Key facts
Club: New England Revolution | Opening: 2002 | Capacity: 68,756 seats
History and description
Gillette Stadium was built between 2000 and 2002. It replaced the old Foxboro Stadium, which had hosted several games during the 1994 World Cup.
Main purpose of the new stadium was to provide NFL-side New England Patriots with a new and modern home. Various options for more urban locations in either Boston, Providence, or Hartford were considered, but these suggestions led to fierce resistance of local residents and in the end was chosen to use the same site as the old Foxboro.
The new stadium was paid for by Robert Kraft, business magnate and owner of the New England Patriots, but also of the in 1996 formed New England Revolution. Total costs are estimated to have been $325 million.
Gillette Stadium officially opened on 11 May 2002 when the Revolution received the Dallas Burn (2-0).
For New England Revolution games capacity is typically limited to the lower tiers or approximately 20,000 seats.
The Revolution are the only of the original MLS teams not to have moved from a large NFL stadium to a smaller soccer specific stadium. Over the years, there have been many rumours that the Revolution were seeking to build a stadium in Boston proper, but no concrete plans exist at the moment.
How to get to Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is located in the town of Foxborough, which lies about halfway between the cities of Boston and Providence. The distance from central Boston is just over 25 miles and that from central Providence 23 miles.
The stadium is easiest reached by car with large parking areas around the stadium. From central Boston take the I-93 south to the I-95 south (exit 1). Follow the I-95 for about 7 miles and take exit 9 toward Route 1 South. Follow for three miles until you see the stadium on the left.
From Southern Connecticut and Rhode Island follow the I-95 north to the I-495 north. Follow the I-495 for a few miles and take exit 14A toward Route 1 North. Follow Route 1 North until reaching the stadium.
Address: One Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035
New England Revolution Tickets
Tickets for New England Revolution games can be bought online, or at the Ticket Office at the Gillette Stadium.
Tickets can also be bought at the Ticket Office on the day of the match from two hours before kick-off. Despite the stadium’s reduced capacity, Revolution matches rarely sell out.
Tickets for the Revolution supporters section end cost $23.00. Other tickets (for the sides or corners) range in price from $24.00 to $66.00 for a club seat.
For more information emailtickets@gillettestadium.com.
Photos of Gillette Stadium
Useful Internet links
Revolutionsoccer.net – Official website of the New England Revolution.
Gillettestadium.com – Official website of the Gillette Stadium.
3 comments
Went to watch Revs play LA, Aug 2019. Coming from England and experiencing my first MSL game and stadium it was excellent. Even with just the lower tier used it still had a great atmosphere, different from games in the UK but just what I expected. And the icing on the cake, it had plenty of shops and restaurants on site so the misses could go shopping while I watched the game. Happy days, what more would a bloke want.
Gillette is a great venue for American football (and a remarkable improvement over the old stadium on the same site), but there are two big problems. First, is is simply too big for an MLS franchise. A decent Revs crowd of 20-25,000 is lost in a 70,000 seat venue.
Second, the location is lousy. It’s on a two lane road about 30 miles outside of Boston. If you’re spending a Sunday tailgating and watching the Patriots, it’s managable. If you want to catch a midweek Revolution match, it’s a big pain in the neck. Making things worse, the train which runs to the stadium for Patriots games, international friendlies, and some concerts doesn’t run for Revs games.
The Revs really need a smaller stadium accessible by the MBTA subway. Locating the stadium in Boston proper (or a close-in community like Somerville or Revere) would also make it easier for fans living in the northern suburbs and southern New Hampshire to get to matches.
this ballbark is poorly designed,theres a big hole in north side of field level seating bowl which allows wind gusts to interfere with passing game.