In the 1920 season, Babe Ruth's home run hits drew 1.3 million fans to see the New York Yankees play at their home park, Polo Grounds. Despite breaking the million season record, this posed a problem to the Yankees, as the stadium was owned by their fierce rivals, the Giants. After a notice of eviction and the fiery 1921 World Series game between the teams, the Giants' owner Charles Stoneham and manager John McGraw made it clear: the Yankees had to go.

Much to the Giants' dismay, the Yankees did not go far at all. In 1922, construction began on the new stadium directly across the river from Polo Grounds in the Bronx. With a capacity of 58,000 fans, nearly double the usual 30,000 seats, Yankee Stadium opened to the public on April 18, 1923. A crowd of over 60,000 watched the Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 with a three-run homer from Ruth in the third inning.

Yankee Stadium witnessed some of the most memorable events in baseball history. During the 1956 World Series game, the Yankees' Don Larsen pitched a perfect game, striking out 27 batters against the Dodgers. Mickey Mantle joined the 500 Club in 1967, the first time the stadium hosted a 500th homerun. It was at Yankee Stadium in 1939 that Lou Gehrig called himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth” after retiring from baseball following his illness. In 1948, Babe Ruth returned to the stadium to attend his jersey retirement ceremony.

Beyond baseball, Yankee Stadium hosted other incredible moments in sports. In 1936 and then again in 1938, boxer Joe Louis faced off against Max Schmeling for the title of heavyweight champion of the world. The 1958 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts was later dubbed "the Greatest Game Ever Played" and is credited with the ascendency of football’s popularity. The stadium has also hosted papal visits, a speech given by Nelson Mandela, a Pink Floyd concert, and countless weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations by its devoted fans.

Yankee Stadium had three tiers of stands, the first of its kind in the country. Throughout the 20th century, it was renovated and updated several times to add more seating, repair damages, and improve bleachers. In the 1970s, the stadium closed for two seasons to allow for more intensive renovation work, such as escalators to help climb to the higher stands. By 2005 the team announced a new modern stadium would be built next door.

On September 21, 2008, the Yankees played their final game in the original stadium against the Baltimore Orioles. The next year, it was demolished and transformed into a public park. The new Yankee Stadium hosted its first game on April 3, 2009, an exhibition match-up that saw the Yankees triumph over the Chicago Cubs. While not quite as beloved as its predecessor, the new Yankee Stadium did much to replicate the original, including its iconic white facade, a nod to the stadium that truly transformed baseball into America’s pastime.