Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. It is located about two miles (3 km) due east of the U.S. Capitol building, near the west bank of the Anacostia River and next to the D.C. Armory. Opened in 1961, it was owned by the federal government until 1986.
RFK | |
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Location within the District of Columbia Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (the United States) | |
| Former names | District of Columbia Stadium (1961–1969) |
|---|---|
| Address | 2400 East Capitol Street SE |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38.890°N 76.972°W |
| Public transit | Washington Metro at Stadium–Armory Metrobus: 96, 97, B2, D6 |
| Owner | District of Columbia |
| Operator | Events DC |
| Capacity | Baseball: 43,500 (1961) 45,016 (1971) 45,596 (2005) Football or soccer: 56,692 (1961) 45,596 (2005–2019) 20,000 (2012–2017, MLS) |
| Field size | Football: 120 yd × 53.333 yd (110 m × 49 m) Soccer: 110 yd × 72 yd (101 m × 66 m) Baseball: Left field: 335 ft (102 m) Left-center: 380 ft (116 m) Center field: 410 ft (125 m) Right-center: 380 ft (116 m) Right field: 335 ft (102 m) Backstop: 54 ft (16 m) |
| Surface | TifGrand Bermuda grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 8, 1960 |
| Opened | October 1, 1961 (63 years ago) |
| Closed | 2019 |
| Demolished | 2023– |
| Construction cost | $24 million ($235 million in 2022 dollars) |
| Architect | George Leighton Dahl, Architects and Engineers, Inc. |
| Structural engineer | Osborn Engineering Company |
| Services engineer | Ewin Engineering Associates |
| General contractor | McCloskey and Co. |
| Tenants | |
| Washington Redskins (NFL) 1961–1996 George Washington Colonials (NCAA) 1961–1966 Washington Senators (MLB) 1962–1971 Washington Whips (USA / NASL) 1967–1968 Howard Bison (NCAA) 1974–1976 Washington Diplomats (NASL) 1974, 1977–1981 Team America (NASL) 1983 Washington Federals (USFL) 1983–1984 Washington Diplomats (ASL/APSL) 1988–1990 D.C. United (MLS) 1996–2017 Washington Freedom (WUSA) 2001–2003 Washington Nationals (MLB) 2005–2007 Military Bowl (NCAA) 2008–2012 | |
| Website | |
| eventsdc | |
RFK Stadium was home to a National Football League (NFL) team, two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, five professional soccer teams, two college football teams, a bowl game, and a USFL team. It hosted five NFC Championship games, two MLB All-Star Games, men's and women's World Cup matches, nine men's and women's first-round soccer games of the 1996 Olympics, three MLS Cup matches, two MLS All-Star games, and numerous American friendlies and World Cup qualifying matches. It hosted college football, college soccer, baseball exhibitions, boxing matches, a cycling race, an American Le Mans Series auto race, marathons, and dozens of major concerts and other events.
RFK was one of the first major stadiums designed to host both baseball and football. Although other stadiums already served this purpose, such as Cleveland Stadium (1931) and Baltimore's Memorial Stadium (1950), RFK was one of the first to employ what became known as the circular "cookie-cutter" design.
It is owned and operated by Events DC (the successor agency to the DC Armory Board), a quasi-public organization affiliated with the city government, under a lease that runs until 2038 from the National Park Service, which owns the land, though as of November 2023 there is in U.S. Congress an active bill, which has yet to reach the full House for a vote, to extend the lease by 99 years.
In September 2019, Events DC officials announced plans to demolish the stadium due to maintenance costs. In September 2020, the cost was estimated at $20 million. Demolition began in 2023.