One a recent evening trip around town, we found ourselves up at Forest Park, at the Seuffert Bandshell -- or as it was popularly known as back in the day -- The Dome. I'm not sure if the kids today still call it that. In any event, we were up at the park looking to take pictures of the Wolf Moon -- and we were hoping to get a picture of the moon and the dome in the same shot. But we'd forgotten that the whole area had been fenced in -- all in preparation of an overhaul.
So we went in for a closer look and -- how weird looking is this? All the benches are gone, stripped away and carted off to the scrap heap.
It's a big, big area -- and discussions about what will be done here have been ongoing for a while. From what we've heard at the WRBA Town Halls, the new benches will not be installed -- and all the work will not be finished -- in time for this summer. That's so unfortunate as the summer shows and concerts are such a treat. Now, we've been told that the concerts will be held at various local school gymnasiums -- but that's not the same at all. Sitting out in the park, on a nice evening, under the stars with a friendly crowd -- that was a lot of fun. On the bright side -- here's what the new benches will look like. In an exclusive report from last June, Project Woodhaven took a tour Behind the Dome (visit this link to see pics from inside the bandshell itself), and saw one of the new benches. They're made from metal and hard plastic and real comfy. So we have no doubt the final result will be beautiful -- we just wish they could have somehow managed to squeeze it in between summers. Speaking of The Dome, here are a few spectacular pictures of The Dome, circa 1972, courtesy of PW reader, Richard Woitowitz, who posted these on Project Woodhaven's Facebook Page. The are wonderful pictures that capture the moment so well. It was a different time, a different era. Here are a few, in color -- great shots of young people out and about, having a great time. And, below, we have a more reserved crowd from the 1960s -- And that's the wonderful thing about this spot. Whether you call it the bandshell, or the Seuffert bandshell, or The Dome -- whether you were sixteen or sixty, whether your hair reached your navel, or if it was sparse and snow-white -- this is a beloved area with a lot of great memories.
