Astrodome, Multi-purpose stadium in Houston, United States
The Astrodome is an enclosed stadium in Houston, notable for its domed roof structure that rises over a footprint of roughly 10 acres (4 hectares). The roof reaches a height of about 680 feet (208 meters) at its peak and was originally fitted with translucent panels designed to let daylight inside.
The stadium opened in April 1965 with an exhibition game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. It was the first large covered sports stadium in the world and became a model for similar structures in other cities.
The building was a gathering place for sports fans, concertgoers, and event attendees who came together under its roof for decades. Though it stands empty now, many locals still see it as a symbol of the era when Houston began to understand itself as a modern city.
The building is currently not open to the public, as it has not hosted events for several years. The dome can still be viewed from the outside, especially from the surrounding parking areas.
Engineers calculated the roof height based on the maximum recorded flight of a baseball to prevent balls from hitting the ceiling during play. This measure was meant to avoid interruptions and allow the game to unfold naturally indoors.
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