Why Massive Abandoned Domes were Deserted in Arizona's Desert

The Casa Grande Domes in Arizona are some of the most unique and interesting structures in the state. But why were they abandoned? In this video, we'll take a look at the history of the Casa Grande Domes and explore the possible reasons for their abandonment. We'll also take a tour of the domes and see what they look like today.

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IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.

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Scriptwriter - Imana Schoch,
Editor - Sebastian Ripoll,
Host - Ryan Socash

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Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

[lawerancelanham]

I find it troubling that they didn't say anything about the ground being toxic until they sold it to private individuals. Shady, nothing but shady.

[stephensteidley]

My family saw them in the eighties when new. It was 112 degrees, high noon, when we went. Both freight doors were open, and there was no electrical service. Temperature inside was in the high sixties or low seventies. The thermal insulation impressed us, even till today. That was the coolest building, temperature wise, we have ever seen in Arizona.

[PerrySummers]

My mother and step-father had their retirement home build in the late 70's using this type of construction.
The HVAC engineer the hired to install the heating and cooling system said he had never seen a home with such a high "R" value across it's entire surface.
The home is near the Steven F Austin state park in San Felipe, TX.
It is adjacent to the golf course and looks like a 50' golf ball buried in the ground.

[cameronudall]

As a seventh generation and life-long Arizonan I can attest truthfully that Casa Grand(e)(the e is silent) has never nor will it ever be referred to as the 'heart of, or crossroads of Arizona.' Other than that, great video!

[samthemultimediaman]

Monolithic dome institute's headquarters is located in Italy, Texas. also the outer "tarp" is an air form, air is forced into it to create the shape then the foam is sprayed followed by rerod and shotcrete, no wood trusses are used in the construction of the domes.

[terencehawkes]

The thumbnail talks about abandoned domes that are deserted. Those two terms are redundant. If they are abandoned, they are, by definition, deserted.

[zZOMBIE]

I lived in Arizona all my life, and I never heard about these domes until now honestly!
_It's pretty insane._

[timothywinn]

I discovered them by accident, 2 years ago, when trying to search for hiking trails nearby...and only got around to exploring them this summer.
It's one of the most unique places I've found in az

[michaelmaxon]

From Scorpio: As a retired Architect, I believe these dome concepts would be a great way to create shelters for our homeless populations, and be totally viable in hot or cold climates.

[johnhenke]

I've been there. Foam on a balloon support is a cool and efficient way to make a building but these weren't made the right way. That's why they are falling apart now.

[CannaMomLife]

I live in.Phoenix. Go to Casa Grande pretty regularly to visit friends. I wouldn't exactly call it "bustling" or an "epicenter" or a "crossroads " to anything. There's literally NOTHING out there

[bruceh]

It looks suspiciously like the contractors cheaped up on the materials and maybe even skipped out completely on the rebar, which wouldn't rust away in Arizona. Did anyone see broken twisted rebar in the collapsed sections or holes? I didn't. That's why Arizona was chosen for the Air Force Boneyard as well as this future circuit board site. Monolithic domes are extremely strong structures if built correctly, even with flattened tops. My conclusion is an investigation into the engineering of the structure and litigation with the corporation involved with construction, because there's no statute of limitations on fraud.

[Tom-hlxj]

Would love to see an episode on Arcosanti which has a unique but more recent history in Arizona.

[jamesdodd]

Casa Grande is not the center of AZ. It’s a dust filled bump in the road that most of us avoid.

[johnnymula]

I live in AZ. Ive been out there to see these a few times. They’re pretty cool. There is an unsettling aura in the air of these. Not sure how to describe it. But its a bit somber, yet eerie at the same time.

[jeremyhorne]

A similar but earlier project in Americus, GA in 1973 involved ferrocement being sprayed on a similar structure. I am surprised how fragile they are, coming a part like that. I thought concrete was more durable.. Interesting video. I lived in Casa Grade for six months and remember driving out this road seeing something like this. Thanks for the history. Now, I know.

[mymonopolychannel]

I "visited" (ie snuck in) this place around 2008 or so. The acoustics are unbelievable. Didn't know all the backstory. Got lots of good pics.

[rb]

A long time ago on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, an engineer demonstrated a home-sized version of foam sprayed over a balloon. He showed photos of the domes he built for his home. Cool stuff.

[nordisk]

My late grandfather lived there during the Great Depression since they were migrant workers back then. His 7th grade and eight grade years were there. We saw his class photos in the local museum.

[kennyg]

This construction method works very well if done properly. There are some modern ones by my hometown.