History
Jersey City built the stadium at Droyer's Point with federal Works Progress Administration money. It opened in April 1937 as home of the Jersey City Giants, the New York Giants' top farm club.
On April 18, 1946, Jackie Robinson played his first game in organized baseball there for the Montreal Royals, which Montreal won in a rout. A decade later the Brooklyn Dodgers played 15 home games at the stadium across 1956 and 1957, their last two seasons in Brooklyn.
Later minor-league clubs came and went, and the stadium hosted college football, soccer exhibitions with Pelé, auto racing, drum corps competitions and rock concerts. After light towers collapsed in 1981 the city closed it, and it was demolished in 1985. The Society Hill housing development now covers the site.
Why it matters: It was the scene of Jackie Robinson's integration of organized baseball and a part-time home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Timeline
- December 10, 1935Groundbreaking[1]
Work began on the WPA-funded Art Deco stadium.
- April 23, 1937
After a one-day rain delay, the stadium opened for the Jersey City Giants.
- April 18, 1946
Robinson homered and singled three times as Montreal routed the Jersey City Giants 14-1.
- 1956–1957
The Dodgers played 15 home games here (seven in 1956, eight in 1957) during their last Brooklyn seasons.
- August 8, 1974Nixon resignation during concert[1]
President Nixon's resignation was announced during intermission at a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young show.
- 1981Closed[1]
The city closed the stadium after light towers collapsed, and it never reopened.
- 1985
The stadium was demolished, and housing was later built on the site.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3,4] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Society Hill housing development (gated community)[1,3,4] |
| Surviving remnants | No structure survives; a plaque in a Society Hill gazebo was dedicated in 1996, and seats went to the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Jersey City Giants | International League · 1937–1950 |
|---|---|
| Jersey City Jerseys | International League · 1960–1961 |
| Jersey City Indians | Eastern League · 1977 |
| Jersey City A's | Eastern League · 1978 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | National League · 1956–1957 · secondary |
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 | Jersey City Roosevelt Stadium |
|---|---|
| Other names | Jersey City Roosevelt Stadium |
| Location | Droyer's Point, Danforth Avenue at Route 440 (formerly Route 1), on Newark Bay, Jersey City, New Jersey[1,2] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Baseball, Football, Motorsports, Soccer, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | MLB, Minor League, NCAA |
| Opened | April 23, 1937[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | 1981[1] |
| Demolished | 1985[1,2,3,4] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 24,000[1,3] |
| Capacity notes | 24,000 (Wikipedia, Baseball History Comes Alive). Wikipedia reports a crowd of 51,872 for the April 18, 1946 game, far above seating capacity. |
| Architect | Christian H. Ziegler[1] |
| Construction cost | $1.5 million (WPA-funded)[1] |
| Owner / operator | City of Jersey City |
| Closure | Structural deterioration; it closed after light towers collapsed in 1981 and was not repaired. |
Documented details
Sources
- Roosevelt Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, remnants, teams
- Roosevelt Stadium, Baseball-Reference (BR Bullpen). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, demolished, opened, teams
- Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ: Home to Jersey City Giants and where Jackie Robinson made his professional debut, Baseball History Comes Alive. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, current land use, demolished
- Remembering New Jersey's First Major Sports Venue (Daniel E. Beards), New Jersey State Library (Digital Jerseyana). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use, demolished, teams
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 (1)
- BR Bullpen says the park was built in 1936; Wikipedia gives a December 1935 groundbreaking. Both agree on the April 23, 1937 opening.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.