What to Know about Visiting the Domes of Casa Grande
During our travels between Phoenix and Tucson, we saw something peculiar off the side of the road. Even from a distance, we could see these weird bubble shapes emerging out of the desert. They were so close to the road so we had to check them out.
What we found was The Domes of Casa Grande.
The History
In 1982, an electronics company called InnerConn Technology announced its move from California to Arizona. InnerConn manufactured circuit boards for computers and watches and was gearing up to make it big during the coming tech boom. The dome design was selected because it was cheap, quick to build, and would help with temperature regulation in the hot Arizona sun.
However, as is evident from a couple of foundations that were started and left to molder, the project was never completed. Eventually money ran dry for InterConn Technology and they defaulted on their loan and the bank took control of the company’s assets. Eventually the land was discovered to have contaminated groundwater, further cementing the facility’s bleak future.
Today The Domes remain and unfinished project, rotting in the Arizona desert.
The Property Today
There are four structures in total. One is shaped like a flying saucer, which was going to be the main office building. The other three are long and caterpillar-like in appearance, each being made of four smaller domes which were structures were meant for manufacturing. There were supposed to be seven buildings in all, but three were left unfinished. The foundation for these buildings is still visible and easily seen from the air. The shape bears a resemblance to the three other caterpillar-like buildings, indicating that they were also used for manufacturing. From what we’ve found in our research, there are also tunnels on the property however we didn’t come across them during our visit. But even if we did, we definitely wouldn’t be going down there.
Over the years, the concrete on The Domes began to weaken and fall apart. There are holes in the ceiling. On a few of the buildings, most of the outer concrete shell has fallen off, exposing the polyurethane coating. The inside walls were painted with graffiti. The remote location made it an ideal place for parties and urban decay adventurers. With so much traffic and unusual activity, the internet if full of ghost stories and conspiracies linked to the site.
How to Get to The Domes of Casa Grande
The Domes are just south of Casa Grande, Arizona. To get there, exit Interstate 8 at the Thorton exit and travel south one mile. It will be on the east side of the road. Park along the road and walk the fence and you’ll see an opening amongst the brush to enter the site.
Check it out on Google Maps.
Our Visit to The Domes
Our visit to The Domes of Casa Grande as short and sweet as we passed through on our way to Tucson from Phoenix. We spent about 20 minutes walking around the property, taking pictures, and admiring the architecture of the buildings.
We didn’t encounter anyone else while we were at The Domes which made it feel safer and also more creepy all at the same time.
