Sweltering summers have been a challenge for both the Texas Rangers and their fans ever since the team moved to Arlington, Texas, in 1972. The team first played at Arlington Stadium and then at Globe Life Park through the 2019 season. When Globe Life Park was designed in the early 1990s, previous ownership rejected the idea of a retractable roof, opting instead for a retro-style ballpark. Despite spending over $50 million on upgrades to Globe Life Park in the 2010s, the Rangers announced plans for a new, $1.2 billion retractable roof stadium adjacent to Globe Life Park in May 2016.
The City of Arlington and the Rangers shared the cost of the new stadium, with Arlington funding its portion through a combination of a half-cent sales tax, a 2 percent hotel tax, and a 5 percent car rental tax. In November 2016, voters approved the proposition to fund the new ballpark, ensuring the Rangers would remain in Arlington through 2053. In August 2017, the Rangers and Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company extended their naming rights agreement, which had originally been tied to Globe Life Park.
Globe Life Field was built alongside Texas Live!, an entertainment complex that includes a hotel, convention center, retail stores, restaurants, and clubs. This complex serves as one of the main entrances into the ballpark, directly into left field. The stadium itself features a striking façade made of glass, brick, and steel. Its 5.5-acre retractable roof includes clear panels that allow natural light into the ballpark when the roof is closed. When open, the roof is docked behind the third base grandstand.
Inside Globe Life Field, the stadium has a seating capacity of 40,300 spread across seven tiers. The ballpark features multiple premium seating areas, including one of its most unique offerings: the Dugout Club. This sunken seating area, located directly along each dugout to the foul poles, provides fans with an exceptionally close-up view of the action on the field. In left field, the SkyPorch Bar offers a space where fans can enjoy drinks and views of the ballpark, with garage doors that open to reveal a deck with rocking chairs.
The stadium is designed for maximum visibility, with 360-degree concourses on both the lower and upper levels, ensuring fans never lose sight of the field. Two massive video scoreboards dominate the ballpark. A 58-foot-high by 150-foot-wide videoboard towers over right field, while another display, measuring 40 feet by 111 feet, is located in left field.
Unlike its predecessor, Globe Life Field does not feature a grass field. Instead, it uses synthetic turf, chosen due to challenges with maintaining natural grass in retractable-roof stadiums. The Rangers played their first game at Globe Life Field on July 24, 2020, securing a win against the Colorado Rockies. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Globe Life Field hosted the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers. The stadium again hosted the World Series in 2023 when the Rangers faced the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2024, Globe Life Field hosted the MLB All-Star Game.
Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers
