Mile High Stadium

From Bears to Broncos: Denver's iconic home of football, baseball, and soccer from 1948 to 2002.

Mile High Stadium (originally Bears Stadium until 1968) was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium located in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 to 2002.

Quick Facts

Tenure: 1968–2000 (last game in 2000; team moved to Invesco Field at Mile High in 2001)
Surface: Natural Grass (1960–1969), then Artificial Turf (Tartan Turf from 1970–1976, AstroTurf from 1977–2000)

Lore & Background

The stadium was built in 1948 to accommodate the Denver Bears baseball team. Originally a baseball venue, it was expanded to host the Denver Broncos, who called it home from their beginning in the AFL in 1960 until 2000. The stadium was renamed Mile High Stadium in 1968 after being sold to the city. It also hosted the Colorado Rockies (1993–1994), the Denver Gold (USFL), and several soccer teams including the Colorado Rapids (1996–2001). The stadium closed after the 2001 season and was demolished in 2002.

Reader's Guide

The stadium's capacity grew from 18,000 in 1948 to over 76,000 by 1986. Notable features included movable east stands (added 1975–1977) that could shift 145 feet for baseball or football configurations, and an all-grass infield with sliding pits. The south stands were known for loud, vocal fans. A 24-foot fiberglass horse statue named Bucky (not Trigger) was mounted atop the scoreboard from 1975 until the stadium's closure.

Did You Know?

The Denver Broncos played at Mile High from 1960 to 2000, with every game sold out from their first NFL season onward.
The movable east stands weighed nearly 9 million pounds and took about six hours to move using water bearings.
The Colorado Rockies set MLB attendance records in 1993 and 1994 while playing at Mile High.