The Astrodome photographed from NRG Arena in Houston on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
April 1965 – Astrodome lit up for event at night in this April 1965 Houston Chronicle file photo.
Houston Chronicle
Astrodome and Astrodomain complex, March 31, 1992.
Howard Castleberry/Houston Chronicle
It’s hard to believe that the Astrodome, which became the world’s first domed sports stadium when it opened on April 9, 1965, doesn’t already have National Historic Landmark status. Often nicknamed the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World,’ the Astrodome is now one step closer to earning the distinction.
The National Park Service recently shared that the Astrodome meets the criteria for consideration as a National Historic Landmark.
“It’s the highest honor that a historic site can receive,” explains Beth Wiedower Jackson, executive director of the Astrodome Conservancy.
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To qualify, a property must meet one of six criteria:
Be the location of an event that had a significant impact on American history overall.
Be the property most strongly associated with a nationally significant figure in American history.
Provide an outstanding illustration of a broad theme or trend in American history overall.
Be an outstanding example of an architectural style or significant development in engineering.
Be part of a group of resources that together form a historic district.
Be a property that can provide nationally significant archeological information.
There are approximately 2,700 National Historic Landmarks. The Astrodome would be in good company.
Beth Wiedower Jackson, executive director, Astrodome Conservancy, walks outside the Astrodome in Houston, Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
“That level of designation really elevates the building across the country, internationally, and at home as well,” Jackson says. “If we’re rising to the level of the Statue of Liberty or the Golden Gate Bridge, then the Astrodome is not just sitting there. It has value to the nation. So if there’s a way to save it, we should. This is important.”
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The Astrodome Conservancy unveiled an ambitious $1 billion plan, Vision: Astrodome, two years ago, with a mission to answer the decades-long question of what to do with the landmark. Gensler, a Houston design firm, created the redevelopment concept.
HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Renderings of the Astrodome Conservancy’s $1 billion plan to repurpose landmark stadium
Conservancy’s chairman, Phoebe Tudor, who established the nonprofit organization in 2016 by issuing a $100,000 investment grant, says the building is structurally sound, has undergone remediation for asbestos and is debt-free. “It’s over-engineered, solid and strong,” she told the Chronicle in 2024. “It’s in really good shape and just needs some TLC.”
Astrodome Conservancy founder Phoebe Tudor, left, speaks with Houston City Councilman David Robinson as members of organization gather for its first event, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in Houston. The organization, which aims to promotes and preserves the Astrodome’s legacy, is working with Harris County leaders to decide what to do with the historic structure.
Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer
Commissioners met in January 2026 to discuss options for the 1-million-square-foot building. The Office of County Administration released cost estimates the previous month for demolishing and renovating the building. Demolition would cost nearly $55 million, according to OCA, while renovating the Astrodome would require a staggering $752 million.
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HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: What will happen to Houston’s Astrodome? Its fate could soon be decided.
Interim County Administrator Jesse Dickerman said in a December 2025 release that renovating the Astrodome would not be feasible without outside investment.
While meeting the criteria for becoming a National Historistic Landmark is the first step in a multi-year process, Jackson notes the milestone’s significance. Preservation Houston prepared the evaluation in partnership with the Astrodome Conservancy.
“Because the building has already been designated a State Antiquities Landmark, which has teeth, a National Historic Landmark will not add any protections,” Jackson says. “What this honorific designation does in the mindset of the public is affirm the rarity and the value of the Astrodome.”
The next move is to prepare the formal nomination. The Conservancy is raising funds to hire a professional consultant to prepare a compelling case.
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Ultimately, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior would need to issue the final approval.
“I think we’re still several years away, but maybe by 2028 or 2029,” Jackson says. “The big question is, will this designation cause whoever is sitting in the commissioner’s seat in 2028 or 2029 to think differently? I mean, I don’t know.”