Dolphin Stadium , located in Opa-Locka in Florida, is the first stadium to be built totally with private funds and is the home to the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins . Having a field wider than the normal football grounds, the stadium also serves host to soccer, baseball and lacrosse matches. The construction for the stadium was started in December 1985 and it was opened on the 16 th of August, 1987. The cost to build this stadium with a grass surface touched $115 million and HOK Sport was the architect. The earlier names of the stadium were Dolphin Stadium , Joe Robbie Stadium , Pro Player Park and Pro Player Stadium .
The Dolphin Stadium has been hosting important matches since its opening. It has hosted several matches of Super Bowls XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII and XLI and is scheduled to host the Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. The stadium has also had the experience of staging two World Series in 1997 and 2003. The Dolphin Stadium provides the spectators with several amenities. There are TV monitors in the stands, four huge plasma televisions of 103-inch monitors, video boards, several concession and merchandise stands and premium suites for business. The Gallery of Legends in the stadium is a visual album of the history of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphin Stadium offers different accommodations for different sports. It has a seating arrangement for 36,331 people for baseball and 74,916 for soccer while 76,500 spectators can experience a football match in the Dolphin Stadium.
The Dolphin Stadium, one of the major stadiums in the United States, is expected to come as an improved one after its scheduled renovations of 2010.
