Pocono Dome Opens

Sciota, Monroe County - Signs advertising that the Pocono Dome is "coming soon" have  been hanging around the Poconos for years. "Soon" turned out to be about four years. Market drops made it hard to secure financing. But things eventually changed and construction crews started to work on the project about a year ago.

Patrick O'Connell is the General Manager at the Pocono Dome in Sciota. He smiled, "To see it come to fruition, see it go through all the stages of the turf being down and actually athletes out here playing on the field is very exciting."

The dome is a huge steel-framed building with artificial turf. O'Connell added, "The space is massive. It's basically an indoor football field in here."

Eyewitness News stopped by during a preschooler soccer session. Diana Psalidas was there with her four year old son. She said she loves that she can get her son involved in a sport. "Especially in the Poconos where it's so cold and it's always snowy to keep them active and getting them interacting with other kids," she added.

The dome will host other activities for kids. They will include Lacrosse and general fitness. There will also be plenty for adults. "From a fitness center, to a health care provider, to speed strength and agility, and batting cages, it's a full scope project," said O'Connell.

There are several leagues you can join. They include baseball, softball, field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer.

It took longer than expected to get it up and running but patrons and managers say the Pocono Dome is well worth the wait. O'Connell said, "It's a way to really fully integrate the entire community under one roof."

To learn more visit http://www.poconodome.com