Minute Maid Park Stadium

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Retractable Roof

Roof open

HOK Sport + Venue + Event
Hurricane-safe retractable roof
Opened in 2000, the home to major league baseball’s Houston Astros offers fans safety and comfort befitting a climate that can be as unpredictable as a Texas Tornado. With it’s location near the Gulf of Mexico, Minute Maid Park needed to be built to withstand severe winds and still showcase the big skies and beautiful weather that Houston is known for. Uni-Systems went to work and created a retractable roof that exposes more sky than any other when open and is hurricane-proof when closed. The parabolic roof design is shaped to follow the flight path of a batted ball. This gives fans incredible sightlines during games and few, if any, visual obstructions to compete with your enjoyment of the game. The retractable roof is comprised of three independent panels with a unique load distribution that, thanks to a cost efficient design, resulted in significant construction cost savings. The tri-paneled design creates a giant opening, measuring over six and a half acres, allowing for a live-grass field, and making it a truly authentic playing surface. Before games and during inning changes, fans at Minute Maid Park are treated with the sight of a full-size, working train and the unique “Running Man” interactive game. Operating using state-of-the-art components, the train replicates a vintage locomotive from 150 years ago. Running on 800 feet of track on the left-field wall of the stadium, the 56-foot-long train travels parallel to the retractable roof rails. The train’s audio system can be heard both inside the stadium bowl and on the street. Along with making train noises like the sounds of pistons chuffing and the chug-chug of the engine, the system also plays familiar songs such as “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and more. The “Running Man” interactive game provides play for children who attend baseball games or other events at the ballpark. Children race from a pretend 3rd base to home plate against a 15-foot-tall “baseball player,” who glides on a track below floor grade. The goal is for the child to reach home plate before the player does, and to have a memory that lasts a lifetime.

Retractable Roof

The 9,000-ton retractable roof at Minute Maid Park is comprised of three glass-clad panels, each made up of a roof section and a 100-foot-tall outfield wall section. The hinge bearing connection between the roof and wall sections accommodates relative lateral movement that may be caused by wind, heat and other forces on the roof structure.

When the retractable roof is in the open position, the three panels reside out beyond right field. The two smaller panels (measuring 528 feet by 120 feet) nest under the third panel (measuring 580 feet by 242 feet). Six transporters support the retractable roof and move the panels along horizontal, parallel rails between the open and closed positions. The transporters are powered by a traction drive system with 140 traction wheels, each powered by a 7.5-horsepower motor. The transporter wheels have independent suspension systems that accommodate variations in the rail elevation, in order to evenly distribute the roof load and prevent any wheel from becoming overloaded. The operator uses a personal computer to monitor, control and troubleshoot the retractable roof throughout operation and for maintenance purposes.

A full-size, nineteenth century vintage replica train, measuring 56 feet long and weighing 48,000 pounds, is driven along 800 feet of track atop the left outfield wall. An operator control station located inside the train compartment is used to drive the train, and to operate the computer-controlled sound effects including whistles, bells, smoke, steam, and ballpark music.

Running Man is a model baseball player that runs parallel to a replica third baseline in the play area, racing children as they run for home plate. A belt drive, powered by a 15-horsepower electric motor, drives the 15-foot-tall aluminum-clad figure along the track. The operator uses a local control station, and adjusts Running Man’s travel speed to match the pace of the children running against him.

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