MLB Power Rankings: Top 30 stadiums of all time

17. Astrodome

• Year Opened: 1965
• Capacity: 67,925
• Defining Features: AstroTurf, first domed sports stadium

When it opened in 1965, the Astrodome was an engineering marvel. It was the first domed multi-sports arena in the world (unless you believe the Romans actually had a roof on the Colosseum as has been speculated). The dome was also the first stadium to use fake grass — AstroTurf. Though fake grass and domed stadiums would come to be seen as everything that was wrong with sporting architecture in the 1960s and 1970s, there is no denying the fact that the Astrodome was an impressive building in its time.

The Astrodome offered Houston fans a climate-controlled experience, while also helping to drum up rumors that the team allowed the air conditioning to fluctuate depending on which team was up to bat. There was no getting around the fact that playing baseball in 100-degree Houston summer weather was not a sustainable way to build an MLB franchise. For a time, the Astrodome was a cutting edge stadium that spawned domes all over the USA across different sports leagues.

The Dome was over 200 feet tall at its apex, and had an animated scoreboard, which was also the first of its kind. Everyone loved the Astrodome when it was opened, but it became obsolete by the 1990s. Since its closure in 2008, there have been various plans to find a use for it. Revitalization has been on the table, and the Astrodome was at the center of Houston’s bid for the 2012 Olympics. Plans to turn it into a luxury hotel also fell flat. Today, it is a state landmark, and cannot be demolished. Alas, the Eighth Wonder of the World sits in limbo while economic development agencies and legislators attempt to drum up enough funding to turn it into something useful.