You Won't Believe Which Baseball Stadiums Are the Most Expensive
The Kansas City Royals just won the World Series, besting the New York Mets. But which Major League Baseball franchise's home sits on the priciest real estate? Here are the top 10 most expensive baseball stadiums in the country.
Stadium Cost: $1.5B
Opened: 2009
Team: New York Yankees
Last Time Champs: 2009
Perhaps it is fitting the team with the most World Series wins also plays in the sport’s most expensive stadium. Yet the stadium’s road to completion was anything but smooth; it faced many controversies prior to construction, such as concerns over the loss of public parkland and the high public cost.
Stadium Cost: $900M
Opened: 2009
Team: New York Mets
Last Time Champs: 1986
Also in NYC, the home of the Mets comes in as the second most expensive ballpark in the game. Built to replace Shea Stadium, most fans view this as an impressive, beautiful stadium, yet despite its aesthetic appeal it was not enough for the Mets to secure victory in the World Series this year.
Stadium Cost: $701M
Opened: 2008
Team: Washington Nationals
Last Time Champs: N/A
Nestled along the Anacostia River in DC lies the home of the Washington Nationals, the first LEED-certified green major professional sports stadium in the country. Designed by Populous and Devrouax & Purnell Architects and Planners, the Washington Monument and Capitol building are visible from the upper deck on the first base side.
Stadium Cost: $570M
Opened: 1989
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Last Time Champs: 1993
This gargantuan multi-purpose stadium in Toronto is home to the Blue Jays and the Astronauts of the Canadian Football League, and previously hosted both basketball and football teams as well. While the stadium is mainly a sports venue, fans can catch the occasional carnival, concert and monster truck show here.
Stadium Cost: $517M
Opened: 1999
Team: Seattle Mariners
Last Time Champs: N/A
Construction on Safeco Field started shortly after the Mariners' ownership group threatened to relocate the team if the old stadium, the Kingdome, was not replaced. The public initially defeated a ballot to secure public funding for the new stadium, but after the Mariners had a killer season the funding was quickly approved.
Stadium Cost: $411M
Opened: 2004
Team: San Diego Padres
Last Time Champs: N/A
This is not a stadium for animals, as the name may suggest, although its sponsor did attract the ire of PETA. The animal rights group succeeded in protesting the pet company, in a small way, by purchasing a brick on the concourse that appears normal but hides a secret anti-Petco message.
Stadium Cost: $356M
Opened: 2004
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Last Time Champs: 2008
Pressure mounted to build this new stadium after a railing collapsed at the old Veterans Stadium and injured eight people. So loved by locals that many just call this ballpark “The Bank,” it has a distinctly Philly quality. Many of the food stands cater to local tastes, serving an assortment of cheesesteaks and hoagies.
Stadium Cost: $355M
Opened: 1998
Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
Last Time Champs: 2001
This Phoenix stadium was the first in the country built with a retractable roof over a natural grass playing field, and the roof isn’t for rain. High temperatures during the baseball season average around 99 degrees, and while originally the HVAC systems didn’t work above row 25 of the upper level, recent changes keep virtually all of the facility air-conditioned.
Stadium Cost: $346M
Opened: 2006
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Last Time Champs: 2011
Known as “Busch Stadium III,” the newest stadium to sport the name of your favorite beer has 61 luxury suites and 3,700 club seats. Ironically, its highest attendance for a sports event was when 48,000 people turned up to watch Chelsea play Manchester City. (Who knew St. Louis had so many soccer fans?)
Stadium Cost: $322M
Opened: 2001
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Last Time Champs: N/A
Last on the list is perhaps the largest construction project in Wisconsin history. This ballpark has North America’s only fan-shaped convertible roof, which can open and close in less than 10 minutes. It even has heat lamp structures that are wheeled across the field during the off-season to allow natural grass to grow, and large panes of glass across the walls allow light in.
