Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington

Safeco Field is a baseball stadium with a retractable roof, located at 1516 First Avenue S., in Seattle, Washington. The stadium is home to the major league baseball team the Seattle Mariners, and was built to replace Kingdome and Qwest Field, which is the home to the Seattle Seahawks football team. The stadium is in the downtown SoDo district of Seattle, and guests have access to a parking garage along Edgar Martinez Drive, and several other privately owned parking lots surrounding the area.

Groundbreaking for the stadium took place on March 8th, 1997, and construction costs were $517.6 million. The stadium was designed by the architectural firm of NBBJ and 360 Architecture and is owned by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority. Safeco Field was opened to the public on July 15th, 1999, and has a seating capacity of 47,116-54,097.

Like many baseball parks built during the 1990's, Safeco Park was designed using a "retro-modern'' theme. The retro-modern style incorporates many of the same features that were used during the 1950's era and earlier, and combines them with modern amenities. In direct contrast to the Kingdome, Safeco Field has a brick fazade, asymmetrical field dimensions, and a natural grass playing field, surrounded by city streets and buildings. Some of the modern amenities of Safeco Field include a retractable roof, luxury suites, extensive concession areas and food selections that far exceed typical ballpark fare, and the stadium offers guests the option of ordering from their seats.

The layout of Safeco is designed for convenience and is fully ADA accessible. There are four main gates open to ticket holders, located along the corners of the stadium; the areas are designated as Home Plate, Left Field, Center Field and Right Field. There are also five main entry levels into the stadium, the Field, the Concourse, Club Level, Suite Level and the Upper Concourse. All throughout the park are elevators, escalators, stairs and walkways which serve as a convenience to guests using wheelchairs.

Safeco Field offers some fine dining options for guests who seek more than typical baseball fair. The park has several restaurants, and food service areas available to guests purchasing certain level tickets. The Diamond Club is on the field level behind home plate, guests are treated to VIP parking and access to the buffet and bar area. The Bullpen Market is located on the street level inside Center Field gate, and sells sushi, teriyaki, barbeque and burritos, as well as an extensive collection of beers.

Safeco Field features an extensive collection of public art on display. Some artwork showcased are a chandelier made of 1,000 resin baseball bats, stainless steel cut outs of team members in various poses, and a nine-foot tall bronze baseball glove. The stadium is a great place to visit when seeking an enjoyable baseball experience, and welcomes guests to enjoy various entertaining activities.