Stadium Bowl, Athletic stadium in Tacoma, United States
Stadium Bowl is a 15,000-seat stadium in Tacoma's Stadium District, next to Stadium High School. Designed by Frederick Heath, it has an asymmetrical concrete bowl with 31 rows of seating around a 2.5-acre field, and its open north end looks out over Commencement Bay and Puget Sound.
This venue opened in 1910 after substantial earthwork was completed to create a level playing surface. The project represented an important engineering effort for the developing city at that time.
The stadium's open north end frames Commencement Bay and Puget Sound, a layout dictated by the former Old Woman's Gulch. Its concrete grandstand was used as the setting for the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, where Heath Ledger's character runs up and down the stairs while serenading Julia Stiles.
The stadium sits in Tacoma's Stadium District, bounded by North E Street, North 1st Street, North Stadium Way and North Schuster Parkway. Its open north end faces Commencement Bay and Puget Sound, while the main grandstand rises along the south side. Events have been moved or cancelled after heavy rain, so check conditions before setting out.
The bowl was carved out of Old Woman's Gulch: steam shovels and sluicing moved over 180,000 cubic yards of earth to create a 2.5-acre playing field. In 1999, Heath Ledger's character ran up and down its stairs while serenading Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You.
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