History
The stadium that would become Tropicana Field opened on March 3rd 1990. Although it was designed to be a venue for baseball games, the stadium’s first full-time occupants were the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning who called the “Thunderdome” home from 1993-1996. Other teams or events hosted in the dome include the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League, the St. Petersburg Bowl of college football, NCAA Tournament basketball and a variety of sports, entertainment and concerts.

The stadium became the home for the Major League expansion team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, for the 1998 season after undergoing $85 million in renovations that began in 1996. It was renovated again in 2006 to add more fan interaction sites and facility improvements.

The Ballpark
Leading into the main entrance of the Tropicana Field is a 900-foot tile mosaic walkway depicting an undersea scene that is made of nearly 2,000 individual tiles.

Fans entering the stadium through the main entrance are greeted by an 8-story rotunda that was modeled after Ebbets Field in Brooklyn and Centerfield Street, the main level concourse area that houses the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar, the Batter's Eye Restaurant and the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame Museum.

Also found on Centerfield Street is the Centefield Brew House, the Power Alley Pub, the Rays Team Store, and the MLB Alumni Office.

One of the more distinctive features of the Trop is the 35-foot, 10,000 gallon fish tank just above the right-centerfield wall that contains a school of cownose rays. Fans are able to touch the winged fish as they circle the tank or can purchase fish to feed them.

If a player hits a home run into the tank, then the organization will donate $5,000 to charity - $2,500 to the Florida Aquarium and $2,500 to the player's charity of choice.

The domed roof of the stadium is made of over six acres of fiberglass cloth supported by 180 miles of cable. The slanted dome can withstand winds of 115 MPH and is lit orange after every Rays’ home win. Circling the dome is a series of catwalks that anchors the stadium lights and speakers for the public address system.

The Playing Field
Tropicana’s playing surface is covered in artificial FieldTurf and is the only indoor infield that is composed of all-dirt basepaths in the Major Leagues.

Seating Capacity: 36,973

Dimensions:
Left field line 315 ft.
Left-center 370 ft.
Center field 404 ft.
Right-center 370 ft.
Right field line 322 ft.