The Astrodome opened 60 years ago. A peek inside what the facility looks like today

The east side of the Astrodome is shown in Houston, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
A security guard fumbled with the keys before unlocking the locks and chains that secured the doors of the Astrodome.
He shimmed the lock, releasing the chains and pushed open the doors.
Walking into the Astrodome today is like watching a real-life scene from a post-apocalyptic movie.
It's marvelous and old, all at the same time. The building sits 30 feet below ground level, so you have to go down a slope to get to the field.
When you look up, there's the famous domed roof.

The translucent roof is shown inside the Astrodome in Houston, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
The Astrodome was the first air-conditioned domed stadium built in the United States in 1965. When most stadiums were built for outdoors, the Astrodome was ahead of its time, keeping the bad weather out.
But more than 20 years after it was last occupied, county leaders still don't know what to do with it. Although the building remains structurally sound, there are aspects of the building that are slowly deteriorating. It is situated in the shadow of NRG Stadium, a more modern facility directly next door, which is in need of repairs of its own.
The Chronicle was granted a tour of the county-owned facility for a larger story. The tour had certain photography restrictions, and only certain areas where media members could stand. A county official was required on the tour for safety reasons.
Media members must also sign a waiver form before entering the building.
Years ago, the Astrodome, which was the home of the Astros, Oilers and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, hosted some of the biggest events and acts in the country. They included boxing matches, Selena's final concert, football, baseball and basketball championship games and other major events.
It was the place to be.
Today, a huge Coca-Cola sign that looks like it was made in the 1990s is plastered on one side above the upper deck. On the other side, there's another sign that says "Reliant," which became part of NRG Energy in 2009.
There's no bad seat in the house.
It's a little stuffy and the air smells like dirt and dust.

A section of the upper level rainbow seats are shown inside the Astrodome in Houston, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
Only half of the rainbow-colored seats that once filled the stadium remain, mostly situated in the upper deck. They are full of dust. The others were sold off to fans in an auction in 2013.
The green AstroTurf has already been stripped.
But the concrete floor that once sat beneath it is now filled with various items from golf carts to trash cans, construction material, and random bleachers.
Former Astros manager Dusty Baker, who first played for the Atlanta Braves but made his major league debut against the Astros at the Astrodome, said he enjoyed playing at the stadium.
From the bright lights, to the roof, to the LED scoreboard, the stadium looked like something of the future. It was ahead of its time.
Baker said he hit his first career home run there.
Years later, he can still recall the pitch - a fastball off Astros pitcher Jerry Reuss in 1972.
He said one of the negatives, though, was running on the AstroTurf.
"It was hard on your legs," Baker said, whistling for emphasis. "That s- was hard, man. Oof. That turf on your back, on your ankles - if you had anything wrong with your lower extremities, it was going to double it."
"And you didn't slide on it. You didn't dive on it without getting burnt."
Those days, the Astros had built a team for speed, one that benefited from playing on the turf, Baker said.
Once dubbed the "Eighth Wonder of the World," the Astrodome, which cost $35 million to build in the 1960s (about $380 million in today's money) set a new standard for sports venues.

A no trespassing sign is post on a gate outside the Astrodome in Houston, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
Former Harris County judge turned entrepreneur Roy Hofheinz was the primary driver of the project. Inspired after a visit to Rome, Hofheinz also wanted to bring a Major League Baseball stadium to Houston.
It became the first fully integrated sports complex built in Houston after the urging of local Civil Rights leaders.
The Astros spent 34 years, the Oilers spent 28 years and the Rodeo 36 years in the Dome. It was also the home of Hofheinz who built an apartment near the top deck.
That apartment was removed two decades ago.
Billy Wagner, who was recently elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and played at the Astrodome from 1997 to 1999, said he had a better earned run average playing in the Dome than he did after the team moved to Minute Maid Park. But the first memory he recalls is what roamed the basement of the stadium.
"Holy cow, that place was full of rats and cats, it was unbelievable," Wagner said. "When you walked down, you are lucky you survived through there."
Warren Moon, who played for the Houston Oilers at the Astrodome from 1984-93, still remembers the crowd.

08/13/1987 - Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon (1) evades Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Bill Maas (63) in preseason game at the Astrodome. (John Makely/Houston Chronicle)
"The atmosphere was amazing, as far as fans and how much noise that place created because of the dome," Moon said, adding that another benefit was never having to worry about the weather. "It felt big, but it didn't feel enormous. It felt like a more condensed crowd because of where they were."
He said some of his best memories happened in the Dome, from his first touchdown, to his first playoff win against the Seahawks, where he threw the game-winning touchdown pass in an overtime victory.
"It was a special place," Moon said. "I played 10 years of my career there. It's one of the reasons why I'd like to see it restored."
For years, county leaders have grappled with what to do with the stadium, and whether to demolish the building, let it continue to sit idle or fund its restoration.
These days, there are locks on chains on the doors to the entrances. The building is watched by 24-hour security.
But not everyone is stopped. Over the years, there have been several break-ins, including just last month, when three 18-year-olds snuck in. They were arrested and charged with trespassing.
After a brief tour, the doors to the Astrodome slammed shut. The security guards rewrapped the chains around the doors, locked it back up and went back to patrolling.
Staff writer Joseph Duarte contributed to this report.