The Rogers Centre opened in 1989 as the first ballpark with a fully retractable motorized roof.
The Toronto stadium opened on June 3, 1989, under the name SkyDome. Its pioneering roof used four panels: one fixed panel and three electrically driven sections that moved along rails. The roof could open or close in about 20 minutes, allowing games and events to continue despite Toronto’s weather.
The venue was built to accommodate both baseball and Canadian football, and it became the home of the Toronto Blue Jays. It sits near Toronto’s CN Tower and Union Station, on land formerly associated with the Railway Lands.
In 2005, Rogers Communications purchased the stadium and renamed it Rogers Centre. Many fans still call it SkyDome. Miller Park, T-Mobile Park, and Minute Maid Park also have retractable roofs, but they opened later and were not the first fully retractable motorized-roof ballpark.