The Dome Center is a fair and convention complex located in Henrietta, New York, just outside the city of Rochester. It was originally part of a 60-acre site that hosted the annual Monroe County (NY) Fair between 1947 and 2013.
- Venue
- The Dome Center
- Town
- New York, US
- Capacity
- 4,700
The Dome Center is a fair and convention complex located in Henrietta, New York, just outside the city of Rochester. It was originally part of a 60-acre site that hosted the annual Monroe County (NY) Fair between 1947 and 2013. The Dome Arena is a 4,086-seat indoor arena with 2,164 permanent seats and 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) of exhibit space. It was built in 1972 with what was at the time one of the largest self-supporting wooden roofs in the world, and was the home of the Rochester Zeniths of the Continental Basketball Association from 1978 to 1983. It is the site of concerts, trade shows, indoor sporting events, conventions and other events. The Rochester Raiders indoor football team played there in 2010. Roc City Roller Derby played there from 2009 to 2012. On May 10, 1977, the blues rock band Foghat recorded their double platinum selling album Foghat Live at this arena. The arena's trademark was the experimental green textile and rubber basketball court, which at the time was billed as the "future of basketball courts", (the "AstroTurf of basketball"). Although it was growing in popularity in Europe, the carpeted playing court never took off as a viable surface in the US, and a generation later "The Rug" remains an icon in the memories of those who recall the Dome Arena's short history as a professional sports venue. The Dome Arena was the host to one of the most unusual games in basketball history. In January 1979, the Rochester Zeniths were hosting the CBA All-Stars in the league's annual All-Star game. At halftime, a major blizzard knocked out power in western New York, postponing completion of the game until the following evening. Instead of merely completing the game by playing two more quarters, CBA Commissioner Jim Drucker decided that they would continue the game from the point of the blackout, but play an additional four quarters for the new fans in attendance the second night. Thus, that game would be the only game in professional basketball hist