Rogers Centre facts for kids
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SkyDome
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Rogers Centre in 2008
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 Rogers Centre
Location in Toronto
Rogers Centre
Location in Southern Ontario
Rogers Centre
Location in Ontario
Rogers Centre
Location in Canada
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| Former names | SkyDome (1989–2005) |
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| Address | 1 Blue Jays Way |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°38′29″N 79°23′21″W / 43.64139°N 79.38917°W |
| Public transit |  Union Station  Union subway GO Bus Terminal 509 Harbourfront 510 Spadina |
| Owner | Rogers Communications |
| Operator | Rogers Stadium Limited Partnership |
| Capacity | Baseball: 39,150 Concerts: 10,000–55,000 |
| Record attendance | 68,237 (WrestleMania X8, March 17, 2002) |
| Field size | Left Field Line – 328 ft (100 m) Left-Centre – 368 ft (112 m) Left-Centre Power Alley – 381 ft (116 m) Centre Field – 400 ft (120 m) Right-Centre Power Alley – 372 ft (113 m) Right-Centre – 359 ft (109 m) Right Field Line – 328 ft (100 m) Backstop – 60 ft (18 m)  |
| Surface | AstroTurf (1989–2004) FieldTurf (2005–2010) AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D (2010–2014) AstroTurf 3D Xtreme (2015) AstroTurf 3D Xtreme with dirt infield (2016–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 3, 1986 |
| Opened | June 3, 1989 (as SkyDome) |
| Renovated | 2022–2024 |
| Construction cost | $570 million $400 million (2022–2024 renovation) |
| Architect | Rod Robbie, Robbie Adjeleian NORR Consortium (1989) Populous (2024 renovation) |
| Structural engineer | Adjeleian Allen Rubeli Ltd. |
| Services engineer | The Mitchell Partnership Inc. |
| General contractor | EllisDon Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) (1989–present) Toronto Argonauts (CFL) (1989–2015) Toronto Raptors (NBA) (1995–1999) International Bowl (NCAA) (2007–2010) |
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The Rogers Centre (originally called SkyDome) is a huge stadium with a retractable roof in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It sits right next to the famous CN Tower and close to Lake Ontario. The stadium first opened in 1989.
It is the home field for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, part of Major League Baseball (MLB). The stadium has been updated many times. Between 2022 and 2024, it had big renovations. These changes improved the sports areas and places for fans. They also made the stadium a bit smaller for baseball games.
Even though it is mostly a sports stadium, Rogers Centre hosts many other large events. These include big meetings, shows, concerts, and monster truck shows. In the past, it was also home to the Toronto Argonauts football team and the Toronto Raptors basketball team. It also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2015 Pan American Games.
The stadium was bought by Rogers Communications in 2005. This company also owns the Toronto Blue Jays. After the purchase, the stadium's name changed from SkyDome to Rogers Centre. However, many fans still call it SkyDome. It was the first stadium to have a roof that could fully open and close. It also has a hotel with rooms that look out onto the field.
Contents
Stadium History
How the Stadium Started
The idea for a domed stadium in Toronto began a long time ago. It was first thought of when Toronto tried to host the 1976 Summer Olympics. The city wanted a huge sports complex as part of its plans.
The real push for an indoor stadium came after a very rainy football game in 1982. The Toronto Argonauts played in the Grey Cup at an outdoor stadium. It rained so much that fans were soaked, and the stadium's washrooms overflowed. Many people called it "the Rain Bowl." The Premier of Ontario, Bill Davis, was there and saw the terrible conditions. The next day, fans chanted, "We want a dome!"
In 1983, Premier Davis announced a committee to study building a domed stadium. They looked at different ideas and locations. The best spot was chosen at the base of the CN Tower, near Union Station. This area used to be a large railway yard. The winning design allowed for the biggest roof opening.
Architect Rod Robbie and engineer Michael Allen designed the stadium. The EllisDon company built it. Construction took about two and a half years, from 1986 to 1989. It cost about $570 million Canadian dollars. Many groups, including the government and several companies, helped pay for it.
Building Challenges
Building the stadium was not easy. The land had a working water pumping station that needed to be moved. The soil was also dirty from years of industrial use. Old railway buildings had to be taken down or shifted. Workers even found over 1,500 old artifacts during digging.
The roof was a special part of the design. It was the first of its kind in the world. The designers kept it simple and strong to make sure it worked well. The roof has four panels. One panel stays still, and three others move using electric engines. It takes 20 minutes for the roof to open or close.
Because the stadium was built near major railway tracks, new ways for people to get there were needed. The SkyWalk is a covered walkway that connects the stadium to Union Station. A special bridge, the John Street cable-stayed bridge, was also built over the tracks.
The stadium was finished a couple of months later than planned. The Blue Jays played their first two months of the 1989 season at another stadium.
Naming the Stadium
Before and during construction, the stadium was called the 'Ontario Stadium Project'. People often just called it 'the Dome'. In 1987, a contest was held to name the stadium. The Toronto Sun newspaper sponsored it. The winner would get lifetime seats to all events.
Over 150,000 people sent in names. The judges chose "SkyDome" as the winner. Kellie Watson, who suggested "SkyDome," won the lifetime seats. The name was chosen because "the sky is a huge part of the whole roof process."
Grand Opening
The stadium officially opened on June 3, 1989. A big show called "The Opening of SkyDome: A Celebration" was broadcast on TV. Over 50,000 people attended. Famous Canadians like Oscar Peterson and Alan Thicke were there. Ontario Premier David Peterson used a laser pen to officially "open" the roof. But as the roof opened, it started to rain!
Financial Troubles and New Owners
The stadium cost more than expected, which caused some problems for the government. By 1993, the stadium's debt had grown very large. In 1994, the government paid off the debt and sold the stadium for $151 million to a group of private companies.
Later, in 1998, the stadium faced financial difficulties again. In 1999, Sportsco International LP bought the stadium.
In 2004, Rogers Communications, which also owns the Blue Jays, bought SkyDome for about $25 million. On February 2, 2005, Rogers announced they would change the name to Rogers Centre. Many fans still prefer to call it SkyDome.
After buying it, Rogers made many improvements. They replaced the main video screen with a new Daktronics display. They also put in a new FieldTurf playing surface.
Big Renovations in the 2020s
By 2020, Rogers Centre was over 30 years old. The Blue Jays decided to give the stadium a huge $400 million renovation. This project happened in two main parts during the off-seasons of 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. The goal was to make the stadium last another 10 to 15 years.
The first part of the renovation changed the outfield seats to face home plate. It also raised the bullpens and added social areas with bars. Some seats were removed to make the remaining ones wider. This reduced the stadium's capacity to 41,500.
The second part of the renovation focused on the infield seats. These were also changed to face home plate. Cupholders were added to seats on the lower level. The dugouts for both teams were improved. After this phase, the stadium's capacity was reduced further to 39,150.
Stadium Upgrades Over Time
Since it opened in 1989, many things have been improved at Rogers Centre:
- The outside roof lights can now show different colors and themes.
- The Blue Jays' clubhouse was made much bigger and better.
- The main concourse (walkway) was expanded and made brighter.
- The playing field turf has been upgraded several times.
- The main video board was replaced with a modern Daktronics screen.
- New video boards were added to the outfield walls and around the 300 Level.
- Many new flat-screen TVs were installed throughout the stadium.
- The entire field lighting system was replaced.
- A special viewing area called the WestJet Flight Deck was added in 2013.
- A full dirt infield was installed for baseball in 2016. Before that, it only had dirt sliding pits.
- The roof's control system was updated in 2017 to make it open and close faster.
- A new AstroTurf field was put in for the 2021 season.
- For Taylor Swift's concerts in 2024, new 5G Wi-Fi antennas were installed. The stadium's street address was even temporarily changed to "1 Taylor Swift Way" for the concerts!
Stadium Features
Retractable Roof
Rogers Centre was the first major sports stadium in North America with a roof that could fully open and close. The roof covers a huge area. It has four panels. Two middle panels slide over a fixed north panel. Then, a south panel rotates to stack inside the others. It takes 20 minutes for the roof to open or close. The roof cannot be moved in very cold weather.
Playing Field
The stadium uses artificial turf for its playing field. The turf has been updated many times over the years. It is one of only five stadiums in Major League Baseball that uses artificial turf. For the 2016 baseball season, a full dirt infield was added. Before that, it only had dirt around the bases.
When the Toronto Argonauts football team played here, the pitcher's mound could be lowered or raised. This allowed the field to change easily between baseball and football. Many people have wondered if natural grass could be installed. However, the stadium was not built for natural grass. The Blue Jays have explored this idea, but the field still has an artificial surface.
Seating and Hotel
Rogers Centre has many different types of seats, including club seats and luxury suites. The Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel is actually part of the stadium! It has 70 rooms and a restaurant called the Sportsnet Grill that looks out onto the field.
The stadium's seating capacity has changed over the years. After the renovations in 2022-2024, the capacity for baseball games is now 39,150.
| Years | Capacity |
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| 1989–1998 | 50,516 |
| 1999–2002 | 45,100 |
| 2003–2004 | 50,516 |
| 2005–2006 | 50,598 |
| 2007 | 48,900 |
| 2008–2010 | 49,539 |
| 2011–2012 | 49,260 |
| 2013–2022 | 49,282 |
| 2023 | 41,500 |
| 2024–present | 39,150 |
| Capacity |
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| 53,506 |
Main Video Board
The main video board at Rogers Centre is 33 feet (10 m) high and 110 feet (34 m) across. It uses modern LED technology. This screen was originally a huge Jumbotron, the largest in North America when the stadium opened. It has been replaced several times since then. There are also other video boards around the stadium, including on the outfield walls.
For the 2022 Blue Jays season, the main video board was upgraded again. It now has four "wings" on each side, making it a unique shape. This was done to fit around the hotel windows behind the board.
Public Art
Rogers Centre has several cool art pieces:
- The Audience by Michael Snow shows large sculptures of cheering fans above the stadium entrances.
- A Tribute to Baseball by Lutz Haufschild is above other entrances.
- The Art of the Possible by Mimi Gellman is inside the stadium. It is a glass and steel sculpture that includes signatures of the people who built SkyDome. It also has artifacts found during the digging.
- Salmon Run by Susan Schelle is a large fountain outside the stadium with stainless steel salmon.
Parking
The stadium has an underground parking lot right beneath it. It is divided into different sections. There is also a special section for the hotel guests.
What Happens at the Stadium
Baseball Games
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The Toronto Blue Jays have won two World Series championships while playing at Rogers Centre (then SkyDome). They hosted games for the 1992 World Series and 1993 World Series. The 1992 series was the first World Series game ever played in Canada. The stadium also hosted the 1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Basketball Games
Rogers Centre was the first home for the Toronto Raptors basketball team. They played there from 1995 to 1999. The stadium was a temporary home until their new arena, the Scotiabank Arena, was built. For most games, about 22,900 people could watch. Sometimes, for very popular teams like the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, more seats were opened up.
Football Games
The Toronto Argonauts football team played at Rogers Centre from 1989 until 2015. The stadium hosted the 95th Grey Cup in 2007 and the 100th Grey Cup in 2012.
From 2008 to 2013, the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) played some of their "home" games at Rogers Centre. This was part of a special series of games.
Soccer Matches
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Soccer matches have been played at Rogers Centre regularly since the mid-2000s. For example, in 2005, a friendly match between Serbia and Montenegro and Italy ended in a 1–1 tie. In 2010, Manchester United F.C. played Celtic F.C. and won 3–1. Sometimes, a temporary grass field is brought in for these games.
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Competition | Spectators |
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| January 24, 1995 |  Denmark League XI |
1–0 |  Canada |
SkyDome Cup | 10,024 |
| January 26, 1995 | Canada |
1–1 |  Portugal |
13,658 | |
| January 29, 1995 | Portugal |
1–0 | Denmark League XI |
23,723 | |
| July 30, 2004 | FC Porto |
1–0 |  Liverpool |
Club Friendly | 40,078 |
| July 31, 2004 |  Roma |
1–0 |  Celtic |
Club Friendly | 50,168 |
| June 8, 2005 |  Serbia and Montenegro |
1–1 | Italy |
International Friendly | 22,138 |
| July 12, 2005 |  Dinamo Zagreb |
1–0 | Rangers |
Club Friendly | 18,159 |
| July 7, 2006 |  United States |
2–1 | Canada |
International U20 Friendly | 5,325 |
| May 25, 2010 |  ACF Fiorentina |
1–0 | Juventus |
Club Friendly | 21,122 |
| July 16, 2010 | Manchester United |
3–1 | Celtic |
Club Friendly | 39,193 |
| August 3, 2010 |  Panathinaikos |
3–2 | Inter Milan |
Club Friendly | 17,169 |
| March 7, 2012 | Toronto FC |
2–2 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals | 47,658 |
| July 21, 2012 | Toronto FC |
1–1 | Liverpool |
Club Friendly | 33,087 |
| March 9, 2013 | Toronto FC |
2–1 | Sporting Kansas City |
MLS Regular Season | 25,991 |
| November 19, 2013 |  Brazil |
2–1 |  Chile |
International Friendly | 38,154 |
Other Sports Events
Rogers Centre has hosted many other sports. These include exhibition cricket, gaelic football, hurling, and tennis. It also hosted the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships for track and field.
In 1997, a special 150-meter race happened here. Olympic champions Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson competed to see who was the "World's Fastest Man." Bailey won the race.
The stadium also hosts high school and college sports. In 2011, UFC 129 was held at Rogers Centre. This was a huge mixed martial arts event. It set new records for attendance and ticket sales for the sport.
For the 2015 Pan American Games, Rogers Centre was used for both the opening and closing ceremonies.
Professional Wrestling
WWE has held its big WrestleMania event at Rogers Centre twice. WrestleMania VI in 1990 set an attendance record of 67,678 fans. This record was broken by WrestleMania X8 in 2002, which had 68,237 fans.
In 2025, WWE returned to Rogers Centre for the Elimination Chamber: Toronto event.
Music Concerts
Rogers Centre is a popular place for large concerts. It is the biggest indoor concert venue in Toronto. Many famous artists have performed here. These include Bruce Springsteen, U2, Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones, and Madonna.
The stadium has special setups for concerts. These include smaller "Theatre" and "Concert Hall" configurations. These setups help to improve the sound quality.
More recently, artists like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Shawn Mendes, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and The Weeknd have performed sold-out shows. Taylor Swift even scheduled six shows on one tour, a first for the stadium!
Other Uses
Rogers Centre has a lot of space for different events. It hosts Disney on Ice shows and circuses. It also holds annual auto shows.
Many important speakers have visited the stadium. These include the 14th Dalai Lama, Billy Graham, and Nelson Mandela. Authors like J. K. Rowling and Margaret Atwood have also held book readings here.
The stadium is also home to the offices of the Toronto Blue Jays. It used to house the Toronto Argonauts offices too. You can also find the main Ticketmaster office for eastern Canada here. Daily tours of Rogers Centre are available on non-event days.
Fun Facts and Figures
Stadium Details
- The stadium's roof design was so unique that it had a special patent.
- The original mascot for the stadium was a turtle named Domer.
- When the roof is open, people on the CN Tower can look down onto the field.
- Over 50 million people have visited SkyDome/Rogers Centre since it opened.
- When the roof is open, 91 percent of the seats and all of the field are open to the sky.
- The roof weighs 11,000 short tons (10,000,000 kg) and is held together by 250,000 bolts.
- Rogers Centre has hosted regular-season games for five of the six major professional sports leagues in North America. Only a National Hockey League (NHL) game has not been played there.
Images for kids
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Interior of the stadium in 2005. Rogers refurbished several parts of the stadium after its acquisition, including replacing the Jumbotron with a Daktronics video display.
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The roof of the Rogers Centre illuminated during the night in 2008.
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Exterior entrance to one of the two Jays Shop locations at Rogers Centre.
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The stadium's video board in 2018, depicting the two Commissioner's Trophies won by the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993
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A soccer match between Toronto FC and the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012
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The 12th International Indian Film Academy Awards held at the Rogers Centre in June 2011
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Members of the Toronto Argonauts run onto the field of the Rogers Centre, after winning the 100th Grey Cup in 2012
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Fireworks at the stadium after the Toronto Blue Jays win the 1993 World Series
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Scene from the 95th Grey Cup in 2007, the first Grey Cup to be held in the city since 1992
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Marriott hotel connected to the stadium
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See also
In Spanish: Rogers Centre para niños
- List of Canadian Football League stadiums
- List of current Major League Baseball stadiums
- List of stadiums in Canada
