There has been a lot in the news about Yankee Stadium and how it is closing. There is another great stadium that has closed and that is the RCA Dome, (formerly known as the Hoosier Dome), in Indianapolis. The RCA Dome was a domed stadium located in Indianapolis, Indiana, which was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984-2007). It was completed in 1984 at a cost of $82 million as part of the Indiana Convention Center, with the costs split evenly between private and public money. It was finished nearly a year before the Colts actually moved to the city. In 1984, the Colts relocated to Indianapolis from Baltimore.

Today, September 24, 2008 marked the day the air was let out of the dome. Lucas Oil Stadium is the new arena for the Colts and so the dome was left to die. Many memories were made in the Dome. The party given for the Colts when they won the Super Bowl was held in the Dome. My kids marched in several State Marching Band Competitions in that huge arena. The Bands of America Grand Nationals, and the Drum Corps International Midwestern Regional was held each year in the Dome. A lot of great memories were made in the first of its kind building. The Indianapolis skyline will seem like it is missing something.

The notable feature of the Dome was it’s inflatable roof. The roof was made up of teflon-coated fiberglass and weighed 257 tons. It was held up by the air pressure inside the building. The ceiling was 193 feet high, though the height varied up to five feet as the materials expanded and contracted with the weather.