Yankee Stadium, “The House That Ruth Built” and the first triple-deck structure in baseball, is located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home stadium of New York Yankees of the American League of Major League Baseball.
The Yankees, and the landlord New York Giants of the National League, played in the Polo Grounds until 1913. The relationship crumbled after the 1920 season when Yankee attendance, boosted by their new slugging sensation Babe Ruth, doubled to 1,289,422 and in 1921 the Giants notified the Yankees that they must vacate the Polo Grounds. As a result, the Yankees built a spectacular ball park, with a capacity of 70,000, in the west Bronx.
The inaugural game in Yankee Stadium was held on April 18, 1923 against the Boston Red Sox. In this game, Ruth christened his new home with a three-run homer to cap a four-run third inning as the Yankees coasted to a 4-1 win.
It was widely recognized that Ruth's tremendous drawing power made the stadium possible, hence, the stadium’s nickname. During that season, the Yankees won the American League pennant and won their first World Championship over their cross-town rivals, the Giants. The stadium became a stage for a staggering number of world titles and was acknowledged as “The Home of Champions.”
As years passed by, more additions and renovation works were done, and the refurbished stadium was again opened in April 1976. The stadium hosted the Fall Classic in its first three seasons with the Yankees winning back-to-back World titles in 1977 and 1978.
Today, the stadium is one of the most prestigious structures in the world and is the home for a score of sports, entertainment, and cultural events. College and pro football, soccer, political assemblies, religious conventions, concerts, and circuses, have been held in the classic venue.
Facilities include luxury suites, alcohol-free family sections, ATMs, public telephones, restrooms, pub, cafe, restaurant, baby changing areas, elevators, first aid stations, and gift shops.
The stadium can be entered through any one of the seven primary gates, and they provide a one-hour classic tour, which includes a discussion of the Yankee’s fabled history, field access, and a visit to the dugout area, press box, Monument Park, and the clubhouse.