Miami Marine Stadium

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[edit] The Miami Marine Stadium

The Miami Marine Stadium used to be a large bay-side stadium on Virginia Key that hosted powerboat races, concerts, and other events. The stadium was designed for hydroplane racing and it quickly became one of the most important venues on the circuit with local Budweiser distributor Bernie Little winning race after race with his Miss Budweiser. It was built in 1963 and was damaged by Hurricane Andrew (1992). It has been closed since then, due to fears that the giant concrete ceiling may collapse. Due to political problems, it hasn't been torn down or sold off. The venue is easy to get into and and there is graffiti all over the walls as well as damage from vandals. The bathrooms itself have toilets and sinks ripped from the walls. Some of the more interesting things at this location are the interior rooms underneath the seating and the roof. The lower rooms are almost always in total darkness. The water washing up on the underside of the building makes noises that sound like whispering, and sometimes you'll hear an occasional banging noise from debris washing up against the building. To get to the roof, you have to walk across a suspended walkway of questionable stability and onto the skybox. Once on the skybox, you have to inch over to an edge (after which the floor is starting to break apart) and then lean over 4 or 5 feet to a rung ladder that takes you up to a hole in the roof. If you were to step down directly below the ladder you would fall through the floor and hit the seating which is another 30-40 feet down. The roof consists of these large arches that are steep at the center and flat towards the edges and offers an amazing view of downtown Miami.

[edit] History of the stadium

1963 - Ralph Munroe Marine Stadium is opened, named for the one of the earliest white settlers on Biscayne Bay. It costs $2 million. A speed boat racer, James Tapp, is killed on opening day.

1968 - Stadium is officially named a fallout shelter in case of nuclear attack.

1971 - Mitch Miller of Sing Along with Mitch fame performs at the stadium. The cheap seats cost $1.

1972 - President Richard Nixon walks onto the stage and singer Sammy Davis Jr. hugs him before a crowd of more than 6,000.

1991 - Phil Donahue does a show from the stadium. His featured guest: New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.

1992 - On September 18th, county building authorities order the stadium evacuated immediately because it is unsafe.

2002: Miami Mayor Manny Diaz promises to refurbish the Marine Stadium.

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