Opening Day: October 1, 1961
Capacity: 19,467
Surface: Grass
Current Owner: District of Columbia
Team Website: dcunited.com
Team Phone: 202-587-5000
Address: 2400 East Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
Directions:
Via the metro: RFK Stadium can be accessed from the Stadium/Armory station, via the Blue and Orange lines of the D.C. Metro system.
Via I-295: Following north or south, take the exit onto East Capitol Street and follow until you reach the stadium.
RFK Stadium has a lot of history prior to D.C. United’s tenure. Built in 1961 under the name “District of Columbia Stadium,” it was home to the Washington Redskins (NFL) from 1961 to 1996, as well as the second iteration of the Washington Senators (AL) after the original Senators team moved to Minnesota in 1960 to become the Twins. The stadium changed its name to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in 1969, in tribute to the aforementioned U.S. senator, who was assassinated in June 1968.
Besides MLS games, RFK Stadium has hosted soccer matches for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2003 Women’s World Cup. The stadium also hosted the Military Bowl, an NCAA college football bowl game, between 2008 and 2012.
The structure of RFK Stadium is one of its most interesting facets: it was one of the first designed to be completely circular, in an attempt to accommodate multiple sports. The utility of a completely circular stadium is also a point of contention for multiple-use stadiums, given the varying field sizes multiple sports use. Another interesting facet is the shape and nature of the complex. The stadium is built on land that was leased by the National Park Service, and the lease is set to continue until 2038.