The new $515 million Marlins Park is more than a baseball stadium. It's home to 15 venues, from luxury suites to an outpost of South Beach mainstay The Clevelander.
The baseball stadium, home to the rebranded Miami Marlins, opened to the public in March and opened for baseball in April. The city demolished the old Miami Orange Bowl, just west of Little Havana, for the project, and the stadium offers interior and exterior tributes to the former home of University of Miami football, from the larger-than-life orange letters to old news headlines boasting titles, dates, and significant wins from the old landmark.
Hosting 37,442 guests in its 928,000-square-foot space—nearly half the fan capacity of former home Sun Life Stadium—Marlins Park has the smallest capacity of all Major League Baseball stadiums, which provides a more intimate game-day experience. The park features a retractable roof that can open or close in less than 15 minutes, a feature that has already begun to transform the experience for weathered Marlins fans. Marlins Park is also certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Buildings Council.
The venues within Marlins Park are designed to host events year-round. Season-ticket holders or elite game watchers can inhabit 45 different suites, which are also equipped to host parties and corporate gatherings, including the 13 Founders Suites and 10 Legends Suites (740 square feet each, with a 30-person capacity), 12 MVP Suites (500 square feet each, 20-person capacity), six Fiesta Suites (580 square feet, 24-person capacity as single; 1,150 square feet, 48-person capacity as double), two Championship Suites (1,600 square feet, 50- to 80-person capacity) and two Hall of Fame Suites (1,430 square feet, 80-person capacity). Dining options range from hotdogs to empanadas, Churassco to stone crabs.
The Skyline Terrace, located in center field on the promenade level, overlooks the downtown Miami skyline and features retractable glass window panels. Square footage totals 12,000 with panels open and 8,100 when closed, with a capacity of 350 seated guests or 1,000 for a reception. The terrace can also serve as a pre-function space in conjunction with another venue at the park.
The Diamond Club Lounge, located behind home plate, can host 200 guests. On game days, the 2,600-square-foot restaurant/lounge serves 380 season ticket holders from five chef’s table concepts and premium wine and beer. A 400-bottle tempered wine room offers reserve wines at an additional cost. On off-days, the room is available for private event buyouts, including Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, or receptions.
Also located on the field level, the Dugout Clubs behind third base (2,600 square feet, 150 capacity) and first base (2,000 square feet, 100 capacity) also host private lounge areas prior to and during games, and are available for corporate events or parties.
Bringing a piece of South Beach to Marlins Park, The Clevelander is a 4,600-square-foot pool-lounge concept that can hold up to 250 guests on game days, and 300 for private events. Staffed and operated entirely by The Clevelander on Ocean Drive, the daytime lounge and nightclub features resident DJs, go-go dancers, drink specials, and bottle service. With traditional seating, high tops, and plenty of pool space, this Marlins Park hot spot has already attracted a regular following. Open until 3 a.m., non-ticketholders can gain entry by way of the infamous velvet rope and after-hours cover charge.
Finally, the field is Marlins Park’s most spacious venue of the facility. Prior to opening, the 134,000-square-foot natural grass field hosted its first event: the Diamond Dishes event during this year's Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The field can accommodate a capacity of anywhere from 900 to 2,000 guests. Available as a main event venue for galas or other large-scale events, the field can also be rented out for expos and trade shows, comfortably fitting 600 10-by-10 booths.
The Marlins Park food and beverage program includes a slew of cultural city favorites, a kosher kitchen, upgraded traditional ballpark fare, and fine dining options.
The visual stimulus is not limited to the on-field action. Art installations include sculptures, murals, and portraits, most notably the multimillion-dollar outfield piece, Home Run Sculpture, by Red Grooms, along with Baseball Manager by Roy Lichtenstein, and Playball!, a pop-art tribute to baseball by Kenny Scharf. Two 450-gallon saltwater aquariums decorate the space behind home plate.
Two main corporate sponsors, Pepsi and Miccosukee, represent two of four quadrants of the park (the team is negotiating for two additional sponsors.) The Bobblehead Museum on the promenade level is Miami Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria’s whimsical tribute to nearly 700 past and present M.L.B. players and mascots from all 30 teams.
