I believe it was originally built to shelter the Spruce Goose…

In response to a question about the white dome behind the Queen Mary in this post:

I believe it was originally built to shelter the Spruce Goose (Howard Hughes’ experimental all-wooden giant seaplane) when it was on display at Long Beach. I know that’s what it was used for in the 1980s, anyway.

The plane is in a museum in Oregon now, and according to Wikipedia, the dome is now used as a terminal for Carnival Cruise lines.

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