Yankee Stadium

Address:161st Street and River Avenue
Bronx, New York

One of the most historic venues in all of sports, Yankee Stadium, known as "The House that Ruth Built," has been the home of the New York Yankees and a multitude of their historic moments for over 80 years. From the Yankees and their 26 World Series titles, to Papal visits, major boxing matches, historic football games, concerts, and much more, any sports fan's visit to New York has to include a trip to the venue so renowned that it often goes by the simple nickname "The Stadium."

Right now, baseball's Yankees are the only show at the stadium, with 81 games a year in the regular season, and up to 11 more postseason contests. However, tickets are hard to come by, as the Yankees have been in the playoffs 13 consecutive times and attendance has neared a complete sellout of all games in the last few years. But in 2009, the present Stadium is set to be replaced with a $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium. So the time to see the original structure is quickly disappearing.

Although the Yankees are the only team currently using the stadium, the "Big Ballpark in the Bronx" has been rife with historical moments since in its opening in 1923 as the country's biggest professional sports stadium, when Yankees legend Babe Ruth hit a three-run home run in the opening game to beat his old team, the archrival Boston Red Sox. Highlighting those moments are the Yankees' 26 World Series championships, 37 World Series appearances (16 of which ended at the Stadium), and four All Star Games (1939, 1960, 1977, 2008) hosted.

In its early history, Yankee Stadium was also the primary location for major prizefights. Legends like Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney fought there, as did Joe Louis, who defeated German champion Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium in 1938. It was also a home for many big college football games. This included the 1928 Notre-Dame vs. Army game, which was the scene of the famous "Win one for the Gipper" speech by Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne later immortalized in a film starring actor Ronald Regan. The New York Football Giants also played here between 1956 and 1973, and hosted the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts. In that game, the Colts won the first sudden death overtime game in NFL history, turning the contest into what was to later become known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played."

After the 1973 season, Yankee Stadium was closed for two years and completely remodeled, opening again in 1976. After this, only one fight was held there, but it was a big one, featuring Muhammad Ali fighting Ken Norton for the third and final time for the heavyweight championship crown. The Stadium has also hosted two Popes (Paul VI and John Paul II), assorted rock concerts, and even the wedding of a blind longtime Yankee fan and sportswriter.

In addition to its history, Yankee Stadium is also unique in its physical features. It has monuments and plaques dedicated to all-time Yankees greats and historic events at the Stadium, which actually used to be part of the playing area in left-center field. This area was later enclosed, and had gardens and the plaques added to it after it was taken out of play in 1985. Also prominent is a large exhaust pipe, decorated to look like Babe Ruth's bat, which stands as a prominent meeting place outside the Stadium's main gate. Inside Yankee Stadium, fans are treated to the voice of public address announcer Bob Sheppard, who has been introducing lineups since 1951.

These features can be seen in daily tours (except weeknights when the Yankees are home) at 12 p.m., or at other times if demand is high enough. There are discounts and special appointments available for groups.

Yankee Stadium is located in the South Bronx, right across the Harlem River from Manhattan. It is accessible by car, bus (BX 6, BX 13, and BX 55), subway (B, D, or 4 trains), and even the ferry on game days.