RHINELANDER, Wis. — Rising from the snow covered fields behind Rhinelander High School, the sheer size of the Hodag Dome is a sight to behold.
“Everyone when they first come in is kind of awestruck for a minute as you look around and realize just how big it is,” said dome manager Janet Jamison.
The Rhinelander community held a grand opening Monday for their gigantic indoor sports complex. The Hodag Dome has already gotten use from students and now the public is welcomed to take advantage of the facilities.
At 128,000 square feet, it’s the largest air supported high school dome in the nation. The temperature inside ranges between 65-70 degrees. The dome is a welcoming oasis in the middle of a northern Wisconsin winter.
“Winters are long here,” said Jamison. “To have a place that’s nice and bright and almost sunny inside and you’ve got the green turf and the ability to be active, it brings a lot to our community and it’s attracting a lot of people from other areas to visit as well which is great for our local economy.”
The Hodag football team utilized the dome in the fall for practice when the weather was uncooperative.
“This is a game changer for us,” said head football coach Aaron Kraemer. “After just one practice, the kids, you could tell that they were very appreciative of what they had and the fact that they didn’t have to be outside in the cold and braving the elements during football season.”
Blowers keep the dome inflated and fresh air circulates through the dome four times each day.
The weight of too much snow on the roof could be catastrophic but sensors monitor the snow load and raise the temperature inside when needed.
“It slides right off the dome and then we’re able to come and plow that out of the way,” said Jamison.
School Activities Director Brian Paulson and others put in long hours to bring this dome to Rhinelander.
“We have snow probably more months than a lot of people in Wisconsin,” said Paulson. “This is a great opportunity for us to play soccer early in the spring. To be able to play softball games early in the spring and kind of have more of an equal playing field like we would with some of the southern schools.”
The cost of the project was $8.5 million and includes two softball fields, a JV baseball field, and two parking lots. Private diners contributed $3 million to the project led by Dr. Lee Swank’s $500,000 contribution.
Jarod Benrud’s middle school Phy Ed. class takes advantage of the space and he’s excited for other possibilities as well.
“They’ve talked about concerts here and other shows or like trade shows,” said Benrud. “I guess the sky is limitless as far as what they can utilize this area for. I think once the people get into it, they’re going to see how much it benefits the Rhinelander community.”
Community members can buy annual memberships to enjoy open dome hours for a host. The cost is $15 for residents and $40 for those outside of the Rhinelander School District.
Indoor pickleball courts are expected to be a big draw.
“The word is spreading on how awesome this place is going to be. I know the pickleball community from all around Flambeau and Eagle River and Wausau are biting at the bit to get here,” said Benrud. “They don’t have those facilities in their towns or cities.”
Aaron Kraemer marvels at the possibilities for athletics and the surrounding area.
“This is a game changer for us. I can only imagine what it's going to be like for tennis, what it’s going to be like for softball, what these facilities are going to do to bring in community involvement and people from other communities and revenue into the city,” said Kramer. “It’s just amazing to have it here.”