On January 29, 2025, the Oklahoma City Council approved a $10 million plan to turn the Gold Dome into a 2,500-seat concert venue at NW 23rd Street and Classen Boulevard on Route 66. Funding is $3 million in tax increment financing plus $7 million private investment. Tulsa-based Kismet plans roughly 65 events a year.
If you've driven Classen Boulevard in Oklahoma City, you know the Gold Dome — the gleaming geodesic sphere that has stared down the wrecking ball for the better part of two decades. Now it has a future. The city and a private operator have a funded plan to fill it with live music, right in the heart of the Uptown 23rd dining corridor and squarely on Route 66 as the highway's centennial arrives.
Here's what was approved, how the building survived, what the venue will host, and — if you're planning a concert night or a Route 66 road trip — where you can actually stay a few minutes away.
The plan is approved and funded, but a renovation of this size takes time. If you're building a trip around opening events, book lodging early — Uptown 23rd is a compact neighborhood, and nearby furnished homes are limited in number.
What the City Actually Approved for the Gold Dome
The Oklahoma City Council signed off on a $10 million revival for the Gold Dome on January 29, 2025. The money comes from two sources: $3 million through tax increment financing (TIF) and $7 million in private investment.
The developer and operator is Mike Brown, whose Tulsa-based company Kismet (also known for Kismet Koncerts) will run the space. According to Visit OKC, the plan is a 2,500-seat concert venue hosting roughly 65 events per year.
Renovations focus primarily on the interior while preserving the building's historic character — the distinctive gold geodesic exterior that makes the dome one of the most photographed structures on Oklahoma City's stretch of Route 66.
How the Gold Dome Survived Decades of Demolition Threats
The Gold Dome has been largely vacant since its last tenants left in the 1990s — and it spent those years repeatedly threatened with demolition.
The geodesic dome opened as Citizens State Bank, with the building dating to 1958 per news reports. Its unusual architecture made it a Route 66 icon, but an empty landmark is an expensive one to keep, and redevelopment pressure at a prominent corner never let up.
Current owners Johnathan Russell and Troy Humphrey were credited for their stewardship and for rejecting demolition. Mayor David Holt said the city worked with owners for almost a decade to find a path forward, and a TIF district was created in 2024 to make the financing possible. The 2025 council vote turned that long effort into a funded project.
What This Means If You're Heading to a Gold Dome Concert or a Route 66 Trip
The Gold Dome sits at NW 23rd Street and Classen Boulevard — right on Route 66 and in the middle of Uptown 23rd, one of Oklahoma City's densest dining and nightlife corridors. That location changes how you should think about lodging.
Most visitors default to downtown hotels near Paycom Center or Bricktown. But the Gold Dome isn't downtown — it's a few minutes north, closer to the Plaza and Paseo districts. Several of our furnished homes sit minutes from this corner, which means you can walk out of a show and be back at a full house — kitchen, laundry, real beds — in the same neighborhood, instead of fighting downtown parking and traffic.
For Route 66 travelers, the geography is even better. The dome is one waypoint on OKC's Route 66 stretch, and staying nearby lets you park the car and cover the corridor's landmarks, murals, and restaurants on foot before rolling on. See our Route 66 centennial OKC guide for the wider itinerary.
Planning a concert night or a Route 66 stop near the Gold Dome? Stay minutes from NW 23rd & Classen instead of downtown — furnished homes with kitchens, laundry, and room to spread out.
Gold Dome Revival Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1958 | Building dates to this year; opens as Citizens State Bank (per news reports) |
| 1990s | Last tenants leave; the dome sits largely vacant |
| 2000s–2010s | Repeated demolition threats; owners and the city search for a viable reuse |
| 2024 | A TIF district is created to enable financing |
| Jan 29, 2025 | City Council approves the $10M plan: $3M TIF + $7M private investment |
| Planned | Interior renovation into a 2,500-seat venue hosting ~65 events/year, run by Kismet |
Before and After: The Gold Dome Then and Now
The clearest way to understand the project is a straight comparison of the building's old reality against the approved plan.
| Feature | Before (vacant landmark) | After (approved plan) |
|---|---|---|
| Use | Largely vacant since the 1990s | 2,500-seat concert venue |
| Activity | None; recurring demolition threats | Roughly 65 events per year |
| Operator | Private owners maintaining the shell | Kismet (Mike Brown), Tulsa-based |
| Funding | Owner-held, no redevelopment capital | $3M TIF + $7M private = $10M |
| Exterior | Iconic gold geodesic dome | Historic character preserved; interior focus |
What a Stay Near the Gold Dome Could Look Like (Hypothetical)
Here's a clearly hypothetical example to show how lodging math works for a group. Say four friends drive in for a weekend show at the reborn dome and want to explore Uptown 23rd on foot.
Two downtown hotel rooms at, say, roughly $170/night each for two nights would run about $680 plus tax — and you'd still be driving back and forth from downtown. A furnished home near NW 23rd, booked directly, starts in the range of our published from-rates of $165–$425/night, with up to 35% off on stays of four nights or more.
Even at a two-night stay, one home splits four ways instead of two rooms — plus a kitchen, laundry, and a neighborhood you can walk. For longer visits or bigger groups, the gap widens. Always confirm your exact dates and headcount for a real quote.
How to Plan a Gold Dome Trip, Step by Step
- Confirm the event date. Lock your show or Route 66 travel dates before booking anything else.
- Count your group. Know how many beds you actually need — this decides home vs. hotel.
- Map the location. Target NW 23rd & Classen, not downtown, to stay walkable to the corridor.
- Compare total cost. Weigh two-plus hotel rooms against one furnished home split across your group.
- Book direct and early. Reserve a nearby home and ask about savings on stays of four nights or more.
If you're weighing a longer OKC stay or want to understand the city's rental rules first, our guide to OKC short-term rental rules covers the basics.
When You Don't Need a Furnished Home Near the Dome
If you're a solo traveler in town for one night and you collect hotel points, a downtown hotel is a perfectly reasonable call — a single room, no kitchen needed, done.
A furnished home near the Gold Dome changes the outcome when you're traveling as a group, staying multiple nights, want to walk the Uptown 23rd corridor without moving your car, or need a kitchen and laundry. For those trips, one home a few minutes from NW 23rd & Classen usually beats splitting the group across hotel rooms downtown.
Terms You'll Hear, Decoded
- Tax increment financing (TIF): A tool that lets a city fund redevelopment using future tax revenue growth from a district; $3M of the Gold Dome plan comes from this.
- TIF district: The specific geographic zone, created here in 2024, where that financing applies.
- Geodesic dome: The sphere-like structure of triangular panels that gives the Gold Dome its landmark shape.
- Kismet / Kismet Koncerts: The Tulsa-based company, led by Mike Brown, that will operate the venue.
Route 66 fans planning a wider loop can pair this stop with our Route 66 centennial OKC itinerary and browse available homes near the corridor.
Sources: News 9 — OKC City Council approves $10 million Gold Dome revival plan and Visit OKC — What's New, What's Coming.