Candlestick Park

When it first opened, Candlestick Park had around 45,000 seats. While the Giants were playing at Candlestick Park, the 49ers were playing at Kezar Stadium. The 49ers had played at Kezar Stadium since 1946. After only several years of existence, Candlestick Park began to deteriorate. At one point, the mayor of San Francisco proposed that a new $50 million stadium be built in the downtown area, but his idea was dropped. After the city decided to spend $16.1 million in 1971 towards improving and making the stadium more multipurpose, the San Francisco 49ers (NFL) decided to move there. Candlestick Park was enclosed, increasing the seating capacity to 59,000. Retractable seats were added in right field to allow the conversion to a football field, and the grass field was replaced by Astroturf. The 49ers played their first game at Candlestick Park on October 10, 1971. Very few changes have taken place since 1971 at Candlestick Park. In 1979, the Astroturf was replaced by grass. In 1995, Candlestick Park was renamed 3 Com Park after 3 Com Corp. bought the naming rights. After the 1999 MLB season, the San Francisco Giants moved into AT&T Park. Since then, the 49ers have had the stadium to themselves. The 49ers are still very popular and continue to sell out every game. However, the team hopes to move into a new stadium in Santa Clara by 2014.