Rogers Center

Considered one of Toronto’s top three tourist attractions, Rogers Center is a stunning entertainment center and sports stadium that has seen over fifty million people pass through its doors since its grand opening in 1989. Rogers Center, with its unique retractable roof, is able to host sports events, exhibitions, shows and any other type of gathering that requires space for huge crowds. In addition, the center is official home to several sports teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club and the Toronto Argonauts Football Team.

History of Rogers Center

When Rogers Center opened its doors in a spectacular inauguration ceremony in 1989, it was known as the SkyDome, and it was only in 2005 that the facility changed its name. Rogers Center became an immediate success in a city that badly needed an entertainment venue such as this.

Thanks to brilliant architecture, its famous retractable roof, state of the art technological features and prime location, Rogers Center went on to win many industry awards, including Prime Site of the Year award from 1996 to 1998. It was also awarded the title of Stadium of the Year Award for four consecutive years.

1997 was a record year for Rogers Center, when 302 events were held, seeing 4.5 million people in attendance! Since then, Rogers Center continues to serve as Toronto’s prime entertainment venue and has seen over 50 million people attend 2000 events since its opening in 1989.

Capacity and Dimensions

Rogers Center can hold anything from 5,000 to 60,000 visitors at one time, depending on the event. The facilities used are adapted to the type of event, whether it is a trade show, convention, family show or sports event.

Rogers Center covers 12.7 acres, with 143,000 square feet of exhibit space on field level. Its ceiling height is 310 feet. The center’s unique retractable roof takes twenty minutes to open or close and covers an incredible eight acres. When closed, the roof rises to 86 meters – enough to cover a 31 storey building!

Unique Technological Features

Besides its retractable roof, there are other unique features at Rogers Center worth mentioning. The center features one of the world’s largest video boards, with a width of 110 feet and height of 33 feet. This board essentially allows visitors to enjoy the action up close at any of the events currently being held. When the center opened its doors a decade ago, it was considered one of the most technologically advanced venues of its kind in the world and continues with this tradition today.

Art Work

For the grand opening in 1989, $5 million in artwork was commissioned for the interior and exterior of the center. Mimi Gellman’s sculpture of glass and steel, The Art of the Possible, is located on level 100 and features 2000 signatures of those who were involved in the construction of the center. Other work is by two Canadian artists, Michael Snow who created The Audience and Lutz Haufschild’s A Tribute to Baseball.

Other Features

There are a host of other features that attract visitors to Rogers Center, including:

• Hard Rock Café
• The Renaissance Hotel
• Rogers Center Tour Experience
• Premier Fitness

Rogers Center

Rogers Center is without a doubt one of the most exciting destinations in Toronto, if not in the entire country of Canada. Its splendor knows no bounds and its unique features are a model for other architects in the world who are seeking to create the same type of construction. Rogers Center runs an updated website that always lists upcoming events and it is worth attending one of these to understand the sheer magic of the venue.

Location: 1 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Phone: (416) 341 - 3000

Click here to visit Rogers Center official website