“ BUILDING THE HOUSTON ASTRODOME ” 1965 MULTI-PURPOSE STADIUM OF THE FUTURE PROMO FILM XD95635

[@midcenturymoldy]

It was soon found that players couldn’t see fly balls with the skylit ceiling behind them so the transparent skylights were painted opaque. The resulting loss of natural sunlight killed the grass, which led to the invention of Astroturf.

[@juliebraden6911]

Thanks for explaining common knowledge things, Capt Obvious.

[@realSamAndrew]

Instead of overhauling the ceiling and having to invent a whole new artificial surface, they could have allowed an exemption in MLB to use high optic fluorescent yellow or pink baseballs that could be tracked against the glass.

[@Gablesman888]

Two of my uncles owned tile companies in Houston. They won the contract to install all of the tile in the Astrodome. One of the uncles received 8 seats at the visitor dugout for several seasons. My family visited the Astrodome for many games back then. I saw the likes of Mays, Aaron, Koufax, Drysdale, Boyer, Clemente, and many many more play baseball. It was a kid's dream come true.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

@Gablesman888 great memory, thanks for sharing this!

[@buckinjb]

The people at :28 seconds in the video (and other times) are what my dad would be doing when he was part of the construction crew as an ironworker that built the Astrodome. I was just born when at this time (1962). I'm proud dad was lucky enough to have built such iconic piece of Houston's history. RIP Bobby C. (Buck) Buckalew, I miss you.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

@buckinjb clearly your dad was a great American and yes you should be damn proud!

[@roachroacharito9113]

I watched the 'Dome go up from my folks' upstairs windows back then. I was 3-4 (in '63-'64). In the late 60's, we could ride our bikes to the back of Astroworld & do some sneaking and peeking. A tip of the hat to your dad and those of his craft. They literally built this country piece by piece. As an aside, there is a monument displayed at the Texas City municipal golf course that memorializes a 'Buck Buckalew'. Was your dad a golfer?

[@buckinjb]

@@roachroacharito9113 I don't know that Buck Buckalew. All Buckalew's ends up being 'Buck'. Interesting about the monument, I'll have to swing by there and see it. It's not too far from my house.

[@god563616]

Cool!

[@Throwback-Films]

Wow the people back then just seems so decent and clean and well-dressed. What a different time.

[@redsammy7789]

My best friend when I was young was Randy Smith, Tal Smith's son, he was the GM of the Astros at the time, we got to run all over the Dome back then as kids, was a blast. Randy got to be in the movie " The Bad news Bears in breaking training" he was the third baseman on the opposing team the Toros when the bears came to the dome and played them.

[@tangelabedford8083]

I’m seeing so many people with personal ties to the Astrodome. It’s so awesome we all get to share some sort of history together. My maternal grandfather was one of the main HPD officers whose post was the Dome. My paternal grandparents lived on Mainer which turned to Hollyhall just over 288 that ran directly to an entrance gate at the dome. Game days were busy we could never properly play in the street. Judge Hofheinz started getting ill and went to Methodist hospital. He met my Uncle and was instantly taken by him. While he still worked at Methodist he became the Judge’s personal medical assistant. Proud to say my history with the Astro world is deep and memorable. 💕💕💕 Thanks for this upload.

[@4GSR]

We moved to Houston in the summer of 1965. Dad took us to see the Ringling Brothers & Barnum Baily Circus that summer. Don't remember much of the circus, was more interested in the dome itself. Wow! Been to many ball and foot ball games and rodeo events over the years. The last event we went to was when my wife's hometown high school football team played there in the playoffs in the 1990's.

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

I got to play in the Dome as a kid. We played in the Dome for the playoffs in Dads Club football. It was one hell of an experience for a kid.

[@beatlesnmore]

The Beatles played at the Sam Houston Coliseum on August 19, 1965...I watched the Dome being built from our house, wished I'd had a camera back then

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

I'm the same age as the Astrodome...... I hope it feels better than I do some mornings. I will say that it was one hell of a structure back in the day!!

[@VIRGONOMICS]

I hear ya. Maintenance can be a bit troublesome when we get a few years of wear n tear going on. Send in the engineers/ doctors. Had a hip replacement and told my grandniece that my parts needed replaced from all the mileage. Gotta keep a sense of humor as we get older…. Best of luck to ya !

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

@@VIRGONOMICS I hear you... Getting old sucks but I guess it's better than the alternative. Several years ago I had my left hip replaced and now they have to go back in and do a revision on it.

[@bravobravoh1344]

The Astrodome is so unique. I hope that Houston never gets rid of it.

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

When the Houston Rockets came to Houston from San Diego,yes the Rockets were originally slated to play in San Diego,I was around 5 years old. My Father was the head trainer at Washington State University and got the job as head trainer for the Rockets and later became the head of the NBA Trainers association. Talk about a culture shock!! From the cool low humidity of Washington to the sweat box of Houston was quite the experience. I'll never forget walking down the jetway after arriving in Houston for the first time, it felt like I was in a sauna!!! The Rockets originally played in the Dome while waiting for The Summit to be completed. The court was set up in the corner of the Astrodome where home plate sits. Now I cant stand low humidity!! Went to visit a buddy in Vegas and my lips cracked so badly they were bleeding!!! I'm getting ready to hit 60 this year and I wouldnt want to live anywhere else.

[@liteswitvh]

Thank you so much for providing this documentry.

[@thenaturaltexican]

Really wonderful building

[@MrDoneboy]

I am proud to say thatI visited the stadium often...starting in the late 60's, until right before the Oilers left Houston.

[@budislavmarkovic8267]

Yeah I saw Robbie Knievel do the double jump there. Pretty awesome. Also saw Texas jam. Was ZZ top rolling Stones fabulous Thunderbirds and more. What awesome show

[@shable1436]

Remember Stevie Ray Vaughan played there once too, he always said it was the worst thing he ever did, I believe it was star spangled banner opening for the Astros

[@jeanie8831]

So many memories. Saw Elvis 3 times there.

[@djm5k]

I had heard many years ago that the air conditioning had to be run 24/7. If it was ever shut down or broke down, a rain cloud would form up in the ceiling, (probably the humidity) and it would begin to rain inside the field and spectator areas. There have been many design schemes to completely renovate and transform the stadium to a different use. Let’s hope this happens to preserve this great building!

[@Look_What_You_Did]

Your lack of education really shows. So proud.

[@chrisc1006]

Thanks so much for explaining this. I was there for a nearly week long event in 1972. It was summertime and the ac was not on in the Astrodome. Every afternoon at almost exactly same time there was a brief shower. It was so weird. I was not a Houston native so just thought it rained in Houston every afternoon in summer. Now it all makes sense! Seems like the roof was open in the center back then. We carried umbrellas daily to block either sun or rain or at times both.

[@kylemartin2594]

My dad was paid by the judge..Hofheinz..to have a ambulance stand by during construction. 50 bucks a day. Big money back then. I got to see the first game against the Yankees. Great memories

[@randb4865]

I still have the Inaugural Program from it somewhere.

[@Shaken_AND_Stirred]

The Shamrock Hilton Hotel was a major hotel to the Astrodome as well. The Shamrock was a Houston icon, but like so many cool things in Houston, it was torn down. It had the pool that was large enough to pull water skiers in and of course it had the famous Trader Vic’s restaurant. Hopefully the Dome will never be torn down.

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

Used to bring my Mongoose BMX bike to the dome when the Rockets were practicing. I rode all over that place!!!

[@Jay_Dahl]

Being raised in the north, the Astrodome was the first place that I ever ate nachos with jalapenos. Deliciously spicy! The next day my behind was really hurting in the bathroom. I eventually got used to jalapenos though, as they were common in Houstin, and I really enjoyed them. Back then they were almost impossible to buy in the northern states, though some carnivals that had migrated north in the summertime sometimes still had some in stock. Then the Mexican restaurants started popping up in the north and they offered jalapenos, eventually gaining worldwide popularity. For me though, my love for jalapenos all started in the Astrodome!

[@palletwizard]

Back in the day when you could enjoy a cigarette and watch the game.

[@danielsmith7023]

My grandfather smoked all game when we went. I have lung cancer now, but I cherish the memories.

[@kozmokohler]

I still mind a true baseball tradition and dip tobacco at a modern Astros game. Still haven't been thrown out yet. 😆

[@gregoryb2974]

Awesome as usual! Thanks for the video guys.

[@larryharvey5818]

November 20 1978, I went with my dad to the MNF Oilers/Dolphins game... the beginning of the Luv Ya Blue era. It was an amazing night of football with Earl Campbell killing it for 199 yards rushing. The only celebration better was the homecoming after the loss to the Steelers that season.

[@abdoudiop2634]

I remember back in first grade when my class went on a field trip to the astrodome back in the 1999-2000 school year, I remember how the inside of the astrodome looked a lady who was the stadium tour guide spoke to us about the history of the astrodome, I hope the city of Houston never demolishes the astrodome it is a historical landmark.

[@john1959ism]

Did your education take you past the 1st grade? Good luck in your future writing endeavors....

[@abdoudiop2634]

@@john1959ism there is nothing wrong with my writing I used proper grammar and punctuation, what are you talking about?

[@john1959ism]

@abdoudiop2634 re-read your post. It's full of grammatical errors. It doesn't make sense. If you don't see it, not sure what to tell you.

[@abdoudiop2634]

@@john1959ism unless if you are a english teacher of some sort, I am not taking your criticism seriously, I have proof read it and see nothing wrong any english speaker would understand what I wrote.

[@john1959ism]

@abdoudiop2634 "I remember how the inside of the astrodome looked a lady who was the stadium tour grade". If you used proper punctuation, ie; a period after "looked", would make sense. What exactly is a "tour grade"? Oh, Astrodome is capitalized, by the way. Enough English Composition for the evening....I'm out.

[@weegeemike]

Look how its in the middle of nowhere...now its in the middle of town. Crazy how much cities have grown in the last 50-60 years.

[@davidbryant3532]

Not the middle of town

[@GeneSypha]

South side of town

[@FrankBenlin]

The perfect place for Brewster to fly around.

[@kozmokohler]

If you've ever been inside you know it's a truly remarkable structure. I used to get away from my parents as a kid in the 90's and explored extensively most of the games, went to some crazy spaces, getting lost all over. As they mentioned, I do remember the escalators being incredibly fast. I also made it to the last Domecoming party they had a few years back and got a view from the very center of the field, it's absolutely awe inspiring how massive the interior space is and how tall the roof is. Really wish they would work on preserving the structure and actually do something with it, instead of Judge Dora the Explorer endorsing turning it into a parking garage.

[@kozmokohler]

If you're confused who Judge Dora is, Google will tell you. 🤣🤣🤣

[@UNUSUALUSERNAME220]

This is the Genesis of "The Great Stadium Gift!" Don't ever believe it, you'll regret it!

[@hershbar]

When I was 9 back in 68. My mother had a uncle who lived just east of where 288 is today. We visited him from Chicago. The dome looked like a huge mountain because no buildings or warehouses blocked the view from his house.

[@Telcom100]

Interesting around 14.20 where they describe the echo suppression for the PA system using tape delay.

[@kozmokohler]

It was a really odd system to experience. I distinctly remember it messing with me as a kid at baseball games in the 90s. You get used to it but the first 10 - 20 minutes would induce a strange vertigo, might have something to do with the height of the upper stands too.

[@Look_What_You_Did]

Can't even sort out a proper time stamp.

[@stationminute]

16:27 The only way you were getting out of the parking lot in 20 minutes was if you left during the 3rd quarter. Luckily, with the Oilers, you wouldn't miss much.

[@__-pl3jg]

You're not wrong. We either stayed in the stadium for a few hours afterward or parked at the very edge of the parking lot. It took awhile to walk to the car but once your were there you could exit the parking lot quickly.

[@shawnr771]

Most Oilers fans left at halftime if they even went at all.

[@jefferyrightmire9520]

A large part of my life. I grew up in Houston during these times. My dad was the go-to guy for a Cabinet/Interior designer who worked mostly in "River Oaks," which made some of the "BOXES" for the upper class what they were.

[@HHSGDFootballJPD]

The emphasis with the announcer at 20:50..."COAT THE SKYLIGHTS".

[@daviddavenport1485]

I truly hope someone can buy the Astrodome and save it for posterity, maybe turn it into a residential/shopping/restaurant/casino development. Shame Harris County is letting it rot.

[@bruno8126]

Great Idea! If that's the case I'd be a manager in one of those stores :)

[@mcgendraft]

Very educational! It was nice to see all the different viewpoints, from all the different erectile’s

[@VIRGONOMICS]

Back when you could work shirtless without a harness , gotta love it. Safety first ! That generation was tough as nails.

[@SteadySteve1024]

Pretty amazing work.

[@amergrant-ns5cr]

I was one of those boy scouts on the field. Anyone remember the fishpond? It was a wet spot near home plate that always stayed wet.

[@patrickriley195]

The Astrodome was amazing for its time, fast-forward to the building of Reliant Stadium next door and suddenly the Astrodome looks small.

[@aretee3]

I saw multiple rodeos, many motorcycle races, several stunts, The Astros, The Oilers, and Elvis at the rodeo. Witnessed two men die, one on a motorcycle and the other died doing a stunt. It was a grand time.

[@roachroacharito9113]

Yeah, the guy in the barrel -drop. That was a bad one. I saw Evel jump, met a lot of rodeo entertainers, explored the tunnel system beneath it, and was in the movie, "Murder at the World Series" that was filmed there. It's a neat place & and hopefully, it can be repurposed.

[@aretee3]

@@roachroacharito9113 Yes, the barrel drop, that was the one. Never knew there were tunnels under the dome.

[@jefftrout249]

Lived in Houston my whole life. 44 years old. Saw my first football and baseball games there. Used to go to the RB Circus as a kid. Rodeo every year. It's sad that it's unused now, but it is an extremely difficult space to use. The only real thing it can be used for is a sports stadium, and it's obsolete. I would hate to see it gone, but it's just sitting there, and I think that is sadder than if it were to be torn down, and that space used for something else.

[@bb-gc2tx]

old time voice " dont worry we have separate bathrooms for THOSE people"🤣

[@KelleyEngineering]

Fun video! Thanks as always for your hard work. Considering how choppy the audio and video is in some places; I think it'd be fun to see some more in-depth videos on your processes and why some of those issues can't be removed during restoration. Maybe give a more benevolent perspective to those who don't watch the videos for that reason.

[@lwilton]

The choppy parts are literally missing data. This film was viewed _A LOT_ when it was new. Projectors can be hard on film, it can break into two pieces. When that happens, you cut out the broken frame (or frames) of film, and glue the ends back together. This makes a small jump in the video that you may or may not notice, and 16 frames later, a pop in the audio. There just isn't much that can be done to fix this, the data is gone. You could reduce the pop with audio processing, but there are still going to be missing words, missing music, and general confusion. The only real "fix" is to find a better copy of the film. Unfortunately.

[@BradBlackwood-r3q]

Special place

[@Radiotexas]

It was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. But the Astros were not a winning team back then. Later, the roof began to leak and patrons brought umbrellas! It was also said that The Judge got a dollar for every car parked on the lot. Maybe, maybe not but it was a good story. Never forget one Monday Night Football game when Dandy Don Meredith quipped as a fan shot the finger to the frequently loosing loosing Oilers, "There's a fan telling his team they're number one!"

[@edwardburek1717]

I remember that moment. When the cameras focused on that clearly pissed-off fan, Howard Cosell was describing the "vivid picturization of the futility of the sporting prowess" just when the fan flipped the bird. The play-calling team were clearly killing themselves laughing, and then Dandy Don gave his famous line.

[@4GSR]

That Judge made a killing off that dome that most don't know about along with all of the land for 10 miles around he made money off of too. Oh, oil royalties he made...

[@carlbass4449]

6th

[@carlbass4449]

Commies were not allowed to help build it... And all wetbacks and Commies should not be allowed to make roads, stadiums, homes, commercial spaces, etc. It's always the next right thing to do.

[@realSamAndrew]

That's like a famous scene at a NASCAR race that the track announcer swore the chant was LET'S GO BRANDON.

[@andrewsnyder9262]

Back when Houston was decent

[@timothyjean1367]

I remember when I was a kid I would ask my mom, are we going to pick up dad at that big crater.

[@RemoGutierrez1]

I've been there

[@vanceox]

The grass was already dying in that 1st exhibition game

[@usgary567]

Sadly - 3 men died building the Astrodome. Even more so, it is amazing you do not see any safety harnesses on those men way up on those beams. OSHA would have a fit nowadays.

[@4GSR]

Yeah, OSHA did not exist back then. And of course that's why we have OSHA today. Even today, It is not a requirement for iron workers to harness themselves unless that has changed in the past ten years or so.

[@aretee3]

It was the same in the refineries over in Pasadena. What, you want a safety harness? Go home to mommy boy, was how it was then. Surprised I'm alive.

[@VIRGONOMICS]

Ventilation for cigarette smoke ! Oh yeah ! Fans arrive on Trams

[@realSamAndrew]

Who remembers the name Dar Robinson?

[@swpowell1226]

Didn't see one safety line on any of the construction guys. WOW From a lost era where Houston had an innovative spirit. Things were built here that had never been done for the public. That is gone now. Can't even get a mass transit system installed to cover the city. It's sad.

[@cassidybb10]

So much tech history made with the construction of this stadium. 2 million dollar score board. Lol odd to think that that score boar cost so much. And the tech to distribute real time images for news

[@Yuri-l1b]

Muhammad Ali 1966

[@palletwizard]

Back when real men did real work. A lot of shovel action going on.

[@jefftrout249]

And not a single safety harness or fall protection to be seen.

[@brendas.1374]

The House of Pain.

[@roughboy2956]

Hello, why The House of Pain?

[@roughboy2956]

@brendas.1374 What is the best memory you have of The Dome, and I am born and raised in Houston. Don't be afraid darlin!

[@Lolamaxx]

Built in the middle of nowhere. Nothing around. Now it's surrounded with life.

[@Carstuff111]

Yeah, after finding out that TAX money was using to build a lot of these stadiums, and it STILL happens, the NFL can get bent.

[@Look_What_You_Did]

All of them. Every single one.

[@MrWolfTickets]

Watching the Kingdome come down 3 years before we finished paying off the bond was infuriating.

[@MrWolfTickets]

@@raygunner2437 It's a travesty.

[@jamesm.3967]

If the billionaires aren’t happy then our country will suffer. 🧐😗. F the owners…and the political forces that bend to their will and blackmail.

they should put plexaglass on it's roof and make something like the Gaylord. Build hotel rooms around it.

[@jeffschueler1182]

The iron workers were high?

[@chrisdaigle3588]

I know a lot of close details of that building, i helped put together the rodeo, and concerts, and conventions all through the years in the 70's to the late 90's. I have lots of stories, go ahead, ask me........

[@michaelf6327]

Hi Chris. What's your favorite story?

[@thenaturaltexican]

I'd be happy to read some stories.

[@randallbevansr5200]

4:45,,,I can guarantee those Ironworkers were high,,AF

[@stoveguy2133]

Mpls stadium was built the same way. Big support towers for trusses. Removed towers when done. Simple.

[@CM_Burns]

Stadium completely surrounded by an enormous parking lot typical of the car dependent nightmare.

[@davidbryant3532]

Do you have a car?

[@Look_What_You_Did]

@CM_Burns And beyond that parking lot an endless sea of ameritards. Tejus... third world shit hole.

[@ghostmantagshome-er6pb]

KZbin comments are full of twatbots

[@VIRGONOMICS]

46,000 UPHOLSTERED seats !

[@JR-rc1cg]

It's not really as hard as they make it sound

[@albear972]

15:50 Ugggggh! asbestos floor tiles! We had a very bad experience with that crap in the house! I highly dislike those.

[@rentslave]

Why couldn't Africa have built something similar to this?

[@nunyabizznizz7326]

drink every time they say erecton.....the 10 year old in me is amused🤷‍♂

[@realSamAndrew]

And each time he says member.

[@FriendofMineralTown]

“Erection. Erection. Erection.”

[@Semper_Iratus]

Spoiler alert,

[@eldonerc2524]

Shame they just letting it rot. 😢

[@jefftrout249]

It's out dated. And the city can't decide what to do with it. Lived here my whole life. Saw my first baseball game in that stadium and my dad used to take me to see the circus there. Lots of fond memories. I honestly wish they would do something with it, but it's not a very easy to manage space.

[@scottwegner4232]

Narrator sure does say “erection” a lot.

[@philipnasadowski1060]

Temporary erection towers? I guess if they last more than 4 hours...

[@stevenrobinson2381]

Lots of little blue pills.......

[@barto4678]

Film was ok, but audio was irritating af lol

[@DavidFRhodes]

and it was way worse on the field. horrible echo.

[@jonnydanger7181]

Astro turf gave players cancer.

[@john1959ism]

Sure about that?

[@jonnydanger7181]

@@john1959ism there’s been several that played on Philadelphias and Kansas City turf that died of brain cancer. Montreals Gary Carter too.

[@john1959ism]

@jonnydanger7181 there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of kids who have spent countless hours from Jr. High through the professional ranks on artificial turf. The number of brain cancer diagnoses directly related to the Monsanto product is what exactly? Gary Carter and some Kansas City players? Your statement is short sighted at best. Ludicrous, actually.

[@jonnydanger7181]

@@john1959ism Philadelphia Inquirer found dangerous chemicals in the astroturf of the now-demolished Veterans Stadium. Six Phillies who played on that turf, Tug McGraw, Darren Daulton, John Vukovich, John Oates, Ken Brett, David West died of a rare & aggressive brain cancer. Phillies sold pieces of turf in sealed 4 x 4" bags. The Inquirer purchased four of those on eBay. Samples analyzed by two separate labs found 16 types of dangerous chemicals in the turf. They are referred to as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down & can last in the human body for years

[@HVACSoldier]

It was built with taxpayer money, instead of by the Houston Oilers and Houston Astros sports teams.

[@OracleOfDalePhi]

Nothing we build last anytime at all!... This thing is already falling down, costing millions a year for the city to keep standing..... I'm afraid this isn't going to work!

[@jacksnow1703]

You have some great content but special effects(annoying green lines), watermark, and timer completely ruin the video. Why do you clutter an otherwise great video with this junk?

[@georgegeorgakopoulos5956]

Ante gamisou stoiximan

[@Mr_Chris77]

And now it's a dump.

[@Look_What_You_Did]

Tejus was a dump even back then.

[@tedstriker2537]

Poor video editing.

[@kevingray8616]

I assume it is because of lost pieces.

[@indigohammer5732]

The near constant, frequent clicking and skipping, made viewing this interesting artifact near impossible, Sorry.

[@zodszoo]

I didn't find it that bad at all. Especially considering what the film probably started out like

[@ScottFoster482002]

You find the weirdest stuff and I love it.💙

[@Sam-nh5xb]

Junk failure is less than 50 years after said to last over 200 years... Failed in complete rust in less than 25 years in complete failure by the Houston Fire Department as of earlier 2004 and 2005 by many years before. The building was a death trap nightmare. Well quoted from one Houston Fire Fighter. As well as the Head Fire Chief of all Fire Departments in Harris as well as the Ambassador of tne Fire Department Assembly in all of Texas! As well as the obvious that ; Teams packed up and went to where money was promised and not complete failure like that "Houston Astro Dome" aka A Complete Sky of Steel waiting to fall and kill a Quarter of the population of Houstons! A Republicans Dream!!! Quoted but never released statements from many Biased Republicans in Current Congress and the House of Representatives... TRUE PROVE FACKTS! GO SEE BILL CLINTONS INTURN WHO THIS INTO CAME FROM AND IS ABSOLUTE 100% FACTUAL TRUE! ASK FOR HER NAME BY: The following name; Monica Lewinsky

[@kozmokohler]

What in the actual f are you rambling on about? are you a bot?

[@georgealdredge2806]

Last time I checked, it is still standing.😅😅😅

[@markcoveryourassets]

@@georgealdredge2806yeah, I never got burned to death there. Not more than two times. It was an amazing achievement and first of its kind during a time when people were far more optimistic, innovative, and risk-taking. It was a great achievement, with greater to come. Didn’t need to last 200 years, given the kind of money that flows into sports.

[@firemedic6509]

Are you having a stroke? Should someone call 911 for you?

[@jtommyprice]

Shouldn’t you be on a ledge somewhere?