What makes a sports venue special? It's up to interpretation.
You could choose to be distinguished by stunning architecture, history, tradition, crowd environment, or gaming experience. There are many ways you can stand out.
A fan who enters a bucket-list venue for the first and only time is unmistakable. It's magic.
These sporting venues are magical and must be seen at least once.
Madison Square Garden
Venue nicknames: The Garden, MSG
Location: New York, N.Y.
Opened: 1968
One beacon of sports heritage is located in the heart of what may be the busiest place on the planet.
Madison Square Garden, also known as MSG and The Garden, is home to many basketball and hockey games.
The Garden, no matter how good the teams playing, is an attraction in and of itself. The “World's Most Famous Arena” is its name.
Estadio Azteca
Venue nicknames: Colossus of Saint Ursula
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Opened: 1966
Azteca was opened in North American soccer as a mecca.
Estadio Azteca was known for its passionate fans, as Landon Donovan (a former U.S. Soccer player) can attest. It also has the record attendance of 132 247 for a 1993 boxing match featuring Julio Cesar Chavez against Greg Haugen.
The venue has hosted the World Cup, eight NFL games, and concerts featuring U2 or Michael Jackson.
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Fenway Park
Venue nicknames: The Fens
Location: Boston, Mass.
Opened: 1912
Fenway Park is the most famous, if not the most iconic, stadium for baseball in the world. It boasts a rich history and an atmosphere unlike any other team in the sport.
Fenway's Green Monster in left-field is Fenway’s most distinguishable characteristic. Now, there are seats atop the Green Monster for fans who don't fear living on edge.
The Boston Red Sox have been playing in the stadium for over 100 years and are part of some of baseball's most iconic games.
Fenway Park has also hosted NCAA and NHL bowl games in recent decades.
Wrigley Field
Venue nicknames: The Friendly Confines
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Opened: 1914
Wrigley Field in American sports is known for its ivy-covered walls as well as rooftop home runs and bleacher creatures.
Wrigley, a park that is only a few years younger than Fenway Park was home to the Cubs for many years and is known for being late in adopting lights. Before lights were installed in 1988, the first twilight-game was played in 1943.
The park was home to World Series Games, but also hosted the Chicago Bears from 1920-1970.
ATT Stadium
Venue nicknames: Jerry World
Location: Arlington, Texas
Opened: 2009
The Dallas Cowboys' lavish and huge home is worth nearly $1.5B.
Although it is huge, the team's high-tech technology and overall cost show that America paid every penny.
It hosted an NFL All-Star Weekend, concerts, college football and boxing. Wrestlemania 32 was also held there with a reported attendance at 101,763.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Venue nicknames: N/A
Location: Madrid, Spain
Opened: 1947
The Bernabeu is home to the wealthiest club in European football. This lavish display of Real Madrid excellence is truly remarkable.
A stadium tour includes a walk on and around the field, as well a visit to the locker area and a guided tour through the impressive displays of former great players, such as Zinedine Zidane (and dozens more championship trophies).
ATT Park
Venue nicknames: N/A
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Opened: 2000
The City by the Bay is a stunning view from sports. Enjoy local food and breathtaking views of the bay from virtually every part of the yard.
Barry Bonds set the place ablaze by launching record-breaking home runs into McCovey Cove.
The Raiders are even open to the idea of making the park their 2019 residence before they leave for Las Vegas.
Anfield
Venue nicknames: N/A
Location: Liverpool, England
Opened: 1884
Liverpool FC supporters chant “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the Anfield seats, just as they have done over the past few decades.
It's clear that the grandstands are filled with history and exudes an emotion that is uncommon in sports today.
Fenway Sports Group was the new Liverpool owners. When they proposed the idea for renovating the 134 years-old grounds, they were surprised at the opposition of LFC fans. Since then, they have treated the project as if it were their first.
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