Hartshorne gymnasium interior

Interior of the newly opened Hartshorne Event Center in Hartshorne, Oklahoma. (Adrian O’Hanlon / McAlester News-Capital)


Hartshorne gymnasium and safe room grand opening

Earlier this summer, Hartshorne Public Schools opened its new Monolithic Dome gymnasium. Adrian O’Hanlon III of the McAlester News-Capital reports that the 150-foot diameter dome will seat over 1,100 people for sporting events. Moreover, the dome doubles as a FEMA rated safe room that can hold around 3,000 people during a tornado emergency.

Hartshorne passed a $7.7-million school bond issue in November 2015 — approving a bond package to build two monolithic domes, including what is now called the Hartshorne Event Center and another smaller one at North Ward Elementary School. Both domes were constructed to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines.

For more photos and the rest of the story, visit Hartshorne hosts grand opening for event center on the McAlester News-Capital website.