Tropicana Field is one of the most unique and interesting stadiums in Major League Baseball. It features the world’s 2nd largest cable supported domed roof (the Georgia Dome in Atlanta is the largest). The roof is made of 6 acres of translucent Teflon coated fiberglass and supports itself with 180 miles of cables. The translucent roof is illuminated orange after every Rays home win, symbolizing the stadium’s title sponsor, Tropicana Dole Beverages.
Tropicana Field’s roof was designed to withstand hurricane type winds up to 115 miles per hour. The main architects for the project were the internationally acclaimed HOK Sport Facility Group out of Kansas City, Missouri. The highest point off the field is above second base at 225’ and slants down to the centerfield wall at 85’. This design reduced construction costs and the amount of air that has to be climate controlled.
Back in the early 1980’s the city of St. Petersburg decided they wanted a share of the professional sports scene in Central Florida. Against the advice of Major League Baseball they broke ground on the new baseball facility in 1986. The city used the stadium to try to lure the Chicago White Sox down in the late 1980’s. There was a rumor about the Seattle Mariners coming in the early 1990’s, and they came close to getting the San Francisco Giants in 1992. San Francisco officials and the then-owner of the Florida Marlins, Wayne Huizenga, blocked it. Finally, in 1995 they were awarded an expansion team and the Tampa Bay Rays began play at Tropicana Field in 1998.
The original name of the stadium was the Florida Suncoast Dome. When they were able to get the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm they changed the name to the Thunderdome. The Lightning & Storm were there from 1993 to 1996 until the St. Pete Times Forum was completed in downtown Tampa. On October 4th, 1996 the naming rights were sold to Tropicana Dole Beverages, therefore the name was changed to Tropicana Field.
The stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Rays and the new St. Petersburg Bowl, which is an NCAA sanctioned college football bowl game. It is also home to the Ted Williams Museum and the Hitters Hall of Fame. The museum is open during the games and is free to all ticket holders. It closes around the 7th inning.
In 2006 a 10,000-gallon tank was added behind the right center field wall. It can be seen from the field and it features live cownose rays that fans can touch and feed through out the game. The fish have stingers but they have been docked to make them safe to touch. If a player hits a home run in to the tank, $5,000 will be donated to charity.
Tropicana Field has 2 sit down restaurants. The Center Field Brewhouse has typical bar food and the Batter’s Eye provides a premium buffet. The Batter’s Eye is accessible via elevator or escalator through the main rotunda. The Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar is located across from the Batter’s Eye and it is the only indoor location where smoking is permitted in Tropicana Field. The Cuesta-Rey Cigar Company was founded in Tampa and they provide many of their products.
The seating capacity for baseball is 36,048 and the playing surface is FieldTurf. There are 63 luxury suites with 48 of them on the 200-level and the other 15 on the 100-level. The facility is fully ADA compliant with designated areas for guests in wheelchairs and their companion. Call the box office for more information on accessible seating. There are 23 elevators through out the building along with 7 escalators. There are approximately 7000 on-site parking spaces with handicap parking close to the building.
The Tropicana Field Box Office hours on non-game days are Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm. Saturday 9:00am to 3:00pm. Sunday Noon to 4:00pm. On game days the Box Office hours are 9:00am to a ½ hour after the game is over.
After a fun filled Sunny Day at one the areas White Sandy Beaches, go to Tropicana Field for a Ballgame. Rest assured, after being in the hot sun all day, you can relax and enjoy an ice-cold Tropicana orange juice, hot dog, and a bag of peanuts in the cool air-conditioned Tropicana Field.