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56-737: T-Mobile Park is a retractable roof ballpark in Seattle , Washington , United States. It is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,929. It is in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, near the western terminus of Interstate 90 and is owned and operated by the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District. The first game at

112-502: A 20-year deal. The 2018 season was the last played under this name, and the Safeco signage was removed from the ballpark beginning that November. The naming rights were awarded to T-Mobile, whose U.S. headquarters are based in nearby Bellevue on December 19, which paid $ 87.5 million for an agreement that will last 25 years, and the name change officially took effect on January 1, 2019. Ken Griffey Jr. returned to Safeco Field in 2007 with

168-474: A ballpark admissions tax, a credit against the state sales tax, and sale of a special stadium license plate. Nine days later, the King County Council approved the funding package, and established the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District to own the ballpark and oversee design and construction. Taxpayer suits opposing the legislative actions and the taxes failed in

224-481: A bar or restaurant a retractable roof measuring 20' by 30'; and a meeting hall a 50' by 100' bi-parting-over-stationary. Stadium retractable roofs are generally used in locales where inclement weather, extreme heat, or extreme cold are prevalent during the respective sports seasons, in order to allow for playing of traditionally outdoor sports in more favorable conditions, as well as the comfort of spectators watching games played in such weather. Unlike their predecessors,

280-527: A fan festival and the MLB player draft . The stadium has been temporarily used by local minor league teams for playoff games when their normal venues were unavailable. The Tacoma Rainiers played their 2010 Pacific Coast League playoff semifinal games at then-Safeco Field while Cheney Stadium underwent off-season renovations. The Rainiers won their series and advanced to the PCL Championship, which

336-563: A field cost prohibitive. Installations throughout the world employ a variety of different configurations and styles. The first retractable roof sports venue was the now-demolished Civic Arena in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States. Constructed in 1961 for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera , the arena was home to minor league basketball, college basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams before becoming

392-541: A fully functional retractable roof at its debut in 1989 . Architecturally speaking, retractable roofs vary greatly from stadium to stadium in shape, material and movement. For example, American Family Field has a fan style roof, while Toyota Stadium in Japan has an accordion -like roof. Most retractable roofs are made of metal, while some, such as the roof of State Farm Stadium , are made of water-resistant fabric. Although each retractable roof differs in these aspects,

448-648: A man was injured and required reconstructive surgery after a fight broke out over a table in The 'Pen. Two men turned themselves in, one of whom faced a felony assault charge. A team spokesperson said that the Mariners assign more uniformed police officers, private security guards, and alcohol enforcement officials to The 'Pen during special events, such as College Night. T-Mobile Park and its adjoining parking garage feature extensive public art displays, including: A bronze statue of Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus (1935–2010)

504-538: A potential scheduling conflict. On March 30, 2003, the stadium hosted WrestleMania XIX , which set an all-time record attendance for the facility of 54,097. The 2024 NHL Winter Classic on January 1 was held at T-Mobile Park and was contested by the Seattle Kraken and the Vegas Golden Knights . The Kraken won 3–0 in front of 47,313 spectators. Retractable roof A retractable roof

560-428: A task force to assess the need for a new baseball stadium to replace the rapidly deteriorating Kingdome . Many feared that the Mariners would leave Seattle if a new stadium was not built. In January 1995, the 28-member task force recommended to the King County Council that the public should be involved in financing the stadium. The task force concluded that a sales tax increase of 0.1% (to 8.3%) would be sufficient to fund

616-493: Is a roof system designed to roll back the roof of a structure so that the interior of the facility is open to the outdoors. Retractable roofs are sometimes referred to as operable roofs or retractable skylights . The term operable skylight , while quite similar, refers to a skylight that opens on a hinge, rather than on a track. Retractable roofs are used in residences, restaurants and bars, swim centres, arenas and stadiums, and other facilities wishing to provide protection from

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672-457: Is also served by the 1 Line of Sound Transit 's Link light rail system and local King County Metro and Sound Transit Express bus routes at the nearby Stadium station . A dedicated ride-hailing lot opened in June 2023 along 3rd Avenue; it cost $ 2.8 million to construct and opened ahead of the 2023 MLB All-Star Game . On March 30, 1994, county executive Gary Locke appointed

728-572: Is an empty seat next to the statue, so fans can sit next to Niehaus and pose for photos. His longtime broadcast partner Rick Rizzs presided over a private ceremony to unveil the statue. The Dave Niehaus Broadcast Center is on the Club Level behind home plate. When Niehaus died, his headset and microphone were placed by his empty seat in the Broadcast Center as a tribute. In April 2017, a statue of Ken Griffey Jr. by sculptor Lou Cella

784-642: Is any significant threat of precipitation.) Depending on the stadium, weather or gameplay conditions, and the judgment of the officials, play may or may not continue until the roof is fully closed. If the game begins with the roof closed, it may be opened under some circumstances depending on the venue. If it is closed after the game begins, typically it must remain closed for the duration of the game. Some modern athletic facilities are using less-complex roof systems commonly referred to as open roofs . These are constructed with similar materials as retractable roofs, such as polycarbonate or tempered glass roofs. Hinged at

840-576: The 2017 season , and quickly gained national fame for selling chapulines , toasted grasshoppers , at every game. Poquitos sold over 900 orders of chapulines at the first three home games, at $ 4.00 for a 4-US-fluid-ounce (120 ml) cup. In 2019, the Mariners opened The 'Pen two and a half hours before the first pitch of Mariners home games, offering happy hour specials to encourage fans to arrive early. As many as 3,000 fans come to The 'Pen during each game. The 'Pen attracts large and often rowdy crowds due to its food and drink options. On April 13, 2013,

896-565: The 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history against the Mariners in his second start of the season. It was the 3rd perfect game in White Sox history joining Charlie Robertson in 1922 and Mark Buehrle in 2009 . Nearly 4 months later on August 15, 2012, Mariners pitcher Félix Hernández pitched the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball history and the first perfect game in Mariners history. This marked

952-466: The NFL and MLB , as well as from stadium to stadium. In general, if a game begins with the roof open and weather conditions become less favorable, the home team may, with the approval of the field officials and visiting team, request the roof be closed. (Such a scenario is generally rare, due to the accuracy of modern weather forecasting and a general err on the side of caution that keeps a roof closed if there

1008-499: The United States women's national soccer team , as part of qualification for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup . The first U.S. match, against Panama , had an attendance of 21,522; the second match, against Costa Rica , was attended by 10,079 fans. Seattle Sounders FC , a Major League Soccer team that plays at adjacent Lumen Field, once drafted plans to play a 2018 CONCACAF Champions League match at then-Safeco Field due to

1064-420: The domes built primarily during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, retractable roofs also allow for playing of the same traditionally outdoor sports in outdoor conditions when the weather is more favorable. Another purpose of retractable roofs is to allow for growth of natural grass playing fields in environments where extreme hot and/or cold temperatures would otherwise make installation and maintenance of such

1120-559: The Cincinnati Reds (where he had been traded after the 1999 season) to a hero's welcome. In commemoration of Griffey's achievements with the team, the Mariners unveiled a new poster that declared Safeco Field "The House That Griffey Built." The Mariners moved the fences at Safeco Field closer to home plate before the 2013 season "to create an environment that is fair for both hitters and pitchers," according to General Manager Jack Zduriencik . Safeco Field had been considered one of

1176-520: The King County Council wrote a letter to the Seattle Mariners, requesting a postponement of the projected $ 384.5-million stadium project. Construction officially began in 1997, with a groundbreaking ceremony on March 8 featuring Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. The construction, overseen by chief financial officer (and former team president and minority owner) Kevin Mather , continued through

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1232-694: The MLB postseason and their victory in the 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) revived public desire to keep the team in Seattle. As a result, the Washington State Legislature approved an alternate means of funding for the stadium with public money. The site, just south of the Kingdome , was selected in September 1996 and construction began in March 1997. The bonds issued to finance

1288-479: The Mariners' vice president of ballpark operations described the Bullpen Market as a dark and unwelcoming place that needed a remodel to be more attractive to fans. Prior to the 2011 season , the Mariners brought in three celebrity chefs to introduce special concession stands with exclusive food options. In the first season under its new branding, per-capita fan spending in The 'Pen increased by 87% from

1344-657: The beginning of the 1999 season . Its first game was on July 15, immediately after the All-Star break; the Mariners lost 3–2 to the San Diego Padres with 44,607 in attendance. Longtime team broadcaster Dave Niehaus threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the game to Tom Foley , the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives . The naming rights were sold in June 1998 to Seattle-based Safeco Insurance , which paid $ 40 million for

1400-968: The center field bleachers before the 2013 season, is more than 11,000 square feet (1,000 m) in area. The board can be used either all at once, such as for live action or video replays, or split into sections for displaying information such as statistics and advertisements. Co-located with the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest, the Mariners Hall of Fame features bronze plaques of the eleven inducted members: Alvin Davis (1997), Broadcaster Dave Niehaus (2000), Jay Buhner (2004), Edgar Martínez (2007), Randy Johnson (2012), Dan Wilson (2012), Ken Griffey Jr. (2013), Lou Pinella (2014), Jamie Moyer (2015), Ichiro Suzuki (2022), and Félix Hernández (2023). The plaques describe their contributions to

1456-583: The center field scoreboard, with 3,706 seats. The Broadcast Center (press box) is on the Club Level and sub-level between it and the Main Level. As the field is approximately at street level, entry into any of the main gates requires visitors to ascend a flight of stairs, escalator, or elevator to access the main concourse, with the exception of the Right Field Entry, which opens onto the main concourse. Stairs, escalators, elevators, and ramps around

1512-466: The courts. Initial concepts for the new stadium, developed under the working name of New Century Park , were unveiled by architecture firm HOK in March 1995. The design included a retractable roof split into four sections and a seating capacity of 45,000 seats on four levels. On September 9, 1996, the site was selected for the new stadium, just south of the Kingdome. In late fall, several members of

1568-573: The elements, as well as the option of having an open roof during favourable weather. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records show that David S. Miller, founder of Rollamatic Retractable Roofs, filed U.S. patent 3,277,619 in August 1963 for "a movable and remotely controllable roof section for houses and other types of buildings". While any shape is possible, common shapes are flat, ridge, hip-ridge, barrel and dome. A residence might incorporate one or more 3' by 5' retractables;

1624-793: The facility. A permanent, fixed roof was installed in 1998. The Centre Court at the National Tennis Centre , now called the Rod Laver Arena, in Melbourne, Australia opened in January 1988. It was the first retractable roof system installed in a Grand Slam tennis venue. The roof enables matches to continue during rain, extreme heat, and in the presence of smoke from bushfires in surrounding regions. The Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) in Toronto , Ontario had

1680-418: The franchise, as well as murals and television screens showing highlights of their careers with the Mariners. The 'Pen, known for sponsorship purposes as "The T-Mobile 'Pen", is a standing-room only area adjacent to the bullpens , where spectators can watch relief pitchers warm up before entering the game. When the stadium opened during the 1999 season , the area was called the "Bullpen Market". In 2013,

1736-710: The home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967, as well as hosting over a dozen regular season National Basketball Association (NBA) games in the 1960s and 1970s. The arena's dome-shaped roof covered 170,000 square feet (16,000 m ) and was made up of eight equal segments constructed from close to 3,000 tons of steel, in which six segments could retract underneath

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1792-460: The most pitcher-friendly ballparks in the majors since it opened. The center field scoreboard and ad panels were replaced with an 11,435 square foot (1,062.3 m) board during renovations, becoming the largest among all stadium scoreboards in the major leagues at the time. After the 2017 season , the field surface, in place since the stadium opened in 1999, underwent its first full replacement. The infield and foul territory were redone in 2012, but

1848-422: The north and south side of the ballpark. The top of the roof is 269 feet (82 m) above field level, while the bottom is 217 feet (66 m) high. The roof takes 10 to 20 minutes to open and is moved 300 to 500 times per year, mostly to manage the stadium's grass. The Mariners play an average of 17 to 18 games per season with the roof closed, the least among MLB ballparks with retractable roofs. From 1999 to 2014,

1904-442: The north which previously crossed the tracks. When the roof covers the field it does not cause the stadium to be fully enclosed with walls or windows unlike other stadiums with retractable roofs, which allows the wind and temperatures to still impact the game with the roof closed. The roof covers approximately 9 acres (3.6 ha) and weighs 22 million pounds (10,000,000 kg). It moves with 128 wheels that move along rails on

1960-497: The opening of Lumen Field , which was designed for soccer. To prepare for soccer matches, the field has to be sodded to cover and replace the dirt infield. On March 2, 2002, the United States men's national soccer team played Honduras in a friendly match , winning 4–0 in front of a then-record crowd of 38,534. The stadium hosted four matches during the 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in November, including two matches featuring

2016-675: The outfield had not been replaced before the resodding. On January 1, 2024, the National Hockey League (NHL) hosted the 2024 NHL Winter Classic , where the Seattle Kraken won over the Vegas Golden Knights 3–0. There previously was technology that allowed spectators to monitor special game-time features with Nintendo DS receivers. There are five main levels to the stadium: Field (or Street), Main Concourse (100 level – 20,634 seats), Club Level (200 level – 4,585 seats), Suite Level (1,945 seats), and Upper Concourse (300 level – 15,955 seats). Two bleacher sections are above left field and below

2072-419: The park provide access to all levels. T-Mobile Park has an extensive food and beverage selection above and beyond the traditional ballpark fare of hot dog, pizza, soda, and beer. Concession stands selling traditional ballpark fare are plentiful on the main and upper concourses. Food courts behind home plate on the main concourse, as well as in "The 'Pen" (known as the Bullpen Market until a major 2011 remodel) on

2128-566: The plot during production, as happened with Disney 's The Emperor's New Groove , whose working title was Kingdom of the Sun . In some cases a working title may ultimately be used as the release title, as in the case of leading man Samuel L. Jackson insisting on the title Snakes on a Plane , after he learned the title was going to be changed to Pacific Air Flight 121 upon release. Fake production titles are frequently used by high-profile films or television series to prevent undesired attention by

2184-418: The previous season. In 2013, Edgar's Cantina, named for Hall of Fame Mariners player Edgar Martínez , opened. Sports Business Journal called The 'Pen "one of the liveliest social scenes in Major League Baseball" in 2013, when fan spending in The 'Pen had risen 42% year over year, which a team spokeswoman credited primarily to Edgar's Cantina. Local Mexican restaurant Poquitos opened a stand in The 'Pen during

2240-413: The real nature of a project. Working titles are primarily a practical matter, just to prevent confusion as ideas for release titles can keep on changing for a variety of reasons. For example, while James Bond films are commonly produced under numerical titles such as Bond 22 until the official title is announced as part of its marketing, release titles may also change because of significant changes to

2296-513: The remaining two, supported by a 260-foot (79 m) long exterior cantilevered arm. Olympic Stadium in Montreal , Quebec was slated to be the first outdoor retractable roof stadium at its debut for the 1976 Summer Olympics . However, plagued by construction problems, the roof was not installed until 1987, and was not retractable until 1988. Even then, movement of the roof was impossible in high wind conditions, and technical problems plagued

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2352-536: The roof of T-Mobile Park is unique in that it is the only one in North America that does not form a climate-controlled enclosure when in the extended position; rather, it acts as an "umbrella" to cover the playing field and spectator areas during inclement weather, with no side walls enclosing the stadium. In North American major sports leagues , specific rules exist governing the movement of retractable roofs before and during gameplay. These rules vary between

2408-463: The roof rests over the BNSF Railway tracks that bound the stadium to the east, with part of it hanging over the stands in right field. This has the effect of echoing the whistles from passing trains into the stadium. Train horns were often heard inside the stadium throughout the 2000s, but abated significantly when an overpass was built for Royal Brougham Way, the street that bounds the stadium to

2464-765: The second perfect game and third no-hitter at the park, all of which occurred in the 2012 season. The stadium has hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game twice: in 2001 as Safeco Field and 2023 as T-Mobile Park. The 2001 edition was won by the American League—featuring eight players from the Mariners—in front of 47,364 spectators. The 2023 edition was won by the National League with 47,159 in attendance. The event used nearby Lumen Field for several events, including

2520-402: The stadium was played on July 15, 1999. During the 1990s, the suitability of the Mariners' original stadium—the Kingdome —as an MLB facility came under question, and the team's ownership group threatened to relocate the team. In September 1995, King County voters defeated a ballot measure to secure public funding for a new baseball stadium. Shortly thereafter, the Mariners' first appearance in

2576-536: The stadium were retired on October 1, 2011, five years earlier than anticipated. T-Mobile Park is also used for amateur baseball events, including the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association high school state championships and one Washington Huskies game per season. Major non-baseball events that have been held at T-Mobile Park include the 2001 Seattle Bowl and WrestleMania XIX in 2003, which attracted

2632-451: The stadium's record attendance of 54,097. The stadium was originally named Safeco Field under a 20-year naming-rights deal with Seattle-based Safeco Insurance . T-Mobile acquired the naming rights on December 19, 2018, and the name change took effect on January 1, 2019. T-Mobile Park is in the SoDo district of downtown Seattle, bounded by Dave Niehaus Way (a block of 1st Avenue S.) to

2688-479: The stadium. King County held a special election on September 19, asking the public for this sales tax increase; the measure led early, but was narrowly defeated by one-fifth of one percent. On October 14, a special session of the state legislature authorized a different funding package for a new stadium that included a food and beverage tax in King County restaurants and bars, car rental surcharge in King County,

2744-463: The street level inside the Center Field gate, sell items such as sushi , burritos , teriyaki, stir-fries, pad thai , garlic fries , crepes , health food, seafood, and barbecue. An extensive selection of beer can also be found in those locations, as well as on the upper concourse. Patrons could previously order food with a Nintendo DS app called Nintendo Fan Network . In the open position,

2800-477: The structure's gutters, open roofs fully close and open by the mechanics of a rack and pinion system or a push/pull drive system. Open roofs are typically seen at smaller athletic venues such as country clubs and universities, and also in the construction of commercial greenhouses and garden centres for climate control purposes. Working name Working titles are used mainly because an official title has not yet been decided upon or to intentionally disguise

2856-407: The team had a 91–82 (.526) record in games with the roof closed and a 58–46 (.558) record in games where the roof moves. T-Mobile Park features a manual scoreboard , the second-largest HD video display scoreboard in MLB, a color LED out-of-town scoreboard, and LED ribbon boards along the terraces. The main scoreboard, which replaced the original monochrome scoreboard and separate video screen above

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2912-511: The west, Edgar Martínez Drive (formerly S. Atlantic Street) to the south, Royal Brougham Way to the north, and BNSF railroad tracks to the east. Parking is available at the stadium's parking garage across Edgar Martínez Drive, the Lumen Field garage to the North, and other privately operated lots in the area. Sounder commuter rail serves nearby King Street Station . T-Mobile Park

2968-526: Was played entirely on the road due to Safeco Field being unavailable. The Everett AquaSox of the Class A Northwest League played one game in the 2016 playoffs against the Spokane Indians at Safeco Field. The move was arranged after a rainstorm rendered the outfield at Everett Memorial Stadium unusable for several days. On May 4, 2007, an NCAA Pacific-10 Conference baseball attendance record

3024-489: Was set when the Washington Huskies hosted defending National Champion Oregon State in front of 10,421 spectators. Washington won the game, 6–2. The stadium hosted the 2001 Seattle Bowl , the first edition of the short-lived Seattle Bowl college football game, on December 27, 2001. Georgia Tech defeated 11th-ranked Stanford , 24–14, before 30,144 fans. The stadium hosted several soccer matches before

3080-573: Was unveiled on September 16, 2011. The statue captures the broadcaster honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award in 2008, and who broadcast 5,284 Mariners games over 34 seasons (1977–2010), at a desk, behind a microphone, wearing headphones with his Mariners scorebook in front of him. His scorebook is opened to the box score for Game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series , when Edgar Martínez hit " The Double ". There

3136-556: Was unveiled outside the Home Plate Entrance to the ballpark. After the 2017 season, the bat was broken off in an attempt to steal it, but a bystander from the office building across the street ran down the perpetrator and recovered the bat, which was subsequently reattached. A bronze statue of Martínez, also made by Cella, was installed in August 2021 on the south side of the stadium near Griffey's statue. On April 21, 2012, Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber pitched

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