Rogers Centre

Lonely Planet review

As technically awe-inspiring as the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre (formerly the SkyDome - people still confuse the two) sports stadium opened in 1989 with the world's first fully retractable dome roof. Made mostly of concrete, this engineering spectacular moves at a rapid 22m per minute, taking just 20 minutes to completely open. That sure beats Montréal's Olympic Stadium, which opened once but failed to ever do so again.

Tours include a brain-scrambling video wall featuring footage of past sporting glories, concerts and events, a sprint up to a box suite, a detour through a locker room (sans athletes) and a newly renovated memorabilia museum. Did you know that eight 747s would fit on the playing field and that the stadium uses enough electricity to light the province of Prince Edward Island? Betcha didn't.

A budget seat at a Blue Jays baseball or Argonauts football game is the cheapest official way to see the Rogers Centre. In between times the centre hosts everything from wedding expos to Disney On Ice, dirt-bike demonstrations and Wiggles concerts. When there isn't a game happening, the Hard Rock Café upstairs runs as a regular sports bar; you can go in for a hamburger and a beer and check out the playing field through huge windows. During games, tables with views must be booked and paid for. Rooms overlooking the field can also be rented at the Rogers Centre's own hotel, the Renaissance Toronto.

While you're here, check out Michael Snow's hysterical The sculptures high up on the building's northeast and northwest corners. Look familiar?