Dodger Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The stadium hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1980 and 2022, as well as the World Series ten times (1963, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1988, 2017, and 2018). It also hosted the semifinals and finals of the 2009 and 2017 World Baseball Classics, as well as exhibition baseball during the 1984 Summer Olympics. The stadium hosted a soccer tournament on August 3, 2013, featuring four clubs: the hometown team Los Angeles Galaxy, and Europe's Real Madrid, Everton, and Juventus. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks played a regular season game in 2014 as part of the NHL Stadium Series. The stadium was also the home of the Los Angeles Angels from 1962 through 1965. The stadium is commonly referred to as Chavez Ravine Stadium (or just "Chavez Ravine"), after the geographic feature in which the stadium sits. It is sometimes referred to as "Blue Heaven on Earth", a nickname coined by former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.

In Their Own Story

The 2025 campaign at Dodger Stadium was a rollercoaster that began with the team returning from Tokyo to face the Detroit Tigers. After Snell's strong home opener, the crowd roared as Mookie Betts delivered a walk-off blast in extra innings against the Tigers on March 28, pushing the winning streak to six. The venue remained a fortress throughout the season, helping the Dodgers clinch their 13th straight postseason appearance on September 19 and secure the National League West title for the fourth consecutive year on September 25. Although the team did not hold home-field advantage in the final rounds of the playoffs, the energy at Dodger Stadium propelled them to sweep the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series and defeat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. The stadium's legacy was cemented as the franchise became the first to repeat as World Series champions since 1998–2000.

Reader's Guide

In the mid-1950s, Brooklyn Dodgers team president Walter O'Malley tried to build a domed stadium in Brooklyn but was unable to reach an agreement with city officials, eventually reaching a deal with the city of Los Angeles. The land for Dodger Stadium had been seized by the city using eminent domain with funds from the federal Housing Act of 1949, originally planned for the Elysian Park Heights public housing project. After political changes, the city purchased the Chavez Ravine property back from the Federal Housing Authority at a reduced price, with the stipulation that the land be used for a public purpose. On June 3, 1958, Los Angeles voters approved a referendum allowing the Dodgers to acquire 352 acres of Chavez Ravine. Residents were forcefully evicted, mainly Hispanics. While the stadium was under construction, the Dodgers played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 1958 through 1961. Ground was broken on September 17, 1959. The stadium was the first MLB stadium since the original Yankee Stadium to be built using 100% private financing, and the last until Oracle Park in 2000. Renovations included seat replacements in the 2005–2006 off-season, LED video displays between 2003 and 2005, and a $412 million project announced in 2008 for a museum, shops, and restaurants. In 2008, the Los Angeles City Council voted to give the stadium area its own zip code, 90090, and the name Dodgertown. Following the sale of the Dodgers in 2012, architect Janet Marie Smith led renovation efforts.

Did You Know?

• Dodger Stadium was the first MLB stadium since the original Yankee Stadium to be built using 100% private financing.
• The stadium sits on land that was originally intended for the Elysian Park Heights public housing project.
• The former Palo Verde Elementary School building was buried beneath the parking lot rather than demolished.
• The stadium hosted exhibition baseball during the 1984 Summer Olympics.