Step Inside: Rogers Centre – Home of the Toronto Blue Jays

Home of the Toronto Blue Jays

Rogers Centre is home to Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays. Located at 1 Blue Jays Way, the retractable-roof stadium was built at the base of CN Tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario and remains the only current MLB home stadium outside of the United States.

Over its history, Rogers Centre has also served as the home field for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League and home stadium for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. Additionally, the NFL’s Buffalo Bills had a tradition of playing the Bills Toronto Series at the venue from 2008 to 2013.

Below, take a step into Rogers Centre, including the stadium’s history, parking and admission, and capacity and seating options, as well as food and beverage options inside the arena.

Rogers Centre History

Rogers Centre originally opened as SkyDome in June 1989. On June 5, two days after its opening gala, the Toronto Blue Jays played their first game at the stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers. On June 8, Rod Stewart played the first concert at the venue, and by year’s end, it had also hosted the Grey Cup for the first time.

In 1990, the SkyDome set a new MLB single-season attendance record with 58 sold-out games and total season attendance of 3,885,284. The following summer, the stadium hosted the 1991 MLB All-Star Game and in 1992, the first World Series game outside the United States was played there when the Blue Jays faced off against the Atlanta Braves before clinching the title in a six-game series.

By 1998, SkyDome filed for bankruptcy protection, and was subsequently purchased by Sportsco. Seven years later, the stadium was purchased by Canadian telecommunications giant Rogers Communications and officially rechristened as Rogers Centre ahead of the 2005 MLB season.

During the 2020-21 season, the Blue Jays were forced to temporarily relocate to Buffalo, New York’s Sahlen Field and Florida’s TD Ballpark due to the closure of the U.S.-Canada border during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team returned to Rogers Centre on July 30, 2021 to play against the Kansas City Royals.

Starting in 2022, the Blue Jays announced major renovations to the stadium over two off-season phases, with the changes being completed by April 2024.

Other major events that have taken place at Rogers Centre include WrestleMania VI, a 1998 visit from South African president Nelson Mandela, WrestleMania X8, UFC 129, a 2011 event for the International Indian Film Academy Awards, the 100th Grey Cup in 2012 with a halftime show featuring Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen and Marianas Trench, and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2015 Pan American Games.

Parking and Admission at Rogers Centre

Parking around Rogers Centre can be purchased in advance using the SpotHero app. The stadium also offers a limited number of reserved, underground parking spots, with public access and rates varying by event.

Accessible parking at the stadium can be reserved ahead of time by calling 416-341-1000. (Have your accessible parking permit number ready upon calling to book your reserved spot.)

Public parking within walking distance of Rogers Centre include lots at Rees & Queen Quay, Convention Centre, York St & Bremner Blvd, Front & Blue Jays Way, Blue Jays Way & Navy Warf Ct, and underground parking at Lower Simcoe St (south of Bremner Blvd).

Rogers Centre Capacity & Seating Options

Rogers Centre has a total capacity of 49,286, split between three levels of stadium seating, the Ticketmaster Lounge, the Jays Nest, bleachers, a balcony, Premium Clubs, baseline boxes and more. For concerts and other events, capacity reaches over 50,000 attendees with seating on the field. A seating chart of the venue can be viewed here.

Food & Beverage Options at Rogers Centre

Popular concessions available for purchase throughout Rogers Centre include go-to snacks like hot dogs, sausages, nachos, pizza, chicken tenders, sandwiches, poutine, fries, peanuts, Cracker Jack, pretzels, cotton candy, ice cream and more.

Rogers Centre’s Outfield District also includes casual sit-down dining experiences such as the Corona Rooftop Patio, TD Park Social, The Catch Bar, Schneiders Porch, The Stop and WestJet Flight Deck.