PGE Park

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Providence Park has existed in rudimentary form since 1893, and as a complete stadium since 1926. It has been the home of the Timbers since 1975. The stadium has hosted several major United States soccer events including U.S. national team matches, Soccer Bowl '77, the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2014 MLS All-Star Game, the 2015 NWSL Championship Game, and MLS Cup 2021. The Portland-based Multnomah Athletic Club was founded in 1891 and soon constructed the stadium for their amateur sports teams beginning in 1893. In 1926, the facility was expanded into a complete stadium, including the upper seating bowl and the wooden benches which can still be found in the park. In 1956, the stadium was renovated in earnest for the first time. In 1966 the City of Portland purchased the park and renamed it Civic Stadium. It was renovated in 2001 to accommodate the Timbers and the Portland Beavers, while the naming rights were purchased by Portland General Electric and it was renamed PGE Park. In 2011, the park underwent renovations again for the Portland Timbers MLS franchise and a year later the stadium name rights were sold to Jeld-Wen (Jeld-Wen Field). In 2014, the name was changed again to Providence Park after Providence Health & Services bought the naming rights. A 2019 expansion raised the capacity to 25,218 and added a multi-level facade to the East End. Until 2023, the Portland Timbers sold out every game at Providence Park since moving to MLS in 2011, and the Thorns set a single-game National Women's Soccer League attendance record in August 2019 with a sell-out crowd of the same capacity.

In Their Own Story

Rain slicks the natural grass under the floodlights, reflecting the green and gold scarves waving in the stands. A single drumbeat starts low in the South End tunnel, quickly swelling into a thunderous rhythm that shakes the concrete barriers. The players emerge from the shadows of the tunnel, not to silence, but to a roar that has echoed through Portland for decades.

Reader's Guide

Providence Park is an outdoor soccer stadium that houses the MLS Portland Timbers and NWSL Portland Thorns. The stadium is owned by the City of Portland and managed by Timbers owner Peregrine Sports, LLC. The stadium sits on a rectangular block bounded by Southwest Morrison Street, Southwest 18th Avenue, the Multnomah Athletic Club building and Southwest Salmon Street, and Southwest 20th Avenue. The Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC) stands next door; the windows on the north side of the club overlook the field. The Interstate 405 freeway travels near the stadium. The Providence Park MAX Light Rail station is across the street. The property slopes significantly downhill from the south end to the north end, with the playing surface sitting well below street level. The elevation at street level is approximately 110 feet (35 m) above sea level. The source article does not specify the playing surface material.

Did You Know?

• Providence Park is currently the oldest facility to be configured as a soccer-specific stadium for use by an MLS team.
• The stadium has existed in rudimentary form since 1893, and as a complete stadium since 1926.
• The site was originally a large Chinese vegetable garden before the Multnomah Athletic Club developed it as an athletic field.
• The stadium was renamed Providence Park in 2014 after Providence Health & Services bought the naming rights.