Mile High Stadium was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium located at 2755 West 17th Avenue in Denver, Colorado, that stood from 1948 until its demolition in 2002. Originally built as Bears Stadium to house the minor-league Denver Bears baseball club, it grew from a modest 18,000-seat ballpark into one of the NFL’s most feared home-field environments — elevated literally and figuratively at exactly one mile above sea level.
Over more than five decades, the stadium became a landmark of Denver civic identity. The Denver Broncos called it home from their founding in 1960 through the 2000 season, while the Colorado Rockies set Major League Baseball attendance records within its walls during their inaugural 1993–94 seasons. After the Broncos moved into the new stadium next door, Mile High was demolished between January and April 2002, leaving behind a parking lot and an outsized legacy.
Stats at a Glance
- Primary Tenant: Denver Broncos (AFL/NFL, 1960–2000)
- Other Tenants: Colorado Rockies (MLB, 1993–94), Colorado Rapids (MLS, 1996–2001)
- Location: Denver, Colorado (elevation 5,280 ft)
- Opened: August 14, 1948 (as Bears Stadium)
- Closed: September 8, 2001
- Demolished: January–April 17, 2002
- Peak Capacity: 76,273
- Notable Fact: Hosted Pope John Paul II and the 1969 Denver Pop Festival (feat. Jimi Hendrix)
A Stadium That Grew With Its City
What began as a bare-bones bleacher structure for minor-league baseball was transformed through a series of expansions into a 76,000-seat colossus. The most dramatic change came between 1975 and 1977, when an innovative set of movable lower-deck bleachers — capable of shifting 145 feet on a water-cushion system — allowed the field to be reconfigured between baseball and football layouts. The Broncos’ passionate fanbase packed the stands season after season, and the thin-air altitude at 5,280 feet gave Denver a genuine home-field advantage that opposing teams dreaded.
The stadium’s atmosphere reached its peak during the Broncos’ Super Bowl-era runs of the late 1970s and mid-1980s, when sellout crowds became a permanent fixture. Denver fans were so reliably loud that the stadium’s noise was considered a legitimate competitive factor in AFC West games.
Historic Moments Beyond Football
Mile High Stadium was never just an NFL venue. The Colorado Rockies used it as a temporary home for their first two MLB seasons (1993–94), drawing record-breaking crowds that demonstrated Denver’s appetite for major-league baseball. The 1969 Denver Pop Festival, headlined by Jimi Hendrix, put the stadium on the rock-and-roll map, and subsequent concerts by acts including U2, Metallica, and Guns N’ Roses cemented its reputation as a premier large-scale event venue.
In 1993, Pope John Paul II celebrated an outdoor Mass at Mile High during his visit to Denver for World Youth Day — an event that drew an estimated 375,000 pilgrims to the surrounding area and stands as one of the most significant non-sporting gatherings in Colorado history. The stadium was demolished shortly after the Broncos departed, and the site now serves as parking for Empower Field at Mile High, its purpose-built successor next door.
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Mile High Stadium FAQs
When was Mile High Stadium demolished?
Mile High Stadium was demolished between January and April 17, 2002, after the Denver Broncos played their final game there on December 10, 2000, and the venue officially closed on September 8, 2001.
What was the capacity of Mile High Stadium?
At its peak, Mile High Stadium held 76,273 spectators. It started at roughly 18,000 seats when it opened in 1948 as Bears Stadium and expanded significantly over the following decades.
What teams played at Mile High Stadium?
The Denver Broncos (NFL, 1960–2000) were the primary tenant, but the stadium also hosted the Denver Bears and Denver Zephyrs (minor-league baseball), the Colorado Rockies (MLB, 1993–94), the Colorado Rapids (MLS, 1996–2001), and the Denver Gold of the USFL (1983–85).
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Photo: Mel Schieltz/G. R. Dickson Co. / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.