Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
RFK Stadium
2400 East Capitol Street Northeast, Washington, DC, United States
About the Stadium:
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. It is located about two miles (3 km) due east of the U.S. Capitol building, near the west bank of the Anacostia River and next to the D.C. Armory. Opened in 1961, it was owned by the federal government until 1986.
RFK Stadium was home to a National Football League (NFL) team, two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, five professional soccer teams, two college football teams, a bowl game, and a USFL team. It hosted five NFC Championship games, two MLB All-Star Games, men's and women's World Cup matches, nine men's and women's first-round soccer games of the 1996 Olympics, three MLS Cup matches, two MLS All-Star games, and numerous American friendlies and World Cup qualifying matches. It hosted college football, college soccer, baseball exhibitions, boxing matches, a cycling race, an American Le Mans Series auto race, marathons, and dozens of major concerts and other events.
RFK was one of the first major stadiums designed to host both baseball and football. Although other stadiums already served this purpose, such as Cleveland Stadium (1931) and Baltimore's Memorial Stadium (1950), RFK was one of the first to employ what became known as the circular "cookie-cutter" design.
It is owned and operated by Events DC, the successor agency to the DC Armory Board, a quasi-public organization affiliated with the city government, under a lease that runs until 2038 from the National Park Service, which owns the land.
In September 2019, Events DC officials announced plans to demolish the stadium due to maintenance costs. In September 2020, the cost was estimated at $20 million. Demolition of the surrounding area began in 2023, and on May 2, 2024, it was announced that the stadium was set to be demolished. However, demolition of the stadium itself has not begun as of 2024.
A bill to extend the lease by 99 years passed the House on February 28, 2024, and passed the Senate on December 21, 2024. This would give the Washington Commanders an option to return to Washington, D.C. to play in a rebuilt RFK Stadium after their lease at Northwest Stadium expires in 2027.
Josh Harris, owner of the Washington Commanders, has stated that he expects the new RFK Stadium will be completed by 2030; Harris plans to have the Commanders return to the stadium as tenants following completion.
