Tropicana Field, Baseball stadium in St. Petersburg, US
Tropicana Field is a baseball stadium in St. Petersburg with a fixed roof that allows play regardless of weather. The seating tiers wrap around the playing surface in sections at different heights, with multiple access points leading to concession areas and restrooms.
The facility opened in 1990 as Florida Suncoast Dome, initially without a permanent team, and was designed as a multipurpose arena. Eight years later, the Tampa Bay Rays moved in, prompting renovations to adapt the building specifically for baseball.
The stadium is named after Tropicana Products, the fruit juice company then based in nearby Bradenton, which bought the naming rights in October 1996 under a 30-year deal. PepsiCo, which acquired Tropicana in 1998, left the name unchanged because the brand was popular with local fans. Behind the outfield wall a large tank holds rays, the fish the team is named after, and visitors may touch them; the roof is lit orange after Rays wins.
The facility sits in central St. Petersburg, with ample parking and good public transport links nearby. The air-conditioned interior offers relief from Florida's heat and humidity, making visits comfortable throughout the season.
The design incorporates several steel catwalks suspended below the roof, originally intended as a technical solution, but they occasionally intercept balls and alter play. These elements are an unusual factor in baseball and sometimes lead to special rulings when a ball strikes them.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,586 contributors worldwide.
