20 Vintage Photos Of Famous Stadiums From The Past That Are Gone But Not Forgotten
While it’s possible for a stadium to be used for a century or longer, in most cases — especially in North America — stadiums are only used for a few decades before they’re torn down or repurposed.
The combination of new building technology, demand for increased capacity and luxury suites, and generally keeping up with competitors means that these beloved (or sometimes not-so-beloved) stadiums of the past are no longer used.
Orange Bowl (Miami)
Known for hosting the New Year’s Day game of the same name, the Orange Bowl was located in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood and hosted both the University of Miami Hurricanes and the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins moved into a newer stadium in the ’80s while the Hurricanes played their last game at the Orange Bowl in 2008. The stadium was torn down and a new stadium — the baseball-specific LoanDepot Park — was built on its site.
Exhibition Stadium (Toronto)
Toronto’s Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (CNE or Exhibition Stadium for short) was built near Lake Ontario, on the city’s exhibition ground. When first constructed, it consisted of a single large grandstand and hosted football and other events.
To accommodate Major League Baseball in the ’70s, the stadium received a massive renovation. This left an awkward venue that didn’t look quite right hosting either football or baseball.
Veterans Stadium (Philadelphia)
Known affectionately as the Vet, Veterans Stadium was an example of the multi-purpose “cookie cutter” stadiums that were built in the 1960s and ’70s.
The Vet was notorious for its rowdy fans, to the extent that it contained an in-stadium courtroom and jail to handle unruly fans. While it was demolished, its successors — Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park — sit nearby.
Kingdome (Seattle)
Most domed stadiums featured lightweight roofs, but Seattle’s Kingdome eschewed this trend with a massive concrete dome that made for a dark and dreary seating bowl.
While the Kingdome wasn’t a beautiful stadium, it was absolutely critical for keeping top-level sports in Seattle. At one time, all three of Seattle’s big pro teams — baseball’s Mariners, football’s Seahawks, and basketball’s Supersonics — all played under its concrete roof.
Polo Grounds (New York)
The Polo Grounds was the fourth stadium to bear this name, and by far the most famous. Known for its unusual “bathtub” shape, its strange dimensions didn’t stop baseball’s New York Giants (and for a time, the Yankees and later the Mets) from calling it home.
The stadium also hosted football, concerts, and rallies. After the Giants moved to San Francisco and the expansion Mets built a new stadium in Queens, the Polo Grounds was demolished in 1964.
Pontiac Silverdome (Detroit)
The Silverdome, located in the Detroit suburbs, was one of several multi-purpose stadiums built with an inflatable roof that featured no rigidity and was kept aloft by fans in the stadium.
The massive venue hosted the NFL’s Lions and NBA’s Pistons, along with the memorable Wrestlemania III in 1987. After closing, it fell into disrepair and was a haven for urban explorers until it was finally demolished.
RFK Stadium (Washington)
The first stadium designed as a truly multi-purpose venue, with movable seating to accommodate multiple sports, DC’s RFK Stadium helped break new ground for stadiums.
RFK Stadium was best known for hosting football, but it also hosted baseball at both ends of its life cycle, and was also the rowdy original venue for DC United, one of the most successful soccer clubs in MLS.
Tiger Stadium (Detroit)
Opened as Navin Field and later known as Briggs Stadium, Detroit’s Tiger Stadium is fondly remembered by baseball fans for its intimate setting and classic design.
After opening in 1912, the Tigers called it home until the end of the 1999 season. It was noteworthy for its overhanging seats in right field, which meant that fly balls that would otherwise land on the playing surface could sometimes reach these seats.
Cleveland Stadium
Known not-so-affectionately as the “Mistake by the Lake,” Cleveland Stadium was intended to be a grand stadium that could potentially host the Olympics.
At a capacity of 80,000, the cavernous venue gave the appearance of being deserted even when a good number of spectators were in the venue. It had an intimidating atmosphere for football, but was largely a wasteland for baseball games.
Astrodome (Houston)
A true architectural marvel, Houston’s Astrodome earned the moniker “the eighth wonder of the world” for its first-of-its-kind air-conditioned, weatherproof environment.
The stadium was seen as a space age wonder while it hosted baseball and football over a four-decade span. While it hasn’t been used for any significant sporting events in years and is mostly abandoned, it’s still standing.
Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)
Wrigley Field in Chicago has been the iconic home of the Chicago Cubs for more than a century, but its Los Angeles counterpart was also a baseball institution.
Wrigley Field (the Los Angeles version) hosted high-level minor league baseball and various celebrity events between its opening in 1925 and closure in 1966. It also briefly hosted the MLB Los Angeles Angels when they were admitted into the American League as an expansion team.
Forbes Field (Pittsburgh)
Forbes Field was a trendsetter in many ways: Even though it opened in 1909, it featured rudimentary luxury suites and was built outside of the downtown core — two hallmarks of stadiums in the decades to come.
Its idyllic setting played host to many memorable baseball moments, most notably Bill Mazeroski’s dramatic home run to clinch the 1960 World Series.
Texas Stadium (Dallas)
Texas Stadium was designed to incorporate a retractable roof, but this feature never came to be, and the result was a dome with a massive hole in it.
Cowboys fans said the hole was in the roof for God to watch his favorite team, and the Cowboys did enjoy significant success at the venerable stadium. It was demolished in 2010 and replaced by the ultra luxe Cowboys Stadium.
Jack Murphy Stadium (San Diego)
Opened as San Diego Stadium and eventually known as Qualcomm Stadium, Jack Murphy Stadium was a mainstay in San Diego’s sports scene for half a century.
The stadium hosted the NFL’s Chargers, MLB’s Padres, and numerous other events, including college football bowl games and Super Bowl XXXVII. It was also the site of large-scale rock concerts.
Braves Field (Boston)
Back when Boston had two MLB teams, it also had two MLB stadiums — Fenway Park and Braves Field. The latter stadium had a capacity of 40,000 (considered very large at the time) and had a unique grandstand layout.
While Braves Field itself is long gone, one of those grandstands — the right field stands, seen on the far left of this photo — make up the seating for Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University.
County Stadium (Milwaukee)
When the Braves left Boston, they were lured by the promise of a big, brand new ballpark in Milwaukee: County Stadium. The stadium played host to the Braves’ successful (albeit brief) run in Wisconsin.
County Stadium later hosted the Milwaukee Brewers for many years, and also played host to regular-season Green Bay Packers football games until the mid-’90s.
Candlestick Park (San Francisco)
Built at Candlestick Point on San Francisco Bay, this stadium was known for its chilly conditions and strong winds, which on more than one occasion knocked baseball players off their feet.
In addition to hosting MLB’s San Francisco Giants, Candlestick Park was expanded over the years to accommodate the 49ers of the NFL. After the Giants moved out following the 1999 season, the 49ers were the sole tenant until moving out in 2013.
Shea Stadium (New York)
Shea Stadium had a fairly standard circular design with one open end, and was located in an anonymous industrial section of Queens. But despite these conditions, it still became a much-loved sporting venue.
While it was best known as the home of the New York Mets, it also hosted NFL football for a time, and was also the site for numerous rock concerts. Most notably, the Beatles played there during their famous 1965 tour.
Mile High Stadium (Denver)
Mile High Stadium was mostly a football venue, but an innovative design allowed one entire side of the stadium to move backwards, allowing it to accommodate baseball.
Its massive capacity of more than 76,000 meant that MLB’s Colorado Rockies smashed single-season attendance records when they played there for the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
Oakland Coliseum
The most recently used stadium on this list, the Oakland Coliseum was last used by the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball, who left the Bay Area after the 2024 season.
The Coliseum once featured idyllic views of the Oakland Hills beyond the outfield fence, but this view was spoiled by the construction of new stands for football. Its future is uncertain, but demolition is likely.
