loanDepot Park: Miami’s Retractable-Roof Home for the Marlins

loanDepot Park is the home ballpark of the Miami Marlins, sitting at 501 Marlins Way in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, just west of downtown. Designed by the architecture firm Populous, the stadium opened for the 2012 season as Marlins Park after roughly $634 million in construction costs, largely funded through Miami-Dade County and city bonds. It took on its current name in 2021 after the Marlins signed a naming-rights partnership with mortgage lender loanDepot.

As one of only a handful of MLB parks with a fully retractable roof, loanDepot Park was built to keep South Florida’s heat, humidity, and afternoon storms from disrupting games. The roof’s 8,300 tons of steel take about 14 minutes to open, and the stadium became the first retractable-roof ballpark in MLB to earn LEED Gold certification for sustainable design.

Stats at a Glance

• Team: Miami Marlins (MLB)
• Location: 501 Marlins Way, Miami, Florida
• Opened: April 4, 2012 (as Marlins Park)
• Renamed: 2021 (loanDepot naming-rights deal)
• Capacity: about 36,742
• Roof: Fully retractable, takes about 14 minutes to open
• Notable fact: First MLB retractable-roof stadium to earn LEED Gold certification

The Ballpark Experience

Inside, loanDepot Park is known for its colorful, offbeat personality. Behind left-center field once stood a 75-foot animated home run sculpture by artist Red Grooms, featuring spinning marlins, flamingos, and palm trees that lit up whenever a Marlins player homered; the piece was relocated outside the ballpark before the 2019 season. For its first several seasons, twin saltwater aquariums built into the backstop behind home plate held live fish behind protective glass, a feature removed prior to the 2021 season.

The field itself plays as a fairly balanced, pitcher-friendly yard, with dimensions of 344 feet down the left field line, 400 feet to straightaway center, and 335 feet down the right field line.

A Modern Ballpark for South Florida

loanDepot Park replaced Sun Life Stadium (the Marlins’ original home) specifically to solve the problem of Florida’s unpredictable rainy season, and its transparent outfield roof panels can open separately from the main roof to let in natural light on drier days. The venue also hosts concerts, soccer matches, and other large events beyond the Marlins’ regular season.

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loanDepot Park FAQs

Why did Marlins Park change its name to loanDepot Park?

The Miami Marlins signed a multi-year naming-rights agreement with mortgage lender loanDepot, announced in March 2021, renaming the venue from Marlins Park to loanDepot Park.

Does loanDepot Park have a retractable roof?

Yes. loanDepot Park has a fully retractable roof designed to protect games from Miami’s heat, humidity, and frequent afternoon thunderstorms.

What happened to the home run sculpture and aquariums at loanDepot Park?

The animated home run sculpture behind left-center field was moved outside the ballpark before the 2019 season, and the twin saltwater aquariums behind home plate were removed prior to the 2021 season.

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Photo: Ven-Lib / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.