Where is the World Series in 2020? Location, cost, fan attendance & more to know about Texas' Globe Life Field

Billy Heyen

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Where is the World Series in 2020? Location, cost, fan attendance & more to know about Texas' Globe Life Field image

The Dodgers and Rays both get "home" games in the 2020 World Series, but there's no travel involved.

That's because this year's World Series is being played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It's the regular-season home of the Texas Rangers and allows Major League Baseball to form a semi-"bubble" environment in hopes of preventing a COVID-19 outbreak. The Dodgers already played the NLCS at the stadium, while the Rays' first exposure to the first-year ballpark is coming in the World Series.

Here's what you need to know about this World Series neutral-site host.

WORLD SERIES 2020: Scores, TV schedule and more

Where is the World Series being played?

The 2020 World Series is being played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It's the usual home of the Texas Rangers, who missed the Major League Baseball postseason. Globe Life Field is located right next door to the old Rangers' ballpark, which was known as Globe Life Park for its final few seasons.

The old stadium has been lit up during the postseason games when the broadcast shows a shot from the sky, with the two baseball fields both lighting up the Texas night.

Why is the World Series in Texas?

The World Series is in Texas to take part in a "modified bubble" format. The goal was to decrease the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak that could derail the postseason. After teams played home games in the round of 16, the National League sent its final four teams to Arlington while the American league played the rest of its postseason in San Diego before the league champions have met up in Texas.

Players are expected to quarantine at hotels for the duration of the playoffs. Their families were also allowed to enter a pre-playoff quarantine that allows families to be in the bubble with the players. 

The New York Post's Joel Sherman reported that the postseason is worth nearly $1 billion to Major League Baseball, so the bubble format that takes travel out of the equation and keeps the players relatively isolated was the best chance of completing the playoffs healthy.

MORE: Explaining MLB's playoff bubbles

Are fans allowed at the World Series?

Major League Baseball has allowed fans at Globe Life Park for both the NLCS and now for the World Series. They're allowing capacity to peak at 11,500. The new ballpark can hold approximately 40,300, so that allows fans to be scattered throughout seats at about a quarter of capacity.

Tickets for the World Series were solid in pods of four for the purposes of social distancing. Most secondary ticket sale sites offered tickets in pairs. The ballpark is also filled with hand sanitizing stations and signs with reminders about masks and social distancing. 

When did Globe Life Field open?

Globe Life Field opened for the 2020 MLB season. It was originally scheduled to open in March, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its first action to an exhibition game between the Rangers and Rockies on July 21.

On May 20, 2016, the Rangers announced they'd be leaving their old ballpark. The new stadium was approved that year on Election Day. 

How much did Globe Life Field cost to build?

It cost $1.1 billion to build Globe Life Field. Late-stage construction potentially added an additional $0.1 billion, according to MLB.com. The agreement for the stadium called for a 50-50 split between the Rangers and the City of Arlington, although the city's contribution was capped at $500 million. The City’s contribution be will funded by a 0.5-cent sales tax, 2% hotel tax, and a 5% car rental tax.

Special features of the new Texas Rangers' ballpark

The most notable feature of Globe Life Field is its retractable roof, which gives the stadium a space-ship effect when viewed from above. 

They also used synthetic grass to make up the playing surface. The infield and warning track are both clay surfaces.

What does Globe Life Field look like?

Check out how Globe Life Field looks from above and other angles.

And here's how the roof looks when opening/closing

Billy Heyen