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Welcome! I have always been an avid sports fan and along with that, I am fascinated by sports stadiums. Arenas, ballparks, stadiums, they all interest me. Not only do I love admiring the architecture, design and unique touches of each building, but I also really enjoy being a brief part of each team’s culture. It’s great to visit a different town or city and experience what makes that place who they are. I try to visit 10-15 stadiums per year and to be counted as an official stadium visit, I must attend a game at that facility. The updated list of official visits completed can be found under the “Reviews Summary“. After each visit, I review the complete stadium experience, and those reviews are organized in various ways on the side bars or top menu. Stadiums are ranked as well and though this is all for fun, a rather thought-out system has been refined many times. The rankings and definitions can be found by clicking here.
Often on this site, I will refer to “The List“. This (along with the Maps) is my home base in terms of picking which stadium to visit. I started The List as a kid in the mid-1990s when shoddy dial-up internet made this a three-year task. Basically, it is all the professional and college facilities used for organized sports in the United States and Canada. I had to put some sort of cap on the seating capacities because I didn’t want to be listing and visiting fields that were just a stand of bleachers. Ballparks and arenas have a minimum seating capacity at 3,500; tennis stadiums are 6,000 and football / soccer facilities are set at a base of 8,000. If a stadium is inactive, does not host a sports tenant or does not consistently host a sporting event (like a tournament), they will not be on the List. While the inclusion of High School facilities is a debatable subject I have wrestled with for years, they are currently not on the List. However, State or Regional High School Tournaments held at a consistent venue that meets capacity standards will be on there. Once a month, I will go through leagues that are beginning their season and make sure the stadium information remains accurate. If you have any suggestions or see any errors, please send an email (stadiumandarenavisits@gmail.com). Also, if you use the List or any pictures on the website, please just ask permission. Thank you!
Personally, I live in Northwest New Jersey with my wife and two daughters and am ever so gracious at the support they give for this crazy hobby. On family vacations, they usually will come along to a stadium and enjoy the sideshow theatrics that go along with sports, especially at a minor-league level. Professionally, I have dual roles at the company WeatherWorks as both Vice President of Operations and a Senior Meteorologist. I am originally from Rochester, NY and enjoy visiting back home. True to my region, I am a passionate Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres fan. I also still follow the local Rochester sports teams and vow to come back if the Amerks or Red Wings play a home championship game. Though I enjoy all sports (except NASCAR), College Basketball is my favorite. As a stickler for geographical organization when it comes to conferences, the last several years have been rough watching long-time compatriots split up. You will find me more excited about the Missouri Valley and Big South than the Big Ten or SEC. I keep hoping for the day that my Alma Mater, Oswego State University, turns Division I (C’mon there is a perfect spot in the America East Conference!).
While my love of sports stadiums has evolved from architecture to travel and atmosphere, all aspects of visiting a new facility are enjoyable to me. Though most times I strive to achieve something to completion, there is no number in mind for places to visit, I just want to enjoy the ride. Besides, you never know what might happen at a game:
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Milestone Stadium #100
Milestone Stadium #200
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