Visit Date: May 23, 2026

As has been our tradition since we got married, Martha and I were looking to get out of town for Memorial Day weekend this year.  After perusing the 2026 Major League Baseball calendar last fall, I noticed that our Pittsburgh Pirates would be playing in Toronto at the end of May.  Given that we had yet to visit the city and it’s a reasonable five hour drive away, we quickly decided that we would head north of the border for the series.  Since I had only seen the Pirates on the road once before, I was excited that our 16th stadium would feature the Buccos.

Rogers Centre, the home of the Blue Jays, is the sixth oldest ballpark in MLB.  Opened in 1989 as the SkyDome, it was the first major sports stadium in North America with a functional, fully retractable roof.  When the team was established in 1977, they played outdoors at Exhibition Stadium, a Canadian Football League venue that did not accommodate baseball very well.  Given the weather Toronto experiences along Lake Ontario, fans spent those initial years clamoring for a dome.  The one they received, with its 282-foot high apex and motorized track system, is pretty remarkable to see in-person.

Up to this point, the only other retractable roof stadium we had visited was T-Mobile Park in Seattle, but that one was open during our stop.  For weeks, I was holding out hope that Rogers Centre would also be open when we made the trip to Canada.  The ballpark is located practically at the base of CN Tower, so I was very intentional about buying tickets that would provide us with great views of it as long as the weather cooperated.  In years past, mid-May has been a good benchmark for when they would finally peel back the roof, but as May 23rd approached, it still hadn’t happened yet.  In the final days before our trip, it was obvious that I wouldn’t get my wish.  Rain was forecasted for the entire day, with temperatures in the 50s.  I will note, however, that it eventually did open two days later.

Having now seen it for myself, I’m actually glad that our visit to Rogers Centre included a closed roof.  Since I had no past experience with indoor baseball, I had no way to gauge what it would be like.  When we first stepped through the entrance at gate 5, the concourses felt like those of a hockey or basketball game since there was very little natural light.  As I walked directly ahead and stepped into the seating area, the full interior of the stadium came into view.  Despite my hesitations coming in, I think I actually let out a “woah” when I finally took in my surroundings.  Between the ginormous scale of the roof above, the idea that such a huge venue could fit into this enclosed space, and the fact that the scoreboard is built into the backside of a hotel, Rogers Centre was a sight to behold.

I guess it isn’t so much that a scoreboard was placed on the facade of a hotel, but more so the other way around.  A hotel is conveniently located within this Major League Baseball stadium, and it just so happens to be beyond center field behind the video screen.  The Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel was constructed on the northern side of the stadium, with 70 rooms offering window-views of the game below.  Almost all of these rooms are aligned with the 500-level of the ballpark, so while unique, they are distant from the action.  Understandably, these rooms are a bucket list item for many people attending a series at Rogers Centre, and with that demand comes a high price tag.  As you could imagine, these rooms have brought some unwanted attention to the Blue Jays over the years because of inappropriate actions from hotel guests while games transpired on the field.  I didn’t notice anything nefarious on our visit, luckily.  And although I, too, would’ve enjoyed staying in one of these rooms, a teacher salary only gets you so far.

It was pretty obvious to me that Rogers Centre had gone through major renovations beginning in 2022 through 2024.  Despite being an older stadium, my initial thought when we entered the seating bowl was that the environment felt very modern.  There were lots of high-tech screens, plenty of different standing-room-only/bar areas in the outfield, and the infield seats felt like they were positioned with baseball in mind.  This wasn’t always the case of course, so I’m glad that we took our visit after all these changes had concluded.  Otherwise, my overall impression would likely be much different.

In a past article, I was critical of Angel Stadium in Anaheim for not adapting enough in more recent years as newer ballparks have passed it by.  While major changes were made at the turn of the century, it quickly found itself outpaced by other cities once again.  On the other hand, I feel that these additions to Rogers Centre gave it a new lease on life, extending its viability as the home of the Blue Jays for years to come.  For a city that I found to be incredibly modern, I’d imagine it’s pretty important to stay ahead of the times in order to remain relevant.  The franchise has done a masterful job of making the stadium feel brand new again when they could’ve let it fall to ruin and built something from the ground-up like most teams would do.  I applaud them for this approach, and I think a lot of other teams would benefit from following Toronto’s lead when they reach a similar point.

The concourses at Rogers Centre were what I found most impressive, especially when compared to other ballparks.  I think that much of this can be attributed to the fact that we were completely indoors, so I do wonder how my opinions might’ve changed had we been open to the elements.  The 100-level was particularly strong because you could see the playing field the entire way around the loop.  Most stadiums of this era do not offer these same sightlines, so I was really surprised.  This level was weakest in the outfield due to some tight corridors around the concession stands.  However, everything else in the 100s was very wide and inviting, with strong food and drink offerings (this game in particular had a special Butter Chicken Poutine for their Cricket Day at the ballpark) and attention-grabbing memorabilia displays, including their back-to-back World Series trophies.  Some of their other food included a kid-friendly snack bar, value booths with discounted concessions, and plenty of international options.

We spent well over an hour walking around the park because there was so much to see and take-in.  Even on higher levels where a lot of teams will cut corners with lesser offerings, Rogers Centre kept packing a punch.  The 200-level had a terraced area in center field called the WestJet Flight Deck, a porch bar, the pre-game broadcast booth, an arcade, and a cool Cricket Day photo op.  And while it was closed during our visit, there was also an outdoor space that overlooked downtown.  On the 500-level, they had two social patio areas in the outfield corners with offerings for fans of all ages.  These spots were both constructed during the recent renovation, replacing the most distant seats in the ballpark with something much more exciting, visually interesting, and inviting.  Even though total capacity decreased by around 10,000 seats, you’d think this place could still hold 50,000 based on the way so many upgraded features work in harmony with each other.

If you’re afraid of heights or struggle with mobility, the 500-level is probably not for you.  We sat in section 524 behind home plate, and I have never seen such steep stands in my life.  Had the roof been open, I probably would’ve felt like I was walking straight into the clouds.  Despite the climb, the view of the action was still strong.  Another thing to be aware of is that there is a railing across each row on this level.  This has some definite safety benefits, but it takes some getting used to.  As a direct result, the rows up here are pretty narrow, basically requiring you to stand up anytime someone needs to get by.  The bar is actually rather comfortable to lean on while watching the game, though.  As I said previously, these seats have awesome views when the roof is open, hence why I bought them.

Obviously, being an older stadium, Rogers Centre doesn’t have all the same bells and whistles that you might expect from visits elsewhere.  But, as I commented before, it’s definitely above its weight class in this regard.  Still, I think it’s probably an acquired taste for many baseball fans.  Especially on days where the roof is closed, you’ll either be impressed by just how massive it is, or you’ll maybe even feel like baseball has no business being played here at all.  You’ll either be in awe of the engineered structure, or you’ll find it hideous.  I do think that the guest experience is at the forefront here in Toronto, and the Blue Jays game in front of you is very much secondary.  That’s becoming a trend (or an issue, depending on your opinion) across the sport though, not just here.

The exterior of the building leaves a lot to be desired as well, but they are trying their best with what they have.  There are some interesting murals and art installations, you’re within 100 yards of CN Tower, the Ripley’s Aquarium, and Roundhouse Park, and Lake Ontario is only a few blocks to the south.  At the same time, Rogers Centre itself is a bit of a brutalist, concrete bore to look at.  You’d probably find yourself looking at everything else around it, rather than at the stadium itself.  However, one final benefit is that Rogers Centre has close access to the PATH, a 19-mile tunnel and elevated walkway system around the city that connects office buildings, retail spaces, hotels, and other points of interest.  While it was difficult to navigate in spots due to poor signage, it was incredibly impressive.  The place we stayed was only two or three blocks east of the stadium, and while we could’ve braved the rain, we chose to stay dry by taking the PATH instead.  While this probably added close to ten minutes to our commute, it was worth the trade-off.  Unfortunately, unlike Scotiabank Arena (home of the Maple Leafs and Raptors) which has a ticketed entrance within the PATH, you do still have to go outside for a few hundred yards in order to reach Rogers Centre.

Overall, this visit to the Blue Jays home field far exceeded my expectations.  Knowing that renovations had recently been completed, I assumed that those could only accomplish so much, like putting lipstick on a pig.  But I was wrong.  Rogers Centre holds up with even the modern ballparks we have visited so far on our journey to 30.  Will it be at the top of anyone’s list, or even in the top ten, when all is said and done?  That’s unlikely.  Even with so many changes, a venue that spends the majority of the season indoors can’t really beat out the top open-air fields.  However, it managed to achieve something crucial – Rogers Centre immediately had me thinking about when I might make my next visit.

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Thank you for visiting Small World Travel Blog!  We hope you enjoyed this 8th review in our MLB Stadium Tour series.  Please consider subscribing for more content like this!  What do you think of retractable roof stadiums like Rogers Centre?  Do you want to hear more about our recent visit to Toronto and any recommendations we may have?  Let us know in the comments, along with which stadium you’d like us to review next!