Houston Astrodome gets Texas historic landmark designation
The Astrodome introduced the world’s first animated scoreboard during an Astros-Cardinals game in 1969. Photo by Bill Nelson, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
HOUSTON (AP) – The Houston Astrodome, which became known as the Eighth Wonder of the World as the world’s first domed stadium, is getting the highest honor Texas can give a historic structure.
A marker designating the Astrodome as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is being unveiled at ceremonies Tuesday outside the Houston icon.
The stadium opened April 9, 1965, for an exhibition baseball game between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. For more than three decades, it hosted countless athletics competitions, concerts and other events before falling victim to old age and disrepair.
2014 photo of Astrodome taken from one of the parking lots by EricEnfermero, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
The Astrodome last year received a state antiquities landmark designation, which provides special safeguards against demolition and requires Texas Historical Commission approval for any changes. Harris County officials recently approved a $105 million renovation project for the stadium.
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