RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) – It’s been one year since the Hodag Dome opened to the public.
About 200 community members use the Hodag Dome daily and nearly 1,500 people have memberships. That’s on top of the students that use it throughout the week and the hundreds of athletes that come from outside the area to use the space for training, games, and tournaments.
Janet Jamison is the Hodag Dome Manager. She loves that it’s become a space for people of all ages. “They can do all kinds of activities. We have parents and toddlers in here all the way up to senior citizens in their 80s and 90s that come into walk in a safe place. I think it’s just really neat to see all the different people using the dome.”
More than $8.5 million was invested into the 128,000-square-foot structure.
It’s held up through summer thunderstorms and heavy winter snow. “We had that one day a couple months ago with 75 MPH winds and it withstood that just fine. Snow doesn’t seem to bother it at all. It’s got special technology to help the snow melt and slide right off of the dome. We’ve had no real issues with the dome itself.”
Generally, the dome is open to the public in the morning and evening during the week. After school time is reserved for student-athletes. Weekend hours usually depend on tournament schedules.
