What began as a helicopter ride in 1957 has become one of the most treasured sports venues in all the world of baseball. Dodgers owner, Walter O'Malley worked out a deal with the city of Los Angeles to bring the Dodgers from Brooklyn to California. When he, along with a county supervisor, flew over Los Angeles in search of possible stadium locations, a 300-acre unimproved lot caught his eye. That 300-acre lot now houses over 3,400 trees and has hosted over 115 million fans since opening day.
In January 1999, the Dodgers began a renovation program consisting of new field level seats, a new expanded dugout section with an adjacent club area and new suites on the Club Level. In 2003, a new scoreboard, DodgerVision video board and a control room were added. That same year, Dodger Stadium was named the 'Best in Baseball' by Sports Illustrated in a poll of Major League players. Fans obviously listened as over 2.7 million spectators visit Dodger Stadium annually.
Many memorable moments have occurred at Dodger Stadium. Among them, eight World Series games, a 1980 Major League Baseball All-Star game and the 1984 Olympic Games' baseball competition. In 1991, the Olympics returned to Dodger Stadium with the Opening Ceremonies for the United States Olympic Festival. Later in 1991, the Los Angeles stadium welcomed the world's top amateur baseball players in the 2nd annual International Baseball Association World All-Star Game.
Being a universal venue, Dodger Stadium hosts much more than sports. In 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass during a historical moment at Dodger Stadium. In addition, Dodger Stadium has welcomed performances by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Elton John, Michael Jackson, U2, Eric Clapton and many others. In 1994, "Encore - The Three Tenors" was dubbed as one of the world's great entertainment events, featuring Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti and was held at Dodger Stadium. Since the doors opened in 1962, Dodger Stadium has been called one of the cleanest ballparks in America. In 1978, the Dodgers were honored to become the first team to draw a crowd of three million spectators to the stadium. During every off season, Dodger Stadium is freshly painted. As each new season begins, the Dodgers call it home and fans call it to order tickets.