Dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World when it opened in 1965 as the Harris County Domed Stadium, Houston's Astrodome was the world's first large indoor venue (45,000 seats spread over five seating levels) for a major-league field sport. This baseball, football, and rodeo palace was conceived by entrepreneur and team owner Judge Roy Hofheinz, who lived in a luxuriously furnished apartment inside. The Dome was built near Colt Stadium, interim home of the Astros in their three seasons as the Colt .45s, and its dome was intended to spare players and fans from the sweltering Texas heat more than to prevent rainouts.

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In its first season, the Astrodome featured a natural grass playing field. The dome, constructed from 4,796 clear plastic roof panes, allowed direct sunlight for grass to grow. But during day games the bright Texas sun blinded fielders trying to catch fly balls, so many of the roof panels were painted white to soften the glare. But the reduced light was insufficient to keep the grass alive, and at one point the dead brown turf was sprayed with green dye.

The Astros were resigned to play the 1966 season on an all-dirt field, until the Monsanto chemical company proposed using an experimental playing surface of nylon grass. It was installed and named AstroTurf. On April 8, 1966 the Astros and Dodgers played baseball's first game on synthetic grass. The material's durability and ease of drainage made it advantageous even in outdoor venues, and it quickly swept the sports world, football even more than baseball.

Inside, the Astrodome is indeed a marvel. Its 660'-wide circular roof was the world's largest self-supporting dome when built, and its many large restaurants and lounges were unmatched in existing stadiums. Air-conditioning keeps the Dome’s temperature at a dry 72 degrees and over 90 percent of its seats are upholstered in fabric.

The roof is 208' above the playing field at its highest point, high enough to be beyond the reach of fly balls, although a loudspeaker suspended over center field was once hit by Mike Schmidt for the longest single of his career. Over the outfield wall, a huge American flag hung in dead center field and baseball's largest scoreboard once ran 474' across the back wall. Both were displaced when seating decks were added (primarily for football games) in center field in the 1980s. This expansion brought the baseball capacity to nearly 55,000. On June 15, 1976, the Astrodome suffered its only rainout when torrential storms flooded the nearby streets and made it impossible to get to the stadium.

The Astrodome was always an extreme pitcher's park, and although the dimensions were later shortened from their original 360-420-360 to 325-400-325, the ball never carried well. The stadium reduced scoring and home runs greatly, and thereby made the hometown hitters seem less capable than they really are while inflating the accomplishments of the pitching staff. It can be argued that Jose Cruz, Sr., would have been a serious Hall of Fame contender had he played in a friendlier park. Fans of Nolan Ryan, however, had no complaints. Most Astro teams played "little ball" in response to the Dome, and local fans are well attuned to the nuances of pitching and defense as a resuly. With the football Oilers relocated to Tennessee, and the Astros moving downtown to Enron Field for the 2000 season, the future of this one-time engineering marvel is uncertain. (SCL/JP)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » January 3, 1962: Ground is broken for the Houston Astrodome. » April 10, 1962: The Houston Colt 45s begin play before 25,271 fans at Colt Stadium, a temporary facility, adjacent to the land for the Astrodome. Roman Mejias hits two 3-run home runs, and Bobby Shantz pitches Houston to an 11–2 win over the Cubs. » April 9, 1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson joins 47,878 fans for the opening of Harris County Domed Stadium (the Astrodome). The Astros win an exhibition with the Yankees 2–1 in 12 innings on a Nellie Fox single. Mickey Mantle hits the first home run in the new park. » April 19, 1965: At a cost of $20,000, the outer Astrodome ceiling is painted because the sun's glare makes fielding fly balls hazardous. Outfielders had been wearing batting helmets in preseason games because of the glare. Painting the skylights will reduce the lighting by nearly 40% and create the need for lights. But the lack of sunlight will cause the grass to die and spur the introduction of artificial turf. » April 28, 1965: Mets announcer Lindsey Nelson broadcasts the Mets-Astros game at the Astrodome from a hanging gondola, 208 feet above 2B. He sees plenty of action as Houston wins, 12–9. » July 24, 1965: At the Astrodome, Reds pitcher Joe Nuxhall loses his no hitter when Bob Lillis singles in the 8th inning. Nuxhall finishes with a 2–0 one hitter. » June 11, 1966: Ernie Banks ties a modern major-league record with three triples, as Chicago wins 8–2 in the Astrodome. Chicago OF Adolfo Phillips also ties an major-league record by striking out nine straight times in two consecutive games (more than 18 innings). » September 11, 1967: Houston ties the National League record by using eight pitchers in one 9-inning game, defeating Chicago 11–10 at the Astrodome. » August 16, 1970: In a 5–3 Montreal win over the Astros, Bob Bailey hits one of the longest home runs in Astrodome history. » June 10, 1974: During a 12–0 win over the Astros, Phillie 3B Mike Schmidt hits a ball off the public address speaker hanging from the Astrodome roof, 117 feet up and 300 feet from the plate. Schmidt must settle for a titanic single. Jim Lonborg is the winner. » June 15, 1976: Rain out! The scheduled game at the Astrodome is canceled when heavy rains make it difficult for the visiting team and umpires to get through flooded streets to the stadium. » April 10, 1979: J.R. Richard throws a major-league record six wild pitches in the Astrodome against the Dodgers, but strikes out 13 and wins 2–1. » July 15, 1986: At the Houston Astrodome, the American League wins the All-Star Game 3–2 for its 2nd triumph in the last 15 years. AL starter Roger Clemens pitches three perfect innings to win the game's MVP Award. » September 25, 1986: Houston's Mike Scott pitches a 2–0 no-hitter against the Giants at the Astrodome, clinching the National League West title for the Astros. It is the first time a pennant has ever been decided by a no-hitter, and the 3rd consecutive game in which Astros pitchers have allowed two hits or less. » April 9, 1990: On Opening Day, Houston's Glenn Davis ties a major-league record when he is hit by pitches three times in an 8–4, 11-inning loss to the Reds. For the Reds, it is just their 3rd road opener since 1876. On hand are members of the 1965 Yankees and 1965 Astros, the two teams that opened the Astrodome. Of the 32 old timers on hand, former Astro Nolan Ryan has struck out 14 of them. » July 27, 1992: Houston starts its club record 26 game road trip with a grand slam by Eric Anthony. The Astros marathon journey is necessitated by the Republican Convention taking over the Astrodome. » July 23, 1996: At the Astrodome, San Diego's Rob Deer launches one of the highest balls ever hit, striking a cable holding up a loud speaker. It's declared a dead ball. The Pads don't need it as they win, 7–4. » October 3, 1999: Houston defeats Los Angeles, 9-4, in the last regular season game ever played in the Astrodome.