be sweet if we could turn it into Houston's XFL stadium.