Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado. 1948 - 2002
leveled to provide 1800 parking spaces for new stadium
*Goodbye Mile High, hosted by RockyMountainNews.com. "From Broncos miracles to Metallica to the pope, Mile High Stadium has witnessed more emotion than any other Colorado arena. Here's a glimpse. . ."

Kingdome, Seattle, Washington, 1976 - 2000
*Read Critic Glenn Weiss' article "Blown to Kingdome Come", published in Seattle Magazine in March 2000, a sharp essay only too relevant today: "The demolition this April of America's last concrete superdome may be a case of patricide...In the late 1960s and early '70s, a Seattle generation institutionalized preservation of historic buildings through landmark commissions and nonprofit advocacy groups. But historic always meant Beaux Arts, neoclassical or Craftsman style. They had no interest in protecting the ugly, horrible modern structures of their mothers' and fathers' creation. . . "

Capital Centre (US Airways Arena), Landover, MD, 1973 - 2002

Riverfront Stadium (Cinergy Field), Cincinnati, Ohio, 1970 - 2002

Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA, 1968 - 2001 (opened 1971)
*Three Rivers Implosion: Preparation and Results
*Pittsburgh brings down Three Rivers Stadium at CNN.com
*Narrative description and history of Three Rivers Stadium. Letter to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau for Historic Preservation, by Gary J. English, Chairman, Voice PAC

Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland, 1950 - 2002
*A Memorial to a Memorial, at Baltimore Ghosts. Photos and tribute.
*The Last Season: Life and Demolition of Memorial Stadium.

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, 1962. "The dream of a grand baseball stadium materialized amidst the frustration, inspiration and determination of Walter O’Malley, whose creation of Dodger Stadium would become the crown jewel in a four-decade career in the major leagues. It was the first privately-financed baseball venue since Yankee Stadium in 1923 and its fundamental amenities were designed for the fan, including a revolutionary concept of multi-level parking lots and an unobstructed view from any of the 56,000 seats. And the more than 115 million fans who have visited the ballpark since it opened in 1962 reflect how the home of the Dodgers became woven into the fabric of everyday life for the residents of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities." More information at Walter O'Malley: Official Web Site (Text by Mark Langill, courtesy Walter O'Malley: Official Web Site)

Endangered

Photo by Roy Engelbrecht, 1961, courtesy Gary J. English.
Endangered

Civic Arena (Mellon Arena), Pittsburgh, PA, 1959, by James A. Mitchell and Dahlen K. Ritchey, funded by Edgar Kaufmann. A unique feature of the Civic Arena is its vast stainless steel retractable roof supported by a huge steel cantilever. "In February 1950, Kaufmann showed City Council a model of the proposed "umbrella amphitheater" designed by architects James A. Mitchell and Dahlen K. Ritchey. Mitchell invented a motorized, retractable roof of fabric-coated plastic -- two bat-like wings attached at the top to a cantilevered, steel arm and to the round base below. The design won an award in Progressive Architecture magazine." Link to article at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

See our full page of links, historic statements, and history
of the Civic Arena.

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO, 1966, Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates; Edward Durell Stone (design collaborator); Schwarz & Van Hoefen, Associated. Home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

History of the Stadium, by the St. Louis Cardinals
Dimensions and Trivia at Ballparks.com
Ballparks of Baseball, Busch Stadium

Two groups seek to save Busch from demolition By Charlene Prost And Eric Stern 05/15/2001 St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Carolyn Toft, executive director of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, said Thursday that her organization has put Busch Stadium on its newest list of 11 Most Endangered Buildings to be made public during Preservation Week this month. The purpose of that list, she said, is to call attention to the importance of the buildings on it and rally support for saving them. Toft also said Busch, designed by noted architect Edward Durrell Stone with 96 arches, each repeating the curve of the nearby Gateway Arch, could be listed on the National Register even though it's only 35 years old."

The Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas, 1965. Since the Astros moved to Minute Maid Park in 1999 and the Texans play in Reliant Stadium the future of the Astrodome looks bleak. From BaseballLibrary.com: "Dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World when it opened in 1965 as the Harris County Domed Stadium, Houston's Astrodome was the world's first large indoor venue (45,000 seats spread over five seating levels) for a major-league field sport. This baseball, football, and rodeo palace was conceived by entrepreneur and team owner Judge Roy Hofheinz, who lived in a luxuriously furnished apartment inside. . . In 1966 the Monsanto chemical company proposed using an experimental playing surface of nylon grass. It was installed and named AstroTurf. On April 8, 1966 the Astros and Dodgers played baseball's first game on synthetic grass."

See also: Ballparks of Baseball for photographs and building chronology.

NFL Stadium History (1920 - Present) In PDF format, listing all the stadiums used currently and demolished. Courtesy Marquette University Law School (WI).

Ballparks of Baseball: The Fields of Major League Baseball. Great stories and photos, photos, photos!

Frank's Ballparks Page. Personal website featuring photos and "ratings" of over 65 major & minor league parks.

World Stadiums. A good research tool, with lists of stadiums in eight continents complete with club, city, capacity, and year built. Also includes list of demolished stadiums. "World Stadiums is a database-related commercial website about stadiums...Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive online stadium resource with major stadiums containing pictures and info. Every significant stadium present on Earth is supposed to be listed on this website."

FotoSearch: Stock Photography and Stock Footage. Images of baseball stadiums, arenas, and stadiums available for browsing or other uses.