History
Built on federal land under the 1958 District of Columbia Stadium Act, D.C. Stadium opened on October 1, 1961. It was one of the first stadiums designed for both baseball and football, and it was renamed for Robert F. Kennedy in 1969.
Washington's NFL team played there through 1996 and won five NFC Championship Games at home. The Senators played there from 1962 until their final game in 1971 ended in a forfeit after fans stormed the field. Baseball returned with the Nationals from 2005 to 2007, and D.C. United played there from 1996 to 2017. The stadium also hosted 1994 World Cup and 1996 Olympic soccer matches.
After D.C. United moved to Audi Field, the stadium sat empty and was closed in 2019. A federal law signed on January 6, 2025 cleared the way for D.C. to redevelop the site, and deconstruction began that month. Events DC reported structural demolition finished by May 2026, with foundation removal ongoing and closeout expected by October 2026. A new Commanders stadium is planned for the site, targeted to open in 2030.
Why it matters: It was an early multipurpose stadium, the home of Washington's NFL team for 36 seasons including five home NFC Championship wins, the last home of the Senators and the first of the Nationals and D.C. United.
Timeline
- October 1, 1961
Washington's NFL team lost 24-21 to the New York Giants in the first game.
- 1969
The stadium was renamed in 1969 (announced January 18, dedicated June 7).
- September 30, 1971Senators' last game[1]
A fan riot forced a forfeit in the second Senators' final game before the team moved to Texas.
- December 22, 1996
Washington beat Dallas 37-10 in its last game at the stadium.
- September 23, 2007
The Nationals beat the Phillies 5-3 before moving to Nationals Park.
- October 22, 2017
D.C. United lost 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls in the last major-league event.
- January 6, 2025Federal land transfer law signed[3]
H.R. 4984 gave the District authority to redevelop the stadium site.
- May 2026
The last vertical steel was removed and the contractor finished structural demolition; foundation removal continued, with closeout expected by October 2026.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1,2,3,4,5,7] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Cleared demolition site on the RFK Campus, planned for a new Washington Commanders stadium targeted to open for the 2030 season; The Fields at RFK Campus and the Skate Park remain on the campus |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Washington Redskins | NFL · 1961–1996 |
|---|---|
| Washington Senators | American League · 1962–1971 |
| D.C. United | MLS · 1996–2017 |
| Washington Nationals | National League · 2005–2007 |
| Washington Diplomats | NASL · 1974–1981 · tenant |
| Washington Federals | USFL · 1983–1984 · tenant |
| Washington Freedom | WUSA · 2001–2003 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium |
|---|---|
| Other names | District of Columbia Stadium (1961–1969); D.C. Stadium (1961–1969); RFK; Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium |
| Location | 2400 East Capitol Street SE, RFK Campus, Washington, D.C., Washington, Washington, D.C.[1] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Baseball, Soccer |
| Level | NFL, MLB, MLS, NASL, USFL, NCAA, Olympic |
| Opened | October 1, 1961[1,3,4] |
| Last used for sports | September 2019[1,6] |
| Demolished | January 2025 – May 2026[1,2,3,4,5,7] |
| Physical status | Demolished[5] |
| Original capacity | 56,692[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 45,596[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | 1961: 43,500 baseball / 56,692 football (Wikipedia). 2005 onward: 45,596. MLS configuration 20,000 (2012-2017). |
| Architect | George Leighton Dahl, Architects and Engineers; Osborn Engineering (structural)[1] |
| Construction cost | $24 million (Wikipedia); $20 million (Ballparks of Baseball)[1,2] |
| Surface | Grass[1] |
| Owner / operator | U.S. government land; transferred to District control (50-year ground lease from 1988; land transfer law signed 2025-01-06); operated by Events DC[1,3] |
| Closure | Its tenants left for newer venues (NFL 1997, Nationals 2008, D.C. United 2018), and the aging, vacant stadium was demolished to clear the site for redevelopment and a new NFL stadium. |
Documented details
Connected venues
- Replaced by: Nationals Park · Nationals moved in 20082008–present
- Replaced by: Audi Field · D.C. United moved in 20182018–present
- Replacement for: Griffith Stadium · Opened as D.C. Stadium. The Redskins moved there in 1961 and the Senators in 1962 (per Wikipedia). Not added as a successor record because its current status was not verified in this batch.1911–1961
Sources
- Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, surface, teams
- RFK Stadium, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, construction cost, demolished, teams
- OurRFK History, Government of the District of Columbia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, events, opened, owner operator, teams
- Last stand for RFK Memorial Stadium, District of Columbia National Guard. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, opened, teams
- RFK Stadium, Events DC. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, physical status
- RFK Campus: September 2019 Newsletter, Events DC. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed
- Demolition of old RFK Stadium nearly complete, 1 year after DC took control of site, WTOP. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (3)
- Closure date: Wikipedia text says 2019-09-05 and its infobox 2019-09-15. An Events DC newsletter dated 2019-09-16 lists an Events DC Kickoff Classic at the stadium on 2019-09-14, which contradicts the 2019-09-05 date. Recorded as month precision.
- Demolition timing: Wikipedia's infobox gives 2023-2026 (abatement began 2023 per the DC government); deconstruction began January 2025; Ballparks of Baseball says 'demolished in 2025'; Events DC says structural demolition was completed by May 2026, with foundation removal ongoing and closeout anticipated by October 2026.
- Owner: Wikipedia lists the District as owner from 1986; the DC government page says the stadium was transferred to the District on 1988-01-14 under a 50-year ground lease.
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