The Astrodome's 50th Birthday

The old girl turns 50 today and she hasn't aged well. 

On April 9, 1965 she opened to the public, including the sitting President of the United States. Everyone dressed up. She was the newest, shiniest girl on the block, a modern marvel.

At NRG park today, the public will be allowed to enter the Dome for the first time (legally) in years. 

I'm not sure you really want to see her in her current state.


Edited to add, here's the slideshow of the festivities!

Unless / Until she can be restored to some former glory, I'd rather fondly remember her birth. 

The World's Largest Air Conditioned Room

Skip to 8:45 for views of restaurants: The Countdown Cafeteria or the Trailblazer restaurant

The on-the-spot darkrooms, and the decor of the club rooms, are fabulous.

There's also a shot of the 21 first astronauts throwing out the first balls to the Astros from the stands.

And don't miss 5:38 

The Chronicle has a rundown of so many great 'Dome stories over the past half a century, available here.

A few early stories as she was being built from the Chronicle's morgue files that I've scanned from my trips to the HPL:

1961 Planning

1963 with Colt Stadium top right

1964 interior

And coverage of the grand opening in June 1965 for the April 9 Exhibition game between the Astros and the Yankees.

And a page from the 1985 Dobie yearbook:

And link here our earlier story on the Astro's Buddies program.

And, seems like just yesterday, was the commemorative coverage of the Dome on her 25th birthday in 1990: