For 44 seasons, Shea Stadium was the beating heart of Mets baseball in Flushing, Queens — a circular, multi-purpose bowl that hosted two World Series champions, a sitting Pope, and the concert that arguably invented stadium rock as we know it.
This guide covers everything people search for about Shea Stadium: its exact capacity and cost, why it carries that name, which teams played there besides the Mets, the full story of the Beatles’ 1965 show, and what happened to the site after the wrecking ball arrived in 2008.
Quick Answer
Shea Stadium was a 55,000+ seat multi-purpose ballpark at 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, that served as the New York Mets’ home from April 17, 1964, to September 28, 2008. It was named for William Shea, the attorney who led the fight to bring National League baseball back to New York after the Dodgers and Giants left for California, and it was demolished in 2009 to make room for Citi Field’s parking lots.
Where Was Shea Stadium, and Why Was It Named That?
Shea Stadium stood at 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, directly across the parking lots from where Citi Field sits today and adjacent to the site of the 1964–65 World’s Fair. The location put it a short walk from the elevated 7 train and Long Island Rail Road’s Mets–Willets Point station, making it one of the most transit-accessible ballparks in the majors.
During construction the ballpark was informally called Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium. It was renamed in honor of William A. Shea, the New York attorney who spearheaded the effort to return National League baseball to the city after the Dodgers and Giants departed for California following the 1957 season. Shea’s threat to form a rival Continental League pushed MLB to grant New York an expansion franchise — the Mets — and the stadium was dedicated to him when it opened.
Shea Stadium by the Numbers: Capacity, Cost, and Design
Shea Stadium broke ground on October 28, 1961, and took 29 months to build at a cost of about $28.5 million (roughly $290–300 million in today’s dollars), designed by the architecture firm Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury. It opened on April 17, 1964, with the Mets losing 4–3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in front of 50,312 fans.
The circular, multi-purpose design let motorized stands pivot to reconfigure the field between baseball and football. Baseball capacity started around 55,300 in 1964 and grew in stages as seating was reconfigured over the decades, reaching roughly 57,300–57,400 by the ballpark’s final seasons (2004–2008); football capacity topped out near 60,372. It was, for a time, one of the largest stadiums in the National League, and it was among the first ballparks built with an extensive escalator system and no view-obstructing support columns.
Teams That Called Shea Stadium Home
The New York Mets were the primary and permanent tenant, playing at Shea from 1964 through 2008. But Shea’s dual-purpose design meant it hosted far more than baseball. The New York Jets played there from 1964 to 1983 (first in the AFL, then the NFL) before moving to Giants Stadium. The New York Yankees temporarily shared Shea in 1974 and 1975 while the original Yankee Stadium underwent renovations, and the New York Giants also played their 1975 home games at Shea while Giants Stadium was under construction in New Jersey — meaning at one point Shea simultaneously hosted three of New York’s four major pro football/baseball franchises.
The Beatles at Shea Stadium: The Concert That Changed Music
On August 15, 1965, the Beatles played Shea Stadium in front of roughly 55,600 fans — at the time the largest audience ever to see a live concert, and widely credited as the first major outdoor stadium rock show in history. The band performed from a stage set up on second base while opening acts including the Young Rascals, Sounds Incorporated, Cannibal & the Headhunters, and Brenda Holloway warmed up the crowd.
The scale of the event was unprecedented: about 2,000 security personnel, including karate black belts, were stationed to manage the crowd, and the screaming was so loud that the band could barely hear their own amplifiers despite Vox building them special 100-watt rigs for the tour. A 50-minute documentary of the show, filmed with 14 cameras, captured the full frenzy of Beatlemania. The Beatles returned to Shea for a second, less chaotic show on August 23, 1966.
World Series Titles and Legendary Games
Shea Stadium hosted four World Series in its history — 1969, 1973, 1986, and 2000 — and was the site of two Mets championship clinchers. The 1969 ‘Miracle Mets’ stunned the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles to win it all just seven years after the franchise’s inaugural, 120-loss season. In 1986, the Mets beat the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game series remembered for Game 6’s Bill Buckner error, clinching the title at Shea two nights later.
The ballpark also saw Jim Bunning throw a perfect game against the Mets on Father’s Day in 1964, and it hosted the 1964 MLB All-Star Game in its inaugural season. In 2000, Shea staged the first Subway Series in 44 years, with the Yankees beating the Mets in five games — the only time a visiting team clinched a championship there.
Concerts, the Home Run Apple, and Pop Culture Legacy
Beyond the Beatles, Shea became a go-to stop for major concerts over the decades, hosting acts from the Rolling Stones and the Who to Grateful Dead and Simon & Garfunkel’s famous 1983 reunion show. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there in October 1979 during his U.S. visit, and the stadium regularly hosted Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions in the 1970s.
Shea is also remembered for its Home Run Apple, a giant apple that rose out of a top hat in center field whenever a Mets player homered — introduced in 1980 and instantly one of the sport’s most recognizable in-stadium features. A replica of the apple was preserved and now sits on display outside Citi Field’s Jackie Robinson Rotunda, tying the two ballparks together.
The Final Game and Demolition
The Mets played their final game at Shea Stadium on September 28, 2008, a 4–2 loss to the Florida Marlins that also eliminated New York from playoff contention. Dozens of former Mets players took part in an emotional postgame ceremony honoring the ballpark’s 44-year run.
Demolition began on October 14, 2008, and was completed by February 18, 2009, with the site dismantled piece by piece rather than imploded, per New York City regulations. The footprint became parking lots for Citi Field, which had opened next door that same year and now sits on land immediately adjacent to where Shea once stood.
What Replaced Shea Stadium?
Citi Field, which opened in April 2009, replaced Shea Stadium as the Mets’ home ballpark. It was built on what had previously been part of Shea’s parking lot, and once Shea came down, its own footprint became parking for the new stadium. Citi Field’s design deliberately echoes elements of Ebbets Field — the Mets’ spiritual predecessor from the Brooklyn Dodgers era — rather than Shea’s mid-century, multi-purpose bowl style, but the Home Run Apple replica remains the most visible physical link between the two ballparks.
Shea Stadium history and facts FAQs
When did Shea Stadium open and close?
Shea Stadium opened on April 17, 1964, and hosted its final game on September 28, 2008. It was demolished between October 14, 2008, and February 18, 2009.
Why is it called Shea Stadium?
It was named for William Shea, the New York attorney who led the campaign to bring National League baseball back to the city after the Dodgers and Giants left for California in 1957, a push that directly led to the Mets’ creation.
What was Shea Stadium’s seating capacity?
Baseball capacity started at roughly 55,300 in 1964 and grew in stages over the decades to about 57,300–57,400 by its final seasons; football capacity reached about 60,372.
What teams played at Shea Stadium besides the Mets?
The New York Jets played there from 1964 to 1983, the New York Yankees used it in 1974–75 during Yankee Stadium renovations, and the New York Giants played their 1975 home games there while Giants Stadium was being built.
Why are the Beatles associated with Shea Stadium?
On August 15, 1965, the Beatles played to about 55,600 fans at Shea, the largest concert audience up to that time and widely regarded as the first major outdoor stadium rock show in history. They returned for a second show on August 23, 1966.
What replaced Shea Stadium?
Citi Field, which opened in April 2009 next to Shea’s former site, replaced it as the Mets’ home ballpark. Shea’s footprint was converted into parking lots for Citi Field.
Is anything from Shea Stadium still around today?
A replica of Shea’s iconic Home Run Apple is preserved and displayed outside Citi Field’s Jackie Robinson Rotunda as a tribute to the old ballpark.
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