Domed stadiums
The domes that didn't last
Indoor stadiums were built to be permanent. Several were gone within three or four decades.
Lost Stadiums · Updated October 19, 2026
A roof over a stadium promised football and baseball in any weather, plus conventions, concerts and championship events. Starting in the 1960s, cities built domes on that promise. Many of them had shorter lives than the open-air parks they replaced.
The Astrodome opened in 1965 and set the template. It is also the exception in this story: the building still stands in Houston, closed to the public, while officials debate whether to renovate or demolish it.
Seattle's Kingdome opened in 1976 and closed in 2000, the same year it was demolished. The Pontiac Silverdome opened in 1975, saw its last use in 2013 and was demolished in 2017. Minneapolis's Metrodome lasted from 1982 to 2013.
Later domes did not fare better. Indianapolis's RCA Dome opened in 1984 and closed in 2008. Atlanta's Georgia Dome opened in 1992 and closed in 2017, replaced by a new stadium built next door.
The pattern is consistent: as teams and leagues demanded more premium seating, larger concourses and newer amenities, the domes became expensive to modernize. Each venue page below has its full timeline and sources.