LoanDepot Park facts for kids

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LoanDepot Park
Construction

LoanDepot Park in 2021
LoanDepot Park Location in Miami Show map of Miami LoanDepot Park Location in Florida Show map of Florida LoanDepot Park Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Former names	Marlins Park (2012–2020)
Address	501 Marlins Way
Location	Miami, Florida
Coordinates	25°46′41″N 80°13′11″W / 25.77806°N 80.21972°W / 25.77806; -80.21972
Public transit	Free City of Miami Trolley from Civic Center Marlins Shuttle from Culmer
Parking	Four main parking garages and six surface lots
Owner	Miami-Dade County
Operator	Miami Marlins LP
Capacity	36,742 37,442 (with standing room) 34,000 (football)
Record attendance	37,446 (March 11, 2017 World Baseball Classic. USA vs Dom. Rep.)
Field size	Left field line – 344 ft (105 m) Left-center power alley – 386 ft (118 m) Center field – 400 ft (120 m) Right-center power alley – 387 ft (118 m) Right field line – 335 ft (102 m) Backstop: – 47 ft (14.3 m)
Acreage	928,000 sq ft (86,200 m²)
Surface	Grass (2012–2019) Shaw Sports B1K (2020–present)
Broke ground	July 1, 2009 (Start of construction preparations) July 18, 2009 (Ceremonial groundbreaking)
Opened	March 5, 2012 (High school baseball game) March 6, 2012 (exhibition game) April 1, 2012 (spring training game) April 4, 2012 (regular season)
Construction cost	US$634 million ($808 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Populous
Project manager	International Facilities Group
Structural engineer	Bliss & Nyitray, Inc (bowl and track) Walter P Moore (roof)
Services engineer	M-E Engineers, Inc.
General contractor	Hunt/Moss Joint Venture
Main contractors	MARS Contractors Inc. John J. Kirlin, LLC. Structal – Heavy Steel Construction, A division of Canam Group (roof)
Tenants
Miami Marlins (MLB) (2012–present) Miami Beach Bowl (NCAA) (2014–2016)

LoanDepot Park (also known as loanDepot park) is a cool stadium with a roof that can open and close. It's located in Miami, Florida. This stadium is the home field for the Miami Marlins, a professional baseball team in Major League Baseball. It was built on the same spot where the old Miami Orange Bowl stadium used to be. Construction finished in March 2012, just in time for the 2012 baseball season.

LoanDepot Park was recognized as the "greenest" (most environmentally friendly) MLB park in 2012. It's one of only a few MLB stadiums that have a retractable roof. With seats for 37,442 fans, it's one of the smaller stadiums in Major League Baseball.

The park has hosted exciting events like the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics, the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Besides baseball, it also hosts soccer games, special events, and even college football games like the Miami Beach Bowl from 2014 to 2016.

History of the Park
Design of LoanDepot Park
Cool Features
Memorable Baseball Moments
Other Events at the Park
Ballpark Firsts
- More Firsts!
Images for kids
See also

History of the Park

Why a New Stadium?

Before LoanDepot Park was built, the Marlins played at a stadium in Miami Gardens. This stadium was mainly built for the Miami Dolphins football team. It was designed for football, but it could also be used for baseball and soccer. Even though the Marlins won two World Series championships there (in 1997 and 2003), the stadium wasn't perfect for baseball.

The Marlins' old home, Dolphin Stadium, was mainly a football stadium. You can see football lines on the field in August 2007.

There were a few problems with the old stadium for baseball:

The seats and views weren't great for watching baseball.
Football team logos and colors were still visible, even during baseball games.
Miami's hot and rainy weather often made games uncomfortable or caused delays.
The distance between the fans and the field made it hard to feel close to the action.

Because of these issues, the Marlins wanted their own stadium just for baseball, with a roof that could close to protect from the weather. They started looking for a new place to build in the early 2000s.

Building the Park

After looking at many different places, the site of the old Miami Orange Bowl stadium became the best choice. The Orange Bowl was torn down in March 2008 to make room for the new baseball park.

In 2009, the city and county agreed to help pay for the new stadium. Construction officially began in July 2009. The total cost to build LoanDepot Park was about $634 million. Most of this money came from the city and county.

During this time, the Florida Marlins team also announced they would change their name to the Miami Marlins when the new stadium opened. LoanDepot Park officially opened for its first regular season game on April 4, 2012.

New Owners, New Look

In 2017, a new group of owners, led by famous baseball player Derek Jeter, took over the Miami Marlins. They made some changes to the stadium, like updating the colors and moving the famous home run sculpture.

On March 31, 2021, the stadium's name changed from Marlins Park to LoanDepot Park. This happened because the team sold the naming rights to a company called LoanDepot.

Design of LoanDepot Park

The first pitch at Marlins Park in 2012.

LoanDepot Park is known for its unique and modern design. The team's former owner, Jeffrey Loria, wanted the stadium to be "different and experimental." He didn't want it to look like older, traditional baseball parks. He wanted it to show off Miami's modern and forward-thinking style.

LoanDepot Park, seen from the north.

The architects from a company called Populous worked to create a stadium that truly felt like Miami. They used bright colors and sleek shapes. The outside of the stadium is made of white stucco, steel, aluminum, and glass, giving it a clean, sculptural look. Even the parking garages have colorful tiles that match the Miami style.

Pastel, Miami-Deco-inspired wall tiles in the parking garages connect the stadium to its Little Havana neighborhood.

Inside, the stadium uses colors inspired by the artist Joan Miró. You'll see green, red, yellow, and blue zones around the park. There are also wide open areas and walkways that go all the way around the stadium, so fans can explore.

The colorful ballpark has artwork like tiled walkways on the front plaza by artist Carlos Cruz-Diez.

The stadium also has cool features that celebrate Miami's culture:

A nightclub with a swimming pool was once located beyond the left field fence, bringing a touch of South Beach to the park. (This was removed in 2020).
A "Taste of Miami" food court offers local foods like Cuban sandwiches.
There was even an aquarium behind home plate with live tropical fish (removed after 2020).

The stadium also pays tribute to the old Miami Orange Bowl with special markers and even some old seats from the original stadium.

Smart Design for Miami's Climate

One of the most important parts of LoanDepot Park's design is how it handles South Florida's tropical weather.

It has a huge, 5.27-acre (2.13 ha) retractable roof that can close to keep out rain and heat.
Retractable glass panels offer amazing views of Downtown Miami and let in a natural breeze when open.
A powerful air-conditioning system keeps the temperature around 75 °F (24 °C) when the roof is closed.
The stadium is also built to withstand strong hurricanes.

The roof takes about 14 and a half minutes to open, and the glass panels take 7-8 minutes.

Green Building and Technology

LoanDepot Park is a very environmentally friendly stadium. It was the first MLB stadium to get a LEED Gold Certification, which means it's super sustainable.

It uses special building materials that improve air quality.
The white roof reflects sunlight to keep the stadium cooler.
Large glass windows let in natural light, saving electricity.
Most construction waste was recycled.
Palm trees and other native plants around the stadium help local wildlife.
The stadium saves millions of gallons of water each year by using waterless urinals.
Engineers made sure the lighting and other systems used less energy.
Even the floors in some areas are made from recycled Nike shoes!

The stadium also uses a lot of technology. Instead of old-fashioned signs, all advertisements are digital. This allows the stadium to change messages quickly, even offering special deals on food during a game.

Stadium Changes Over Time

Like any big building, LoanDepot Park has had some adjustments.

The grass on the field had trouble growing under the closed roof, so they changed the type of grass to one that tolerates shade better.
In 2016, the outfield walls were lowered and moved closer to home plate to make it easier for players to hit home runs.
In 2020, the natural grass field was replaced with artificial turf, and the fences in center and right-center field were moved in again to encourage more home runs.

Cool Features

The east side of the stadium with the windows open.

The Marlins team added many unique art pieces and features to the stadium.

Retractable Roof and Glass Panels: The huge roof weighs 8,300 tons! The glass panels offer views of downtown Miami and let in a breeze.
Home Run Sculpture: A large, colorful sculpture by artist Red Grooms is behind the left-center field wall. When the Marlins hit a home run, the sculpture lights up, moves, and sprays water! It's been a big topic of conversation, and it was moved outside the park in 2018.
Bobblehead Museum: A fun display shows hundreds of bobblehead dolls from baseball, all jiggling together.
Orange Bowl Tribute: A special art piece uses letters from the old "Miami Orange Bowl" sign. These letters are arranged so they spell different words as you walk around them, like "ORANGE BOWL" and "GAME WON."
Parking Garages: The stadium has four main parking garages, decorated with colorful Miami-Deco tiles. They are color-coded to match different parts of the stadium.
Colorful Walkways: The pathways at the west entrance are designed by artist Carlos Cruz-Diez. They use small tiles to create patterns that seem to change as you walk on them.
Column Lights: The four huge columns that hold up the roof have special LED lights that make them appear and disappear, like breathing.
Art Replicas: You can find large copies of famous artworks by artists like Joan Miró, Roy Lichtenstein, and Kenny Scharf inside the park.

Memorable Baseball Moments

LoanDepot Park has seen many exciting baseball games:

In 2013, Henderson Álvarez pitched the first no-hitter at the park against the Detroit Tigers. It ended in a very unusual way with a "walk-off wild pitch" that scored the winning run!
On April 6, 2015, the park had its first-ever rain delay during a game, even with the retractable roof!
In June 2016, a game between the Marlins and the Colorado Rockies set a record for the most home runs hit in one game at the park, with eight!
The stadium hosted parts of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, 2017 World Baseball Classic, and the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
In July 2017, LoanDepot Park hosted the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, a big event where the best players from both leagues play against each other.

Other Events at the Park

Besides baseball, LoanDepot Park is a busy place for many other events:

College Football

The Miami Beach Bowl college football game was played here every December from 2014 to 2016.
In 2019, the FIU Panthers played and won against the Miami Hurricanes in a college football game.

Soccer Matches

The stadium has hosted international soccer games, with teams from different countries playing friendly matches.

Date	Winning Team	Result	Losing Team	Tournament	Spectators
November 14, 2012	Nigeria	3–1	Venezuela	Friendly	13,372
February 10, 2016	Mexico	2–0	Senegal	Friendly	15,588
May 29, 2016	Colombia	3–1	Haiti	Friendly	22,011

Concerts

Famous musicians have also performed concerts at LoanDepot Park.

Date	Artist	Opening act(s)	Tour / Concert name	Attendance	Revenue	Notes
April 27, 2016	Beyoncé	DJ Khaled	The Formation World Tour	36,656 / 36,656	$5,252,615	Lil Wayne, Future, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Yo Gotti and 2 Chainz joined DJ Khaled during the opening act.
August 8, 2017	Guns N' Roses	Sturgill Simpson	Not in This Lifetime ... Tour	37,834 / 37,834	$4,102,883

Other Fun Events

In 2017, the stadium hosted the 2017 Race of Champions, a competition where famous race car drivers compete.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony hosted a big benefit concert called "One Voice: Somos Live!" in 2017 to raise money for disaster relief.
LoanDepot Park has also hosted exciting Monster Jam events, where monster trucks perform amazing stunts.
In 2022, Kanye West held a listening party for his album Donda 2 at the stadium.

Ballpark Firsts

Here are some of the first things that happened at LoanDepot Park:

Statistic	Spring Training Exhibition April 1, 2012	Opening Night April 4, 2012
Attendance	27,152 (limited)	36,601 (sellout)
Ceremonial first pitch	—	Muhammad Ali
First pitch	Ricky Nolasco (hit)	Josh Johnson (strike)
First batter	Derek Jeter	Rafael Furcal
First hit	Derek Jeter (double; 1st inning)	Carlos Beltrán (single; 1st inning)
First out	Curtis Granderson (groundout to 1B)	Rafael Furcal (groundout to SS)
First home run	Gaby Sánchez (solo) off CC Sabathia	—
First strikeout	Mark Teixeira (swinging) by Ricky Nolasco	Josh Johnson (swinging) by Kyle Lohse
First win	George Kontos	Kyle Lohse
First loss	Chad Gaudin	Josh Johnson

More Firsts!

Statistic	Date	Player(s)/Team(s)
First game	March 5, 2012	Christopher Columbus High School 6, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School 4
Ceremonial first pitch	March 5, 2012	Ex-Mayor Manny Diaz and Archbishop Thomas Wenski
First home run (regular season)	April 13, 2012	J. D. Martinez (Houston Astros) off Edward Mujica
First Marlins home run (regular season)	April 15, 2012	Omar Infante off J. A. Happ (Houston Astros)

Images for kids

The super-columns are nearly complete, with one crossbeam already in place, which will support the retractable roof, February 6, 2010.
The site on July 2, 2010. The interior bowl is being completed on the west side, from a view at the outfield.
The site on November 6, 2010. The main center roof being constructed.
February 15, 2011.
Adjacent parking structure on February 15, 2011.
The site two weeks before completion of the final roof panel on March 13, 2011.
The site on August 13, 2011, as seen from the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) traveling east.
Construction on August 25, 2011.
A side view of the home run structure at LoanDepot Park.
One of the columns at LoanDepot Park that supports the roof when the roof is opened.
Baseball in Motion by Dominic Pangborn.