Friday, November 17, 2006

"...the largest air-supported structure in the United States"

Here in central PA, we are kind of caught in no-man's land when it comes to local "claims to fame." We are rural, country folks with pokey Amish buggies often preventing our timely arrival to work in the morning, school days off due to the first day(s) of hunting season the week after Thanksgiving, and the local newspaper doing a story (with pictures) on the new Starbucks moving into the old donut shop in town (the closest Starbucks we had was over an hour away!)
A couple of months ago, we heard about a sports dome coming to town. A Sports Dome?? Here? Why? Ha!
Well, I come to find out that it is a very special dome...it is the first and only (so far) dome of its kind in North America...it's an air-supported structure - like a blimp on the ground - and it is so COOL to see at night! The "skin" is white and translucent...and at night when the lights are on inside, it just GLOWS! I MUST take some pictures to show you what I mean...
We may take the kids there next week so the boys can join in the pick-up soccer games they have on Friday nights.
Steve & I stopped in last night to see it and I still don't understand how the thing stays inflated - you don't hear any big fans blowing...

Here is a photo of the inside at its Open "Dome" a few weeks ago...
it's big and shiny and demands a "double-take" when you spot it from the highway...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey Joan -

Back in the land where I grew up (Syracuse) they've had an airsupported dome for at least a dozen years. In order to go in and out, you've got to go through those circulating doors so the pressure doesn't go down, and when there's a snow fall of huge proportions, they've deflated it. I don't know if it's entirely supported by air, but it has the safe glowing, eerie affect up on the hill at Syracuse University. Kind of cool -

Barbara