Casa Grande Domes

The Casa Grande Domes were recently demolished on January 11th, 2023. Read more below to see what these infamous domes used to be like.

The domes are iconic in Arizona as this sort of roadside oddity that have become even more popular in the age of Instagram and social media. They also have a certain lore about them as a place for chaos, and allegedly home to satanic rituals. Much of this was heightened after they were featured in the Travel Channel show Ghost Adventures.

The domes get pretty creepy at night. We originally heard about them in the book Weird Arizona: Your Travel Guide to Arizona’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, although by now the secret is definitely out.

It can be hard to discern fact from fiction in this local legend due to the varying accounts and lack of historical information on the place. What exactly are these domes, and why were they built in the first place?

Brief History

We met with Dan, the manager of the domes, to learn more about them. Side note: you can book the domes for the night. More on that later. Back to the story:

In 1982 a successful California business woman who was selling circuit boards decided to build the domes to expand her operations to Arizona. The goal for the domes was to manufacture more circuit boards or serve as offices.

Construction was underway on the domes with over $1,000,000 having been spent, when all of the sudden, there was a big problem. The business that the California woman relied on for income collapsed. Dan told us:

“It was likely an issue with the IRS or EPA, the latter was common for circuit board companies at the time.”

Arrows point to the unfinished domes

You could tell there was scaffolding built for three more domes in the photo above. Dan told us that much of the equipment used to build them was also left behind, further pointing to an abrupt end to construction.

The Aftermath

Decay and destruction inside have left them in rough shape

After this failure a man who was potentially the husband of the California woman took over The Domes. He made a plan of using the buildings as a place to manufacture fuel-efficient cars or watches.

He got people excited about his endeavors and even held a fundraiser. However, shortly after this both him and the money disappeared. It wasn’t until 2006 when the current owner of the domes purchased them, likely to keep them from being demolished.

Materials and Construction

Despite having been abandoned since the 80’s and a few holes here and there, 3 of the 4 domes have held up very well structurally. We were told this is because of the way they are constructed.

They are made by filling a balloon with insulation, then about three inches of self-reinforced concrete, followed by rebar. The result is a strong structure that has held up to the elements. This can be seen best in first dome from the entrance that Angy nicknamed the “Alien Dome” based on it’s UFO shape:

One of the weird properties of a circular domes is that it amplifies the sound inside it. Therefore the sound inside this “Alien Dome” is the most pronounced. Even a simple crunch of rocks underneath your shoes can make a very different sound here.

Legends of The Domes

There have been allegations of misconduct performed on the grounds, ranging from general mischief all the way to Satanic Rituals. Some of this was covered in the episode of Ghost Adventures where they interviewed a former Satanist about the rituals performed at The Domes.

However, what is more common is more on the petty crime side. As you may have already noticed in the photos above, The Domes are coated in graffiti and the floors are littered with empty spray paint and beer cans.

Ghost Hunting

Using a K-II Meter inside the 'Alien Dome'

Due to the urban legends surrounding this place, we decided to bring our ghost hunting equipment and see if there was any activity. We did a few spirit box sessions and checked for readings on our K-II meters. We captured a few weird noises here and there, but didn’t get the feeling that the place was haunted. The real uneasy feeling we got was from the various people that showed up throughout the night.

People - The Real Danger

Bumping into people on the property can be startling

I want to preface this next section by clarifying that we understand the desire to want to see The Domes. They are essentially a roadside attraction in Casa Grande and many from Phoenix and beyond make the drive down to see these unique decaying buildings. However, unlike your typical bando, these are managed by Dan who stays on premises when you reserve them.

Due to the various safety hazards you have to take a tour and sign a waiver in addition to the reservation fee. The problem starts when people think they can just sneak in while you are in the middle of capturing the scene. For a normal bando this is to be expected. We’ve even met some really cool people who happened to be exploring at the same time (shout out to Pin in the Atlas!) The ones attracted to The Domes are not those people.

Man and his son visited on motorbikes were the most harmless of the bunch

We had a few people just show up and have zero respect for the process. One group tried to negotiate with us to step inside for “just a second”. However, that is not possible as everyone that steps inside The Domes requires a full safety tour and waiver for legal reasons (they are extremely dilapidated and look like they will fall any day now). One of the main guys in that group got hostile and seemed like he was going to jump the fence and start a fight.

Later that night we had various trucks pull up by the side of the road and just wait there with their lights on. It can be hard to tell what everyone’s intentions are - some have curiosity, others have bad intentions. Because you “rent” the property for the night you have a different exposure than if you were just visiting an abandoned place. It’s a weird time.