Houston honors Colt Stadium with historical marker at the site of the franchise’s MLB debut

A Texas historical marker was unveiled at the location of Colt Stadium, the temporary home of the Houston Colt .45s that preceded the Astrodome era.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Houston marked a key chapter in its modern baseball story on Tuesday, when a Texas historical marker was installed at the former site of Colt Stadium, the ballpark that hosted the Houston Colt.45s’ first three Major League seasons (1962-64).

The ceremony at the spot just north of the Astrodome underscored how quickly the franchise’s trajectory changed. After Colt Stadium, the team moved into the air-conditioned Astrodome in 1965 and rebranded as the Astros, a shift that helped define a new era of stadium design and fan experience in the city.

Colt Stadium’s memory is tied not only to dates and milestones but to what people actually felt at the time. MLB’s report highlighted mid-1960s recollections of relentless heat and humidity, along with mosquitoes that were a regular part of life around the makeshift ballpark.

The marker also points to marquee history that unfolded there. Several Hall of Famers played at Colt Stadium, including Ron Santo, Lou Brock, Roberto Clemente, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial and Sandy Koufax, and the venue hosted a 1964 no-hitter by pitcher Ken Johnson, even though Houston’s opponent, the Reds, won that game.

The location carries a further “first” for the state. The marker sits on the site of the first Major League game in Texas history, played April 10, 1962, when the expansion Colt.45s beat the Cubs 11-2.

Local organizers tied the project to baseball research and took time to complete. Historian Mike Vance said the marker effort relied on a grant from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and went through an approval process with the local historical commission and the Texas Historical Commission before being produced and installed.

Why It Matters

It adds a physical, public marker to a formative early period of Houston baseball, helping connect the franchise’s origin story to the modern Astrodome legacy.
The event highlights how MLB’s growth in Houston was built through temporary facilities, then accelerated into a purpose-built stadium era.
By emphasizing the April 10, 1962 game as Texas’s first Major League contest, the marker reinforces Houston’s role in the state’s professional baseball timeline.
For fans and historians, the project creates a reference point for stories that shaped how early Colt.45s games felt, not just how they were recorded.

Sources

Key Facts

A Texas historical marker was installed Tuesday at the former site of Colt Stadium in Houston.
Colt Stadium served as the home of the Houston Colt.45s during the franchise’s first three MLB seasons (1962-64).
The Astros moved to the air-conditioned Astrodome in 1965 and rebranded as the Astros after leaving Colt Stadium.
The marker site is identified as the location of the first Major League game in Texas history, played April 10, 1962 (Colt.45s over Cubs 11-2).
MLB’s report lists multiple Hall of Famers who played at Colt Stadium, including Ron Santo, Lou Brock, Roberto Clemente, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial and Sandy Koufax.
Pitcher Ken Johnson threw a no-hitter at Colt Stadium in 1964, though Houston lost to the Reds.