Three Rivers Stadium served Pittsburgh from 1970 to 2000 as the shared home of the NFL’s Steelers and MLB’s Pirates.
A classic round, multipurpose ‘concrete doughnut,’ it was the site of the Immaculate Reception and multiple championship runs before being imploded in 2001.
Stats at a Glance
- Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)
- Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Opened: 1970
- Closed: 2000 (imploded 2001)
- Type: Multipurpose ‘cookie-cutter’ stadium
- Historic moment: The Immaculate Reception (1972)
The Cookie-Cutter Era
Three Rivers was a defining example of the 1970s multipurpose stadium – symmetrical, circular, and built for both football and baseball. Its turf field hosted Steelers dynasties and Pirates World Series teams alike.
Replaced by Two Parks
By 2001 the multipurpose model had fallen out of favor. Three Rivers was imploded and replaced by two dedicated venues – Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium) for the Steelers and PNC Park for the Pirates.
Explore more: top NFL stadiums, types of sporting stadiums.
Three Rivers Stadium FAQs
What was the Immaculate Reception?
Franco Harris’s famous 1972 playoff catch for the Steelers, which happened at Three Rivers Stadium.
When was Three Rivers Stadium demolished?
It was imploded in 2001.
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Photo: dbking / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.