History
Built on Pittsburgh's North Shore at a cost of about $55 million (ground was broken in April 1968), the stadium opened in July 1970 with an artificial-turf field shared by baseball and football.
The stadium hosted Game 4 of the 1971 World Series, the first night game in Series history, and Games 3-5 of the 1979 Series. Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception took place on its field in December 1972, and Roberto Clemente collected his 3,000th hit there that September. It also hosted MLB All-Star Games in 1974 and 1994.
The Pirates moved to PNC Park and the Steelers to Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium), both built on either side of the old stadium. The Steelers' 24-3 win on December 16, 2000 was the last game, and the stadium was imploded on February 11, 2001. The site is now mostly parking, with markers for home plate and a monument to the Immaculate Reception.
Why it matters: It was the shared Pirates-Steelers home through the 1970s and the site of the Immaculate Reception.
Timeline
- July 16, 1970
The Pirates lost 3-2 to the Reds in the first game.
- September 30, 1972Clemente's 3,000th hit[1]
Roberto Clemente collected his 3,000th hit.
- December 23, 1972The Immaculate Reception[1]
Franco Harris's playoff touchdown catch took place here.
- 19791979 World Series games[1]
Games 3-5 of the Pirates' championship World Series were played here.
- October 1, 2000
The Pirates lost 10-9 to the Cubs in the last baseball game.
- December 16, 2000
The Steelers beat Washington 24-3 in the stadium's last game.
- February 11, 2001
The stadium was imploded.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Mostly parking between Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park; Stage AE, an office building and a Post-Gazette office occupy portions[1] |
| Surviving remnants | Home plate and second base marked (SABR 2012; metal plaques 2022, plus pitcher's mound); Immaculate Reception monument (2012) at the spot of the play; Pennsylvania Historical Marker (2007)[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Pittsburgh Pirates | National League · 1970–2000 |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL · 1970–2000 |
| Pittsburgh Maulers | USFL · 1984 · tenant |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | NCAA · 2000 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | 792 W General Robinson St, North Shore, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[1] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Baseball |
| Level | MLB, NFL, USFL, NCAA |
| Opened | July 16, 1970[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | December 16, 2000[1,3] |
| Demolished | February 11, 2001[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 59,600[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia infobox: 59,000 football, 47,971 baseball; its table lists 59,600 football (1991-2000) and 47,952 baseball (1993-2000). Ballparks of Baseball lists 47,952. |
| Architect | Deeter Ritchy Sipple; Michael Baker Jr. (Ballparks of Baseball also lists Osborn Engineering)[1,2] |
| Construction cost | $55 million[1,2,3] |
| Surface | Tartan Turf 1970-1982; AstroTurf 1983-2000[1] |
| Owner / operator | City of Pittsburgh (owner); Pittsburgh Stadium Authority (operator)[1] |
| Closure | Replaced by separate baseball and football venues (PNC Park and Heinz Field) built beside it in 2001. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Three Rivers Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, remnants, surface, teams
- Three Rivers Stadium, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, construction cost, coordinates, demolished, opened
- On this day: December 16, 2000, Steelers play last game at Three Rivers Stadium, WPXI. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, construction cost, demolished, opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Ballparks of Baseball's text gives the first game as 1970-07-17 while its facts list 1970-07-16 (matching Wikipedia and WPXI).
- Capacity figures differ between the Wikipedia infobox and table and Ballparks of Baseball.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.