The Safe Electric Factory | |
 | |
 T-Mobile Park (then Safeco Field) in 2007 | |
| Former names | Safeco Field (1999–2018) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1250 First Avenue South |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°35′28″N122°19′59″W / 47.591°N 122.333°W /47.591; -122.333 |
| Public transit |  Stadium  King Street Station |
| Owner | Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District |
| Operator | Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District |
| Capacity | Baseball: 47,929[1] Football: 30,144 |
| Record attendance | WrestleMania XIX 54,097 |
| Field size | Left Field – 331 ft (101 m) Left-Center – 378 ft (115 m) Center Field – 401 ft (122 m) Right-Center – 381 ft (116 m) Right Field – 326 ft (99 m) Backstop – 69 ft (21 m)  |
| Roof | Retractable |
| Surface | Kentucky Blue Grass / Perennial Ryegrass blend |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 8, 1997 (1997-03-08) |
| Opened | July 15, 1999 (1999-07-15) |
| Construction cost | $517 million ($977 million in 2024 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | NBBJ 360 Architecture |
| Project manager | The Vosk Group LLP[3] |
| Structural engineer | Magnusson Klemencic Associates[4] |
| Services engineer | Flack + Kurtz Inc.[5] |
| General contractor | Hunt-Kiewit[4] |
| Main contractors | The Erection Company Inc.[4] |
| Tenants | |
| Seattle Mariners (MLB) 1999–present Seattle Bowl (NCAA) 2001 | |
| Website | |
| mlb.com/mariners/ballpark | |
T-Mobile Park is aretractable roofballpark inSeattle, Washington, United States. It is the home stadium of theSeattle Mariners ofMajor League Baseball and has aseating capacity of 47,929.[1] It is in Seattle'sSoDo neighborhood, near the western terminus ofInterstate 90 and is owned and operated by the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District. The first game at the stadium was played on July 15, 1999.
During the 1990s, the suitability of the Mariners' original stadium—theKingdome—as an MLB facility came under question, and the team's ownership group threatened to relocate the team. In September 1995,King County voters defeated a ballot measure to secure public funding for a new baseball stadium. Shortly thereafter, the Mariners' first appearance in the MLB postseason and their victory in the1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) revived public desire to keep the team in Seattle. As a result, theWashington State Legislature approved an alternate means of funding for the stadium with public money. The site, just south of theKingdome, was selected in September 1996 and construction began in March 1997. The bonds issued to finance the stadium were retired on October 1, 2011, five years earlier than anticipated.[6]
T-Mobile Park is also used for amateur baseball events, including theWashington Interscholastic Activities Association high school state championships and oneWashington Huskies game per season. Major non-baseball events that have been held at T-Mobile Park include the2001 Seattle Bowl andWrestleMania XIX in 2003, which attracted the stadium's record attendance of 54,097.
The stadium was originally namedSafeco Field under a 20-year naming-rights deal with Seattle-basedSafeco Insurance.T-Mobile acquired the naming rights on December 19, 2018, and the name change took effect on January 1, 2019.[7][8]
T-Mobile Park is in theSoDo district of downtown Seattle, bounded byDave Niehaus Way (a block of 1st Avenue S.) to the west,Edgar Martínez Drive (formerly S. Atlantic Street)[9] to the south,Royal Brougham Way to the north, andBNSFrailroad tracks to the east.
Parking is available at the stadium's parking garage acrossEdgar Martínez Drive, theLumen Field garage to the North, and other privately operated lots in the area.Sounder commuter rail serves nearbyKing Street Station.[10] T-Mobile Park is also served by the1 Line ofSound Transit'sLink light rail system and localKing County Metro andSound Transit Express bus routes at the nearbyStadium station.
Events at T-Mobile Park are scheduled to avoid conflicts with Lumen Field, which is directly north of the stadium. The Mariners have priority for schedule slots per an agreement reached with theSeattle Seahawks, who play at Lumen Field.[11]
A dedicatedride-hailing lot opened in June 2023 along 3rd Avenue; it cost $2.8 million to construct and opened ahead of the2023 MLB All-Star Game.[12]
On March 30, 1994,county executiveGary Locke appointed a task force to assess the need for a new baseball stadium to replace the rapidly deterioratingKingdome. Many feared that the Mariners would leave Seattle if a new stadium was not built. In January 1995, the 28-member task force recommended to the King County Council that the public should be involved in financing the stadium. The task force concluded that a sales tax increase of 0.1% (to 8.3%) would be sufficient to fund the stadium. King County held a special election on September 19, asking the public for this sales tax increase;[13] the measure led early,[14][15] but was narrowly defeated by one-fifth of one percent.[16][17][18]
On October 14, a special session of the state legislature authorized a different funding package for a new stadium that included a food and beverage tax in King County restaurants and bars, car rental surcharge in King County, a ballpark admissions tax, a credit against the state sales tax, and sale of a special stadium license plate.[18] Nine days later, the King County Council approved the funding package,[19] and established the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District to own the ballpark and oversee design and construction.[20][21] Taxpayer suits opposing the legislative actions and the taxes failed in the courts.[22]
Initial concepts for the new stadium, developed under theworking name ofNew Century Park, were unveiled by architecture firmHOK in March 1995. The design included a retractable roof split into four sections and a seating capacity of 45,000 seats on four levels.[23] On September 9, 1996, the site was selected for the new stadium, just south of the Kingdome.[24] In late fall, several members of the King County Council wrote a letter to the Seattle Mariners, requesting a postponement of the projected $384.5-million stadium project.[25]
Construction officially began in 1997, with a groundbreaking ceremony on March 8 featuring Mariners starKen Griffey Jr.[26] The construction, overseen bychief financial officer (and former team president and minority owner)Kevin Mather,[27] continued through the beginning of the1999 season. Its first game was on July 15,[28][29] immediately after theAll-Star break; the Mariners lost 3–2 to the San Diego Padres with 44,607 in attendance.[30][31] Longtime team broadcasterDave Niehaus threw out the ceremonialfirst pitch at the game toTom Foley, the formerSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives.[32]
Thenaming rights were sold in June 1998 to Seattle-basedSafeco Insurance, which paid $40 million for a 20-year deal.[33][34] The2018 season was the last played under this name, and the Safeco signage was removed from the ballpark beginning that November.[35] The naming rights were awarded to T-Mobile, whose U.S. headquarters are based in nearbyBellevue on December 19, which paid $87.5 million for an agreement that will last 25 years,[36] and the name change officially took effect on January 1, 2019.[37]
Ken Griffey Jr. returned to Safeco Field in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds (where he had been traded after the 1999 season) to a hero's welcome.[38][39] In commemoration of Griffey's achievements with the team, the Mariners unveiled a new poster that declared Safeco Field "The House That Griffey Built."[40]
The Mariners moved the fences at Safeco Field closer to home plate before the2013 season "to create an environment that is fair for both hitters and pitchers," according to General ManagerJack Zduriencik.[41] Safeco Field had been considered one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in the majors since it opened.[42][43] The center field scoreboard and ad panels were replaced with an 11,435 square foot (1,062.3 m2) board during renovations, becoming the largest among all stadium scoreboards in the major leagues at the time.[44][45]
After the2017 season, the field surface, in place since the stadium opened in 1999, underwent its first full replacement. The infield and foul territory were redone in 2012, but the outfield had not been replaced before the resodding.[46]
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On January 1, 2024, theNational Hockey League (NHL) hosted the2024 NHL Winter Classic, where theSeattle Kraken won over theVegas Golden Knights 3–0.[47]
There previously was technology that allowed spectators to monitor special game-time features withNintendo DS receivers.[48]
There are five main levels to the stadium: Field (or Street), Main Concourse (100 level – 20,634 seats[49]), Club Level (200 level – 4,585 seats[49]), Suite Level (1,945 seats[49]), and Upper Concourse (300 level – 15,955 seats[49]). Two bleacher sections are above left field and below the center field scoreboard, with 3,706 seats.[49] The Broadcast Center (press box) is on the Club Level and sub-level between it and the Main Level. As the field is approximately at street level, entry into any of the main gates requires visitors to ascend a flight of stairs, escalator, or elevator to access the main concourse, with the exception of the Right Field Entry, which opens onto the main concourse. Stairs, escalators, elevators, and ramps around the park provide access to all levels.[50]
| Years | Capacity |
|---|---|
| 1999–2002 | 46,621[51][52] |
| 2003 | 47,772[51] |
| 2004–2008 | 47,447[51] |
| 2009–2011 | 47,878[53] |
| 2012 | 47,860[54] |
| 2013–2014 | 47,476[55] |
| 2015 | 47,574[56] |
| 2016–2017 | 47,943[57] |
| 2018 | 47,715[58] |
| 2019–present | 47,929[1] |
T-Mobile Park offers greater food and beverage selection than typical ballparks.[48] It includes concession stands operated by chain as well as local restaurants, such asIvar's,Kidd Valley, andSalt & Straw.[59][60] Patrons could previously order food with aNintendo DS app calledNintendo Fan Network.[48] The ballpark debuted "Walk-Off Market", the firstcashierless store in an MLB stadium, in May 2022 using technology supplied byAmazon. Three additional locations the following season and include grab-and-go food and beverages.[61]
In the open position, the roof rests over theBNSF Railway tracks that bound the stadium to the east, with part of it hanging over the stands in right field. This has the effect of echoing the whistles from passing trains into the stadium. Train horns were often heard inside the stadium throughout the 2000s, but abated significantly when an overpass was built for Royal Brougham Way, the street that bounds the stadium to the north which previously crossed the tracks.[62] Unlike other stadiums with retractable roofs, the roof at T-Mobile Park does not fully enclose the ballpark; this allows the wind and temperatures to still impact the game with the roof closed.[63][64]
The roof covers approximately 9 acres (3.6 ha) and weighs 22 million pounds (10,000,000 kg). It moves with 128 wheels that move along rails on the north and south side of the ballpark. The top of the roof is 269 feet (82 m) above field level, while the bottom is 217 feet (66 m) high.[65][66] The roof takes 10 to 20 minutes to open and is moved 300 to 500 times per year, mostly to manage the stadium's grass.[65] The Mariners play an average of 17 to 18 games per season with the roof closed, the least among MLB ballparks with retractable roofs.[63] From 1999 to 2020, the roof had been used for 367 games—22 percent of those played at the stadium—with a maximum of 25 games during the 2010 season. The Mariners had a 692–632 record in games with the roof open, 116–109 with it closed, and 76–66 in games where the roof moves.[64][67]
T-Mobile Park features a manualscoreboard, the second-largestHD video display scoreboard in MLB, a color LED out-of-town scoreboard, and LED ribbon boards along the terraces.[68][69] The main scoreboard, which replaced the original monochrome scoreboard and separate video screen above the center field bleachers before the 2013 season, is more than 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) in area. The board can be used either all at once, such as for live action or video replays, or split into sections for displaying information such as statistics and advertisements.[70]
Co-located with the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest, theMariners Hall of Fame features bronze plaques of the eleven inducted members: Alvin Davis (1997), Broadcaster Dave Niehaus (2000), Jay Buhner (2004), Edgar Martínez (2007), Randy Johnson (2012), Dan Wilson (2012), Ken Griffey Jr. (2013), Lou Pinella (2014), Jamie Moyer (2015), Ichiro Suzuki (2022), and Félix Hernández (2023). The plaques describe their contributions to the franchise, as well as murals and television screens showing highlights of their careers with the Mariners.[71]
The 'Pen, known for sponsorship purposes as "The T-Mobile 'Pen", is astanding-room only area adjacent to thebullpens, where spectators can watchrelief pitchers warm up before entering the game.
When the stadium opened during the1999 season, the area was called the "Bullpen Market". In 2013, the Mariners' vice president of ballpark operations described the Bullpen Market as a dark and unwelcoming place that needed a remodel to be more attractive to fans.[72]
Prior to the2011 season, the Mariners brought in threecelebrity chefs to introduce specialconcession stands with exclusive food options.[73] In the first season under its new branding, per-capita fan spending in The 'Pen increased by 87% from the previous season. In 2013, Edgar's Cantina, named for Hall of Fame Mariners playerEdgar Martínez, opened.Sports Business Journal called The 'Pen "one of the liveliest social scenes in Major League Baseball" in 2013, when fan spending in The 'Pen had risen 42% year over year, which a team spokeswoman credited primarily to Edgar's Cantina.[72]
Local Mexican restaurant Poquitos opened a stand in The 'Pen during the2017 season, and quickly gained national fame for sellingchapulines, toastedgrasshoppers, at every game.[74] Poquitos sold over 900 orders of chapulines at the first three home games, at $4.00 for a 4-US-fluid-ounce (120 ml) cup.[75][76]
In 2019, the Mariners opened The 'Pen two and a half hours before the first pitch of Mariners home games, offeringhappy hour specials to encourage fans to arrive early. As many as 3,000 fans come to The 'Pen during each game.[77]
The 'Pen attracts large and often rowdy crowds due to its food and drink options.[78] On April 13, 2013, a man was injured and required reconstructive surgery after a fight broke out over a table in The 'Pen. Two men turned themselves in, one of whom faced a felony assault charge. A team spokesperson said that the Mariners assign more uniformed police officers, private security guards, and alcohol enforcement officials to The 'Pen during special events, such as College Night.[79]
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T-Mobile Park and its adjoining parking garage feature extensive public art displays, including:[80]
A bronze statue of Mariners broadcasterDave Niehaus (1935–2010) was unveiled on September 16, 2011.[82] The statue captures the broadcaster honored by theBaseball Hall of Fame with theFord C. Frick Award in 2008, and who broadcast 5,284 Mariners games over 34 seasons (1977–2010),[83][84] at a desk, behind a microphone, wearing headphones with his Mariners scorebook in front of him. His scorebook is opened to the box score for Game 5 of the1995 American League Division Series, whenEdgar Martínez hit "The Double". There is an empty seat next to the statue, so fans can sit next to Niehaus and pose for photos. His longtime broadcast partnerRick Rizzs presided over a private ceremony to unveil the statue. The Dave Niehaus Broadcast Center is on the Club Level behind home plate. When Niehaus died, his headset and microphone were placed by his empty seat in the Broadcast Center as a tribute.[85]
In April 2017, a statue ofKen Griffey Jr. by sculptorLou Cella was unveiled outside the Home Plate Entrance to the ballpark.[86] After the 2017 season, the bat was broken off in an attempt to steal it, but a bystander from the office building across the street ran down the perpetrator and recovered the bat, which was subsequently reattached.[87]
A bronze statue of Martínez, also made by Cella, was installed in August 2021 on the south side of the stadium near Griffey's statue.[88]
On August 9, 2025, the Mariners announced a statue of Ichiro will be built for the 2026 season.
On April 21, 2012,Chicago White Sox pitcherPhilip Humber pitched the21stperfect game in Major League Baseball history against the Mariners in his second start of the season. It was the 3rd perfect game in White Sox history joiningCharlie Robertson in1922 andMark Buehrle in2009.[89]
Nearly 4 months later on August 15, 2012, Mariners pitcherFélix Hernández pitched the23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball history and the first perfect game in Mariners history. This marked the second perfect game and third no-hitter at the park, all of which occurred in the 2012 season.[90]
The stadium has hosted theMajor League Baseball All-Star Game twice: in 2001 as Safeco Field and 2023 as T-Mobile Park. The2001 edition was won by the American League—featuring eight players from the Mariners—in front of 47,364 spectators.[91] The2023 edition was won by the National League with 47,159 in attendance.[92] The event used nearby Lumen Field for several events, including a fan festival and theMLB player draft.[93]
The stadium has been temporarily used by localminor league teams for playoff games when their normal venues were unavailable. TheTacoma Rainiers played their 2010Pacific Coast League playoff semifinal games at then-Safeco Field whileCheney Stadium underwent off-season renovations.[94] The Rainiers won their series and advanced to the PCL Championship, which was played entirely on the road due to Safeco Field being unavailable.[95]
TheEverett AquaSox of the Class ANorthwest League played one game in the 2016 playoffs against theSpokane Indians at Safeco Field.[96] The move was arranged after a rainstorm rendered the outfield atEverett Memorial Stadium unusable for several days.[97]
On May 4, 2007, anNCAAPacific-10 Conference baseball attendance record was set when theWashington Huskies hosted defending National ChampionOregon State in front of 10,421 spectators.[98] Washington won the game, 6–2.
The stadium hosted the2001 Seattle Bowl, the first edition of the short-livedSeattle Bowlcollege football game, on December 27, 2001.Georgia Tech defeated 11th-rankedStanford, 24–14, before 30,144 fans.[99]
The stadium hosted severalsoccer matches before the opening ofLumen Field, which was designed for soccer. To prepare for soccer matches, the field has to be sodded to cover and replace the dirt infield.[100]
On March 2, 2002, theUnited States men's national soccer team playedHonduras in afriendly match, winning 4–0 in front of a then-record crowd of 38,534.[101] The stadium hosted four matches during the2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in November, including two matches featuring theUnited States women's national soccer team, as part of qualification for the2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.[102] The first U.S. match, againstPanama, had an attendance of 21,522; the second match, againstCosta Rica, was attended by 10,079 fans.[103]
Seattle Sounders FC, aMajor League Soccer team that plays at adjacent Lumen Field, once drafted plans to play a2018 CONCACAF Champions League match at then-Safeco Field due to a potential scheduling conflict.[104]
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Tournament | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2, 2002 |  United States | 4–0 |  Honduras | International Friendly | 38,534 |
| November 2, 2002 |  Mexico | 2–0 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup First Round | — |
| United States | 9–0 |  Panama | 21,522 | ||
| November 6, 2002 |  Canada | 2–0 | Mexico | 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup Semifinal | — |
| United States | 7–0 |  Costa Rica | 10,079 |
On March 30, 2003, the stadium hostedWrestleMania XIX, which set an all-time record attendance for the facility of 54,097.
The2024 NHL Winter Classic on January 1 was held at T-Mobile Park and was contested by theSeattle Kraken and theVegas Golden Knights. The Kraken won 3–0 in front of 47,313 spectators.[105]
| Date | Artist | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Attendance | Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2008 | The Beach Boys | — | — | — | — | The stadium's first concert, although it was not open to the public. |
| July 19, 2013 | Paul McCartney | — | Out There Tour | 45,229 / 45,229 | $4,525,200 | The stadium's first public concert, it also featured formerNirvana members on a performance of the song "Cut Me Some Slack".[106] |
| July 30, 2014 | Beyoncé Jay-Z | — | On the Run Tour | 40,615 / 40,615 | $4,339,642 | |
| May 20, 2016 | Billy Joel | Gavin DeGraw | Billy Joel in Concert | 36,582 / 36,582 | $4,045,000 | |
| August 19, 2017 | Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers | The Lumineers | 40th Anniversary Tour | 42,199 / 46,050 | $3,665,292 | |
| August 8, 2018 | Pearl Jam | — | Pearl Jam 2018 Tour | 88,142 / 91,918 | $7,829,518 | This was the first time in five years since the band last played in their hometown.[107][108] |
| August 10, 2018 | ||||||
| August 31, 2018 | Zac Brown Band | OneRepublic | Down the Rabbit Hole Live | TBA | TBA | |
| September 1, 2018 | Foo Fighters | Giants in the Trees andThe Joy Formidable | Concrete and Gold Tour | 37,825 / 49,131 | $2,913,484 | The surviving members ofNirvana reunited for a few songs. |
| October 19, 2019 | The Who | Liam Gallagher | Moving On! Tour | — | — | |
| September 6, 2021 | Green Day Fall Out Boy Weezer | The Interrupters | Hella Mega Tour | 37,709 / 37,709 | $4,000,109 | Originally scheduled for July 25, 2020, and later, July 17, 2021. |
| August 3, 2022 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | The Strokes Thundercat | 2022 Global Stadium Tour | 41,706 / 41,706 | $5,489,712 | [109] |
| August 18, 2024 | Foo Fighters | Pretenders Alex G | Everything or Nothing at All Tour | |||
| September 4, 2024 | Def Leppard Journey | Cheap Trick | The Summer Stadium Tour | |||
| September 23, 2024 | Green Day The Smashing Pumpkins | Rancid The Linda Lindas | The Saviors Tour | |||
| May 24, 2025 | Stray Kids | Dominate World Tour | ||||
| June 26, 2025 | Post Malone Jelly Roll | Big Ass Stadium Tour | ||||
| July 11, 2025 | My Chemical Romance | Violent Femmes | Long Live The Black Parade |
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of the Seattle Mariners 1999 – present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by | Host of theAll-Star Game 2001 2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host ofWrestleMania 2003 (XIX) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of theNHL Winter Classic 2024 | Succeeded by |
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