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The ballpark originally began construction in 1986 in the hope that it would lure in a Major League Baseball team. The stadium, built originally as the Florida Suncoast Dome, was first used in an attempt to move the Chicago White Sox if a new ballpark was not built to replace the aging Comiskey Park. Fans eventually supported the idea of building a "new" Comiskey Park in 1989, and the idea of moving the team to Tampa BayTampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary on the western coast of Florida. Two prominent cities are located along the shores of the bay, Tampa and Saint Petersburg. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge crosses the mouth of Tampa Bay. The term "Tampa Bay" is a fell through.

The stadium was finished in 1990, but still had no tenants. There were rumors of the Seattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a Major League Baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. They are in the Western Division of the American League. Founded 1977 ( American League expansion) Home ballpark Safeco Field ( 1999-present), Kingdome ( 1977- 1999). moving in the early part of the 1990's, and the San Francisco GiantsBaseball teams The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California. They are in the Western Division of the National League. Founded either 1879 or 1883. The Troy Haymakers (or sometimes Trojans) were expelled from were reportedly very close to moving to the area, with Tampa Bay investors even announcing they were in a press conference in 19921992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday. Events January January The Internet Society is formed. January 1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General January 1 George H. Bush becomes the fi. However, because of flaws in the agreement, the move never happened.

The Suncoast Dome did manage to gain a tenant in 19931993 is a common year starting on Friday and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003 Events January January 1 Czechoslovakia divides. Establishment of independent Slovakia and Czech Republic. when the Tampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a National Hockey League team based in Tampa, Florida. Founded 1992- 1993 (awarded December 20, 1991) Formerly Known As Arena St. Pete Times Forum (formerly known as Ice Palace) Uniform colors Black, White, Blue, and Silver Log made the stadium its home for 3 seasons. In the process, the Suncoast Dome was renamed the Thunderdome. Because of the large capacity of what was basically a park built for baseball, several NHL attendance records were set during their time there. The Arena Football Tampa Bay Storm also played there during the "Thunderdome" era.

Finally, in 1995, the dome got a baseball team when Major League Baseball expanded to the Tampa Bay area. Changes were made to the stadium and the name, which was changed due to the sale of naming rights, became Tropicana Field in 1996. A $70 million renovation then took place - to upgrade a stadium that had cost $115 million to complete only eight years earlier. The first regular season baseball game took place at the park on March 31, 1998, when the Devil Rays faced the Detroit Tigers, losing 11-6.

The park was initially built with an AstroTurf surface, but it was replaced in 2000 by softer FieldTurf, becoming the first major professional facility to use it.

The facility has also been used for rounds of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament; it hosted the Final Four in 1998.