Dolphins Stadium

Dolphins Stadium History

Stadium Information:
Name: Pro Player Stadium
Inauguration: 16 August 1987
First match: Miami Dolphins-Chicago Bears
Cost: $125 million
Capacity: 75,000 seats
Address: 2269 Dan Marino Boulevard, Miami, FL 33056

Pictures:

Stadium Directions:
Pro Player Stadium is located next to the Florida Turnpike app. 20 km (13 miles) north of downtown Miami.
Take the Florida Turnpike to Exit 2X, which is the NW 199th Street and stadium exit. Upon exiting the turnpike, the stadium is immediately on the right.

Stadium History:
After more than a decade of existence, Dolphins Stadium is still one of the best NFL stadiums in the league. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s after playing at the Orange Bowl for many years, Dolphins owner Joe Robbie began lobbying for a new stadium for his team. After voters continually rejected tax increases for a stadium to be built, Joe Robbie decided to have the stadium built himself. After finding a site to build the stadium, construction began in December 1985. The facility was paid for by the selling of luxury suites, club seats, private funds, and long term agreements with season ticket holders. Dolphins Stadium was completed in just over two years. Soon after its completion, the stadium was renamed Joe Robbie Stadium.

The Miami Dolphins played their first game at Joe Robbie Stadium on August 16, 1987. Joe Robbie Stadium was a major upgrade from the Orange Bowl. The state of the art facility has 75,000 orange and teal seats that enclose the field. With its many circular ramps and escalators accessibility to any seats is easy. Two video boards are located above the rim of the upper deck of each end zone. In 1990, in an effort to bring MLB baseball to Florida, Wayne Huizenga purchased 50% of Joe Robbie Stadium, the site that baseball could be played. In 1991, MLB awarded the area a team, the Florida Marlins, to begin playing in 1993. Joe Robbie Stadium now would become a multipurpose facility. When the stadium was built for the Dolphins, Joe Robbie insisted on a rectangular grandstand layout that was wider than needed for football, believing that baseball would possibly come to Miami. The seats in the lower level on the north side of the stadium had to become retractable so the field could be configured for baseball. The first Florida Marlins game played at the stadium was on April 5, 1993. In 1996, Joe Robbie Stadium was renamed Pro Player Stadium, after the company bought the naming rights to the stadium. In January 2005, owner of the Dolphins, Wayne Huizenga announced that Pro Player Stadium would be renamed Dolphins Stadium. Furthermore it was announced that the stadium would be renovated and enlarged. To be completed in three phases over several years the project is expected to cost $300 million. The project includes remodeling of the Club Level and luxury suites, new scoreboards, additional parking, and eventually a dome or retractable roof. Dolphins Stadium has been the host to three Super Bowls and the 1997 and 2003 World Series.

Stadium Tickets:
TicketMaster.com