The eighth wonder of the world : the life of Houston's iconic Astrodome

When it opened in 1965, the Houston Astrodome, nicknamed the Eighth Wonder of the World, captured the attention of an entire nation, bringing pride to the city and enhancing its reputation nationwide. It was a Texas-sized vision of the future, an unthinkable feat of engineering with premium luxury suites, theater-style seating, and the first animated scoreboard. Yet there were memorable problems such as outfielders’ inability to see fly balls and failed attempts to grow natural grass—which ultimately led to the development of Astroturf. The Astrodome nonetheless changed the way people viewed sports, putting casual fans at the forefront of a user-experience approach that soon became the standard in all American sports. The Eighth Wonder of the World tears back the facade and details the Astrodome’s role in transforming Houston as a city while also chronicling the building’s pivotal fifty years in existence and the ongoing debate about its preservation. Dedication 6 Contents 8 Foreword: The Dome Was So NiceThey Opened It Twice • Mickey Herskowitz 10 Prologue: A Noble Idea for the Oil Patch 22 I. COW TOWN 30 1. Roy Hofheinz: Houston’s Grand Huckster 32 2. Of Cows and Construction: Houston’s Livestock Show and Rodeo 68 3. Going Pro: George Kirksey, Craig Cullinan, and the Major League Dream 88 II. DOME TOWN 148 4. Zimmerman and the Grand Plan: Engineering a Marvel 150 5. The Grass Isn’t Always Greener: AstroTurf and the Sports Purist Backlash 176 III. SPACE CITY 190 6. Fractious Dome Futures 192 7. The Dome and Its Legacy 220 Acknowledgments 240 Notes 242 Bibliography 256 Index 266 Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Foreword: The Dome Was So NiceThey Opened It Twice -- Prologue: A Noble Idea for the Oil Patch -- I. COW TOWN -- 1. Roy Hofheinz: Houston's Grand Huckster -- 2. Of Cows and Construction: Houston's Livestock Show and Rodeo -- 3. Going Pro: George Kirksey, Craig Cullinan, and the Major League Dream -- II. DOME TOWN -- 4. Zimmerman and the Grand Plan: Engineering a Marvel -- 5. The Grass Isn't Always Greener: AstroTurf and the Sports Purist Backlash -- III. SPACE CITY -- 6. Fractious Dome Futures -- 7. The Dome and Its Legacy Pt. I. Cow Town. Roy Hofheinz : Houston's Grand Huckster -- Of Cows And Construction : Houston's Livestock Show And Rodeo -- Going Pro : George Kirksey, Craig Cullinan, And The Major League Dream -- Pt. Ii. Dome Town. Zimmerman And The Grand Plan : Engineering A Marvel -- The Grass Isn't Always Greener : Astroturf And The Sports Burist Backlash -- Pt. Iii. Space City. Fractious Dome Futures -- The Dome And Its Legacy. Robert C. Trumpbour And Kenneth Womack ; Foreword By Mickey Herskowitz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.