The Top 10 Sports Venues to Add to Your Bucket List
The Top 10 Sports Venues
For a true sports fan, nothing compares to being right there at the stadium. The action on the field, the crowds cheering, the camaraderie with fellow fans… even the beer always seems a little colder. When you’re watching a game or match at one of the most famous sports venues in the world, it’s a moment you’ll never forget.
If you’re taking a trip, it’s worth making a point to stop at the local sports venues to really get a feel of the place you’re visiting. Even on the off seasons, most venues offer a tour, which often includes peeks into areas normally off-limits to fans. Here are ten of the most incredible sports venues around the world that every dedicated sports fan should visit:
- The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Home of the UCLA Bruins
The Rose Bowl is a historic NCAA stadium, best known for hosting the annual Rose Bowl, the oldest college football bowl game. Besides that, it’s also hosted the Super Bowl five times, as well as some major soccer matches, including the FIFA Women’s and Men’s World Cup championship games and the Olympic soccer games. During the college football season, you can see the UCLA Bruins play at the Rose Bowl, including their rival match against USC during even numbered years.
- The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England
Home of the Wimbledon Championship
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, (better known as Wimbledon) is famous for hosting the Wimbledon Championship. It was here at Wimbledon that the rules for tennis were formalized and later adopted globally. Wimbledon is famous for its traditions, including grass courts (it’s the last of the grand slam tournaments still on grass), its strict dress code, and the tradition of eating strawberries and cream. Even if you happen to be in London when Wimbledon isn’t happening, it’s still worth a visit. Learn about the history of tennis at the Wimbledon Museum and take a tour of the grounds, which includes Center Court.
- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Home of the New York Knicks (NBA) and the New York Rangers (NHL)
Madison Square Garden is the home of two of New York City’s major league teams, the Knicks and the Rangers. Besides that, it hosts a wide variety of other events, from concerts to boxing matches to the annual Westminster Dog Show. It’s located right above New York’s Penn Station, in the center of Manhattan, so it’s hard to miss when you’re visiting NYC. When it was built in the 1960’s, parts of Penn Station were bulldozed to make way for the stadium, a loss that some New Yorkers still lament. Even so, it’s become a beloved part of the Big Apple and a can’t-miss stop for any sports fan in the city.
- Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
Home of The Kentucky Derby
The most famous racetrack in America first opened in 1875, opening with the inaugural Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs may be best known for hosting the first leg of the Triple Crown, but there are horse races at the famous racetrack throughout the year. Once you buy a ticket (General Admission starts at just $3), you can watch the races and bet as much (or little) as you want. If you happen to be in Louisville the weekend of the Derby, see the action like a local and get a ticket to the Kentucky Oaks, the day before. And don’t forget to have a mint julep while you’re there!
- Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru
Home of Club Universitario de Deportes
The Estadio Monumental, with a capacity of over 80,000, is the largest stadium in South America. In addition to the home games of Universitario de Deportes, the stadium has also hosted matches for the Peru national football team, as well as FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
- St Andrews Links, St Andrews, Scotland
Home of Golf
St Andrews is home to seven public golf courses, and the game has been played in the Scottish town for over 600 years. The Old Course, widely considered to be the oldest golf course in the world, is among the public golf courses. Visitors can get tee times on the Old Course (usually booked in advance), as long as they have a handicap below 24 for men and 36 for women. If you’re coming to visit, you can also take a walking tour of the course from March to October, which includes the 1st, 17th, and 18th holes.
- Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
Home of The Melbourne Cricket Club
Cricket may be a bit of a mystery to most Americans, but it’s a serious sporting matter in other parts of the world, particularly throughout the Commonwealth. If you’re visiting Australia, you can’t skip a visit to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Built in 1853, the MCG is widely recognized as the international home of cricket. It also hosts other sports, such as Australian Football League games and rugby games.
- Memorial Stadium, Mesquite, TX
Home of Mesquite ISD Football
Everything’s bigger in Texas... especially football. The largest high school football stadium in the state is Memorial Stadium in Mesquite, not far from Dallas. The stadium is where all five of Mesquite’s high school teams play games, and it seats almost 20,000 fans on Friday nights during the fall. Go to experience the spectacle of high school football in Texas, and who knows, maybe see some of the great college and NFL players of the future.
- Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Home of the Chicago Bears (NFL)
The oldest NFL stadium, Soldier Field was opened in 1924. Its name honors the U.S. soldiers who sacrificed their lives in World War I. The home of the Chicago Bears since 1971, the historic stadium has also been home to the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), Notre Dame football, and both men’s and women’s major league soccer teams. The stadium was renovated dramatically in the early 2000’s, but some of its original, distinctive neoclassical facade still remains.
- Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Home of the Boston Red Sox (MLB)
Despite modernization over the years, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball still feels a bit like stepping back in time. Some of Fenway Park’s historic features include the scoreboard on the famous Green Monster, which is still operated by hand, and an organ played live during games (Pro tip: the organist, Josh Kantor, takes requests over Twitter.) If you go to a game, get a ticket for the right field bleachers; you just might end up sitting in the famous Red Seat, marking where Ted Williams’ famous 502 foot home run landed in 1946.
Don’t forget to check out Dynasty’s many pieces of memorabilia of sports stars that have played at these famous venues.