| Miami Marine Stadium | |
|---|---|
Concert-goers watch an evening concert on Biscayne Bay, 1967 |
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| Former names | Ralph Munroe Marine Stadium |
| Location | Virginia Key, Miami, Florida, United States |
| Opened | December 27, 1963 |
| Expanded | 2011–present[1] |
| Closed | September 18, 1992 |
| Owner | City of Miami |
| Surface | Marine |
| Construction cost | $2,000,000 (1963)[2] |
| Architect | Hilario Candela |
| Capacity | 6,566 |
| Acreage | 240 acres (970,000 m2) (land and water) |
The Miami Marine Stadium is a marine stadium on Virginia Key, Miami, Florida, United States. The facility, built and completed in 1963 on land donated to the City of Miami from the Matheson family, is the first stadium purpose-built for powerboat racing in the United States.
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The 6,566 seat stadium was built in 1963 on land donated for "water sports," and designed by architect Hilario Candela, then-a 28-year-old recent immigrant from Cuba. It was dedicated as the Ralph Munroe Marine Stadium opened, completed at a cost of around $2 million ($14.3 million, adjusted for current inflation). A speed boat racer, James Tapp, was killed on opening day. The venue, located just south of Downtown Miami, was revered for its scenic views of Downtown and Miami Beach, hosting motorboat events, and events featuring the likes of Mitch Miller, Sammy Davis, Jr., and U.S. President Richard Nixon (whose seasonal winter residence, dubbed "the Florida White House," was on nearby Key Biscayne).
From its opening for nearly 30 years, the stadium was used for its intended "water sports" as well as concerts, sporting events such as boxing, which began in 1972. In the wake of Hurricane Andrew, it was declared an unsafe building under Miami-Dade County building code on September 18, 1992. In 2004, $3,000,000 was pledged in a municipal bonds by county residents for the restoration and renovation of the facilities.
The Stadium was host for many world class powerboat events including Unlimited Hydroplane, Inboard, Outboard, Performance Craft, Stock, Modified, Grand National divisions as well as other special event races. The Stadium was also the site of a number of nationally televised events including the Bill Muncey Invitational and the ESPN All American Challenge Series. The last major race in the Stadium was the 1987 Inboard Hydroplane national Championship.
Since its condemnation in 1992, the stadium has become a haven for vagabond graffiti artists, but remains an attraction for its photographic panoramic view of the central business districts and barrier islands of Miami.
On April 28, 2009 the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe Marine Stadium to its list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.[3]