Dolphins Stadium

Address:2269 N.W. 199th St.
Opa Locka, Florida

It has had five names in its 20-plus years, but there is no mistaking the importance of Dolphin Stadium in the landscape of American sports. No other stadium has hosted four Super Bowls and two World Series, not to mention several college football national championship games at a major bowl. Currently, the team has three main tenants: the National Football League's Miami Dolphins, Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins, and college football's University of Miami Hurricanes. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, one of the four major college football bowl games that make up the Bowl Championship Series, and hosts the BCS National Championship Game every four years.

Dolphin Stadium was built by Dolphins owner Joe Robbie, and opened in 1987. The Dolphins moved in from the Miami Orange Bowl (as the Orange Bowl game itself would do in 1996, and the Miami Hurricanes would do after 2007) and never looked back. With new luxury suites, and ticket licensing agreements, Joe Robbie Stadium, as it was known in its early years, was one of the first, and best, examples of the "new age" of stadium construction.

While the Dolphins have not had the success in Dolphin Stadium that they had in the Orange Bowl, they have still made the playoffs numerous times during their tenure here. That has not, however, matched the roller coaster ride that is the history of the Florida Marlins, who have known no other home. After joining the National League in 1993, the Marlins put together an expensive team in 1997 and surged to the World Series championship, defeating the Cleveland Indians in a dramatic seventh and final game in extra innings at Dolphin Stadium. After the team sold off most of their good players, they reloaded again in 2003, this time defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series. As of 2007, the Marlins have never lost a playoff series, and have won 10 of the 16 postseason contests, at Dolphin Stadium.

With the two different sports played here, Dolphin Stadium is constantly undergoing renovations to try to keep the playing surface and stadium amenities up to date. Even more improvements had to be made to accommodate the Hurricanes, a major Division I football team, moving in. Because of the ongoing construction, guided tours of Dolphin Stadium have been temporarily discontinued, but the Stadium will be giving special "hard hat tours" in 2008.

The stadium seats 36,500 for baseball and 76,500 for football, although both can change based on the importance of the event. Dolphin Stadium has also hosted numerous high-profile concerts, international soccer matches, boat shows, and other assorted events. It has also been the site of several movies and commercials, most notably "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Any Given Sunday."

Dolphin Stadium is located about 15 miles north of downtown Miami, in a suburb called Miami Gardens. It is only accessible via automobile.