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Dolphin Stadium

Opened in 1987, Dolphin Stadium was the first stadium built primarily for football, and later used permanently for baseball. Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie first lobbied for a new stadium in 1984 for the Dolphins. After a site was selected, construction began on December 1, 1985. The first football game was played in August of 1987.

Three levels of seats enclose the entire stadium. 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 stadium hosted 13 pre-season baseball games prior to having a team and has had several names over the years. Originally known as Joe Robbie Stadium, it was renamed Dolphin Stadium in January 2005.

In 1991, Major League Baseball awarded South Florida a baseball franchise. In order to accommodate baseball numerous changes were made at Dolphin Stadium. Retractable seating on the north side of the stadium was added, a baseball press box in the southwest corner of the facility was constructed, dugouts were built, and a hydraulic disappearing pitcher's mound was installed.

Dolphin Stadium is one of the most colorful stadiums inside with a total of 75,000 orange and teal seats. The outfield seats in the upper deck were once covered with blue tarps to lessen the effect of having empty seats during the baseball season. Being built mainly for football, the outfield fence has many quirks and crannies in it. Overall, Dolphin Stadium can be a pleasant place to watch a ballgame except when it rains. Because of its massive size and location, the Marlins would like to have a new ballpark built in downtown Miami.

In December 2004, Wayne Huizenga, owner of the Miami Dolphins and the stadium announced that the Marlins would be evicted from the stadium after the 2010 season. Along with renaming the stadium to Dolphins Stadium in January 2005, Huizenga announced major expansion and renovation plans for the stadium. They include remodeling the club level, new scoreboards, better traffic access to the stadium and finally a dome or retractable roof. These renovations will total $300 million and will be completed in three phases over the next several years. Over the past several years, the Marlins have tried continually to get a new ballpark built in the greater Miami area.

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