Tropicana Field
Domed stadium in St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tropicana Field, commonly called "The Trop," sits in St. Petersburg, Florida, as a domed, multi-purpose stadium and the home ballpark for MLB's Tampa Bay Rays. It stands as the only nonretractable domed venue in Major League Baseball and is a well-known local landmark in the Tampa Bay area. The stadium first opened its doors in 1990 under the name Florida Suncoast Dome, later became the ThunderDome, and was rebranded Tropicana Field in 1996 following a naming-rights agreement with Tropicana Products. The ballpark's location and design—especially its ceiling catwalks—have drawn heavy criticism, and it is frequently ranked among MLB's worst stadiums, with the league itself pointing to the need for its replacement as a major hurdle for future expansion.
In 2023, the Rays reached a deal with local officials to build Gas Plant Stadium near Tropicana Field, with an estimated price tag of $1.2 billion, half of which would be funded by taxpayers. That deal was canceled by the team in March 2025. On October 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton tore away much of the stadium's translucent fiberglass roof membrane. Repairs started in July 2025 and wrapped up in April 2026. Because of the storm damage, the Rays played all their 2025 home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, returning to Tropicana Field on April 6, 2026, with a 6–4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. As of March 2026, the team is pushing forward with a new, potentially $2.3 billion stadium project on the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry campus, featuring a 30,000–35,000 seat venue and an entertainment district near Raymond James Stadium. Though the Rays aim for a 2029 opening, the plan faces questions about costs, roof design, and funding.
**History**
After Tampa landed the Buccaneers and Rowdies in the 1970s, St. Petersburg wanted a piece of the area's professional sports scene. City leaders decided early on to pursue a Major League Baseball team. Designs for a baseball park or multipurpose stadium were floated as early as 1983. One early concept, on the same site where Tropicana Field would eventually rise, called for an open-air stadium with a circus tent-like covering, borrowing design elements from Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium, including fountains beyond the outfield wall.
Quick Facts
- Nickname
- The Trop
- Address
- One Tropicana Drive
- Location
- St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
- Groundbreaking
- November 22, 1986
- Opened
- 1990-03-03
- Renovated
- 2014, 2025
- Closed
- 2025 (temporarily due to Hurricane Milton repairs and restoration)
- Reopened
- April 6, 2026
- Owner
- City of St. Petersburg
- Operator
- Tampa Bay Rays Ltd.
- Surface
- AstroTurf (1998–1999) / FieldTurf (2000–2010) / AstroTurf GameDay Grass (2011–2017) / Shaw Sports Turf (2017–present)
- Cost
- US$130 million / ($ in US dollarsUS)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The stadium was built in the hope of luring an MLB team to the area, with construction beginning in 1986. It hosted the 1990 Davis Cup Finals and several rock concerts before gaining its first regular tenant, the Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm, in 1991. The NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning played there from 1993 to 1996, during which time the venue was renamed the ThunderDome. In 1995, MLB expanded to the Tampa Bay area with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and the stadium underwent a $70 million renovation modeled after Ebbets Field, including a replica of its rotunda. The first regular-season baseball game was played on March 31, 1998, with the Devil Rays losing 11–6 to the Detroit Tigers.
Tropicana Field has hosted notable events, including the first official use of instant replay in MLB history on September 3, 2008, during a game between the Rays and the New York Yankees. It also hosted its first postseason games in October 2008, when the Rays advanced to the World Series. The stadium's translucent fiberglass roof membrane was largely destroyed by Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024; repairs began in July 2025 and were completed in April 2026. The Rays played the entire 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, returning to Tropicana Field on April 6, 2026, with a 6–4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Reader's Guide
Tropicana Field's significance lies in its role as the long-time home of the Tampa Bay Rays and its status as MLB's only nonretractable domed stadium. Despite persistent criticism of its design and location, it has been central to the region's professional baseball identity since 1998. The stadium has undergone multiple renovations, including the addition of a live cownose ray tank in 2006 and various technological upgrades. Its history reflects St. Petersburg's decades-long effort to attract and retain major league sports, from the failed relocation attempts of the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants in the early 1990s to the eventual expansion franchise. The venue's future has been uncertain, with a proposed $1.2 billion Gas Plant Stadium deal announced in 2023 but cancelled in March 2025. As of March 2026, the Rays are advancing a new, potentially $2.3 billion stadium project on the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry campus, targeting a 2029 opening, though it faces scrutiny over costs, roof design, and funding. Tropicana Field's legacy is thus tied to both its past as a flawed but functional venue and its role in ongoing discussions about the team's long-term home.
Did You Know?
- Tropicana Field is the only nonretractable domed stadium in Major League Baseball.
- The stadium's roof membrane was destroyed by Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024, and repairs were completed in April 2026.
- The first official use of instant replay in MLB history occurred at Tropicana Field on September 3, 2008.
- The venue was originally named the Florida Suncoast Dome and later the ThunderDome before becoming Tropicana Field in 1996.
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