Yankee Stadium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yankee Stadium

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Yankee Stadium in 2010
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Address	1 East 161st Street
Location	The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States
Coordinates	40°49′45″N 73°55′35″W / 40.82917°N 73.92639°W / 40.82917; -73.92639
Public transit	Metro-North Railroad:      Hudson Line at Yankees – East 153rd Street New York City Subway: ​ at 161st Street – Yankee Stadium New York City Bus: Bx1, Bx2, Bx6, Bx6 SBS, Bx13
Owner	New York Yankees
Operator	Yankee Stadium LLC
Capacity	List Baseball: 46,537 (2020–present) 47,309 (2018–2019) 47,422 (2017) 49,469 (2016) 49,638 (2015) 49,642 (2014) 50,291 (2011–2013) 50,287 (2009–2010) Soccer: 28,743 (Expandable to 47,309) Football: 54,251
Field size	List Baseball: Left field – 318 ft (97 m) Left center – 399 ft (122 m) Center field – 408 ft (124 m) Right center – 385 ft (117 m) Right field – 314 ft (96 m) Backstop – 52 ft 4 in (15.95 m) Soccer: 110 yd (100 m) x 70 yd (64 m)
Surface	Kentucky Bluegrass
Construction
Broke ground	August 19, 2006 (2006-08-19)
Opened	April 2, 2009 (2009-04-02) (workout day) April 3, 2009 (2009-04-03) (exhibition game) April 16, 2009 (2009-04-16) (regular season)
Construction cost	US$2.3 billion
Architect	Populous (formerly HOK Sport)
Project manager	Tishman Speyer/International Facilities Group, LLC.
Structural engineer	Thornton Tomasetti
Services engineer	M-E Engineers, Inc.
General contractor	Turner Construction
Tenants
New York Yankees (MLB) (2009–present) Pinstripe Bowl (NCAA) (2010–present) New York City FC (MLS) (2015–present)

Yankee Stadium is a famous baseball stadium in New York City. It's the home field for the New York Yankees baseball team. It also hosts the New York City FC soccer team.

This stadium opened in April 2009. It replaced the old Yankee Stadium that was used from 1923 to 2008. The new stadium looks a lot like the old one. It has similar outside designs and a special decorative frieze. But it also has bigger spaces and modern features. It's one of the largest baseball stadiums in Major League Baseball.

Building the stadium started in August 2006. It cost about $2.3 billion to build. Yankee Stadium has hosted the World Series several times. It's also a place for college football games, concerts, and other fun events.

History of Yankee Stadium

Planning a New Home

The owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner, wanted a new stadium for a long time. He started talking about it in the 1980s. There were many ideas for where to build it. Some ideas were in New Jersey, and others were in different parts of New York City.

Mayors and governors offered different plans over the years. These plans often involved a lot of public money. However, many of these ideas didn't work out. People worried about the high costs.

In 2002, Michael Bloomberg became mayor. He thought the city couldn't afford new stadiums. But by 2004, a new plan was ready. This plan led to the building of both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field for the New York Mets.

Building the Stadium

Construction for the new stadium began on August 16, 2006. This date was special because it was the anniversary of Babe Ruth's death. Important people like George Steinbrenner and Mayor Bloomberg were there. The Yankees kept playing in their old stadium while the new one was built across the street.

During construction, a fun story happened. A Boston Red Sox fan, who worked on the stadium, buried a jersey of Red Sox player David Ortiz. He hoped it would bring bad luck to the Yankees! But his co-workers found out. He had to dig up the jersey. The Yankees then gave it to a charity called the Jimmy Fund. Even with this prank, the Yankees won the 2009 World Series in their first season at the new stadium.

Stadium Features

The new Yankee Stadium mixes old and new styles. Its outside looks like the original 1923 stadium. Inside, it's a modern ballpark with lots of space. The playing field is very similar to the old stadium's field. The stadium has many special seats and luxury suites.

Design and Look

The stadium was designed by a company called Populous. The outside is made of 11,000 pieces of Indiana limestone. This is the same type of stone used for the Empire State Building. The stadium's name is carved above each gate. Inside, you'll find hundreds of photos showing the Yankees' history.

The seats are arranged like in the old stadium. There are grandstand seats and bleacher seats. Most of the seats are in the lower part of the stadium. This means fans are closer to the field. The seats are also wider and have more legroom than in the old stadium. All seats have cup holders.

The iconic frieze that lined the roof of the original Yankee Stadium from 1923 to 1973 is replicated on the current stadium's roof.

A cool feature is the replica of the frieze on the roof. This decorative border was a famous part of the old stadium. Now, it's back in its original spot. You can also see subway trains pass by through a "cut out" wall beyond the bleachers.

The Great Hall is situated along the southern front of the stadium.

The "Great Hall" is a huge open area inside the stadium. It's the biggest outdoor entry way at any sports venue. It has shops and banners of famous Yankees players. There are also big LED screens showing videos.

Monument Park, located beyond the center field fence

Monument Park is a special area. It honors Yankees legends with retired numbers, monuments, and plaques. It moved from the old stadium to its new spot behind the center field fence.

Field Size and Grass

The view from the Grandstand Level (400 Level) August 12, 2009

The field dimensions are similar to the old stadium. However, the right-field wall is a bit closer to home plate. This makes it a bit easier for batters to hit home runs to right field. The outfield fences are about 8 feet tall.

The distance from home plate to the backstop is shorter now. The field uses Kentucky bluegrass, just like the old stadium. It has a special drainage system. This system helps the field dry quickly after rain.

A view of the curvature of the outfield fences

Old vs. New Stadium: A Quick Look

Cool Amenities and Facilities

A signed baseball from Babe Ruth, part of the "ball wall" at the Yankee Museum.

Yankee Stadium has many modern features. It's much larger than the old stadium. It has wider walkways and clear views from many spots. There are over 1,100 HD video screens around the stadium.

The main scoreboard is huge! It measures 59 by 101 feet. It can show four HD images at once. The Yankees' clubhouse is also very big. It has a weight room, training room, and even indoor batting cages.

The Yankee Museum features a "ball wall" with hundreds of autographs.

The New York Yankees Museum is a must-see. It's filled with Yankees history. You can see hundreds of signed baseballs on a "Ball Wall." There's also a special display for Don Larsen's perfect game. You can even see the locker of the late Thurman Munson.

Food at the Stadium

You'll find lots of food choices at Yankee Stadium. There are many concession stands. A Hard Rock Cafe is inside the ballpark. There's also a fancy steakhouse called NYY Steak. Sometimes, famous chefs even visit to help prepare food! Above Monument Park, there's a sports bar with a great view of the field.

Stadium Firsts

Four F-16C Fighting Falcons fly over Yankee Stadium on Opening Day.

Before the official opening day, the Yankees played two practice games. The first regular-season game was on April 16, 2009. The Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians. Before the Yankees batted, Babe Ruth's bat from his first home run at the old stadium was placed on home plate.

Jorge Posada hit the first Yankees home run in the new stadium. Later, Grady Sizemore hit the first grand slam. The stadium hosted the 2009 World Series in its first year. The Yankees won the World Series that year, making it a very special first season!

Many important moments have happened here. In 2009, Derek Jeter became the Yankees' all-time hits leader. In 2011, he became the first Yankee to get 3,000 hits with the team. Also in 2011, Mariano Rivera became the all-time leader in regular season saves.

Getting to Yankee Stadium

The stadium is served by the 161st Street – Yankee Stadium subway station.

It's easy to get to Yankee Stadium! You can take the New York City Subway to the 161st Street – Yankee Stadium station. The Metro-North Railroad also has a station nearby. Many city bus routes stop at the stadium too.

Commuter trains also stop at the East 153rd Street Metro-North station.

If you come by car, the stadium is close to major highways. There are also parking garages available. To help with security, the stadium has a clear bag policy. This means you can only bring clear bags of a certain size.

Other Events at the Stadium

Soccer Games

Yankee Stadium in its traditional baseball setup.

Yankee Stadium set up for a soccer game.

Yankee Stadium isn't just for baseball! It has hosted many soccer matches. In 2012, Chelsea played Paris Saint-Germain here. The New York City FC soccer team has played their home games at Yankee Stadium since 2015. The field for soccer is a bit smaller than usual because of the stadium's design.

International Soccer Matches

Date	Team	Result	Team	Tournament	Attendance
July 22, 2012	Paris Saint-Germain	1–1	Chelsea	World Football Challenge	38,202
August 8, 2012	Real Madrid	5–1	Milan	World Football Challenge	49,474
May 25, 2013	Manchester City	5–3	Chelsea	Club Friendly	39,462
June 11, 2013	Spain	2–0	Republic of Ireland	International Friendly	39,368
July 30, 2014	Liverpool	2–2 3–1 (pens.)	Manchester City	International Champions Cup	49,653
July 24, 2019	Liverpool	2–2	Sporting CP	Club Friendly	31,112
September 14, 2022	New York City FC	2–0	Atlas F.C.	Campeones Cup	24,823
July 27, 2024	Manchester City	2–3	Milan	Club Friendly	46,122

College Football Games

Yankee Stadium set up for a college football game.

College football teams also play at Yankee Stadium. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played the Army Black Knights here in 2010. Since 2010, the stadium has hosted the Pinstripe Bowl, an annual college football game. Many other college teams have played exciting games here too.

Ice Hockey Games

In 2014, the National Hockey League (NHL) held two outdoor hockey games at Yankee Stadium. The New Jersey Devils played the New York Rangers. A few days later, the New York Islanders also played the Rangers. These were exciting outdoor events for hockey fans!

Concerts and Other Fun Events

Yankee Stadium has hosted many big concerts. Famous artists like Jay-Z, Eminem, Paul McCartney, and Madonna have performed here. It's a huge venue for music lovers!

The stadium also hosts other events. In 2009, Joel Osteen held a large prayer service. New York University has held its graduation ceremonies at the stadium. Important people like Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin have given speeches there.

Ticket Information

An exterior view of one of the gates at Yankee Stadium.

For a while, printed tickets were not allowed at Yankee Stadium. Only special hard tickets or mobile tickets worked. This was to help stop fake tickets. However, the Yankees later made a deal with StubHub. Now, season ticket holders can sell electronic tickets more easily.

Average Attendance

This table shows how many people, on average, came to games at Yankee Stadium for the New York Yankees and New York City FC.

See also

In Spanish: Yankee Stadium para niños