Houston Rodeo Planning Redevelopment Of AstroWorld Park Site

HOUSTON, TX -- The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is considering a plan to redevelop the site of the AstroWorld theme park, officials with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo said. The 102-acre site is located across Loop 610 and the Houston Astrodome, which is set to undergo a transformation of its own in 2019.

“All plans are entirely conceptual at this point but discussions have included building an event space that would enhance our annual show and provide a year-round presence that could serve multiple purposes including educational exhibits, committee meeting space, fundraiser and event locations," Joel Cowley, the rodeo's president and CEO, said Monday in a statement.

Some possible uses for the site include construction of an event center that would be opened year-round and would include exhibits that enhance the agricultural mission of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

AstroWorld, a Six Flags theme park, was opened in 1968 and instantly became a landmark for Houstonians. The park eventually expanded to include a WaterWorld in the early 1980s, but closed just two years before AstroWorld was shuttered in 2005.

The theme park celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year with former employees gathering to share their memories in a downtown Houston tavern.

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