Exploring the Historic Impact of Houston's Astrodome

WHO:

CBS News Sports - The Houston Astrodome was opened by the city of Houston.

CBS News US - The Houston Astros were the major league baseball team that played in the Astrodome.

WHAT:

CBS News Sports - The Astrodome was hailed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

CBS News Sports - The Astrodome became one of America's top tourist attractions.

CBS News US - The Astrodome was an enclosed, air-conditioned stadium with fake grass.

CBS News US - In 1999, Houston held a party to celebrate the Dome's past after the Astros left for a new stadium.

WHERE:

CBS News Sports - The Astrodome is located in Houston, Texas.

CBS News US - The successor to the Astrodome is NRG Stadium, also located in Houston.

WHEN:

CBS News Sports - The Astrodome opened in 1965.

CBS News US - The Astros left the Astrodome in 1999.

WHY:

CBS News US - The celebration in 1999 was part of an effort to seek other spectacles to fill the seats of the Astrodome.

HOW:

CBS News Sports - The Astrodome was designed as a domed stadium, which was a novel concept at the time of its opening.

(UPDATED June 14, 2026 15:34 UTC)

The Houston Astrodome, hailed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World," was opened by the city of Houston in 1965 and became a major attraction for sports fans and tourists alike. This enclosed, air-conditioned stadium, which featured fake grass, served as the home for the Houston Astros until they moved to NRG Stadium in 1999. In that same year, Houston celebrated the Dome's legacy with a special event aimed at finding new ways to fill its seats after the Astros' departure.