RFK Stadium (officially named Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium) is a 56,000-seat stadium that serves as the current home of the DC United Soccer Team, as well as an arena for college and high school athletics, music concerts, and other major events. . RFK Stadium is managed by the Washington Sports and Convention Authority, which also owns and manages the Washington Convention Center, the DC Armory, and Nationals Park. The stadium has a natural grass playing field, modern lounges, 27 private boxes / suites, electronic scoreboards, and a variety of concessions.
Plans are underway to build a new stadium for DC United in SW Washington DC. Future use of the RFK Stadium has yet to be determined (see details on proposals below).
RFK Stadium Festival Grounds
RFK Stadium Festival Grounds hosts many popular events and festivals throughout the year, including the Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Marathon, ShamrockFest, and the DC Capital Fair. On-site paid parking is available for all events. The grounds also host the DC Open Air Farmers Market on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 7 am to 4 pm, May through December.
Address: 2400 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
The closest tube station is Stadium-Armory. Access to and from the RFK stadium from I-395 through the Southeast / Southwest Freeway has been redirected because of the Project Bridge Street 11 Department of Transportation District.
The DC United ticket office is located at the front door, behind section 317. It is only open on game days from noon to 9 pm. M. For a regular game of 7 p. M.
Door locations
Main gate: off East Capitol Street
Gate A: in front of VIP 5 parking
Gate B: near parking lot 8, designated for groups bringing banners, musical instruments, etc.
Gate F: near parking lot 4, with access to Avenida Independencia
Parking at RFK Stadium
Event parking is $ 15. RFK Stadium has 10,000 spaces available in its parking lots. Lots fill up during major events and public transportation is suggested. Full season subscriber parking is available in parking lots 3, 4, 5 and 8. Mid season subscriber parking is available in parking lots 3 and 8. Parking lots open four hours prior to most events.
Maloof Skate Park in the RFK stadium
The Skate Park, designed by Pro Skater Geoff Rowley and California Skateparks, opened at RFK Stadium in 2011 and offers an outdoor venue for skateboarders. Located in parking lot 3, the 15,000-square-foot facility is open daily from dawn to dusk. Parking is free for people visiting the skate park.
RFK Stadium Renovations and Future Use Plans
Renovations are long overdue and plans are under discussion to redesign and repurpose the 190-acre RFK Stadium-Armory Campus, the site that includes and surrounds the stadium, the Festival Grounds, and the DC Armory. In April 2016, two plans were proposed to provide services that serve the community and connect the current site with sustainable green spaces and flexible recreational spaces. Events DC, in collaboration with OMA New York and Brailsford and Dunlavey, participated in a series of stakeholder and community engagement sessions to gain input on a new vision for the site.
These design concepts offer two alternative approaches to address parking, road network and infrastructure, pedestrian connections, site conditions, and program location. Both proposals include three anchor tenant scenarios: 20k Seat Arena, NFL Stadium, and No Anchor. All three scenarios reflect a phased approach aimed at providing short-term programming elements that will immediately activate the site with uses that will serve the community.
History of RFK Stadium
RFK Stadium was built in 1961 to house the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and the Washington Senators of Major League Baseball. Originally called DC Stadium, RFK was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969 in honor of the late senator. Senators moved to the Dallas / Fort Worth area in 1971. In 1996, RFK Stadium became the home of DC United, the Major League Soccer team. The Washington Redskins moved to FedEx Field in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 1997. After a 34-year hiatus, in 2005, baseball returned to DC with the Washington Nationals, a team that had previously played in Montreal.
RFK Stadium was modified to accommodate the Washington Nationals where they played until the new Nationals Stadium opened in the spring of 2008.
Sports teams and major events hosted by RFK Stadium include:
- Military Bowl
- DC United
- Washington Redskins
- Washington Nationals
- Washington Senators
- Washington Freedom
- 1994 FIFA World Cup
- 1996 Summer Olympics
- 2003 Women’s World Cup
- MLS and MLB All-Star and Championship games
- NFL Conference Championship Games
- Concerts such as The Grateful Dead, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen
