These seats come from Exhibition Stadium, the original home of the Toronto Blue Jays. Exhibition stadium was initially built in 1959 on Lake Shore Boulevard West in Toronto, Ontario as a football field. In 1975, modifications began to make way for the incoming Toronto Blue Jays and their inaugural 1977 season. From 1977-1989, the Jays played 968 games at Exhibition Stadium. The very first game, which took place on April 7, 1977 against the Chicago White Sox took place under falling snow and freezing temperatures. 44,649 fans (almost a sold-out crowd, Exhibition Stadium could hold 43,737 attendees) braved the weather to see a victory (9-5) for their brand-new home team.
The Jays played their last game at Exhibition Stadium on May 28, 1989, coincidentally also against the White Sox, which the Jays again won by a score of 7-5). On June 5, 1989, the Blue Jays made their first appearance at their current home, the Rogers Centre, then called the “SkyDome”. Exhibition Stadium was demolished in 1999, but several of the seats from the original building were preserved, including these seats on the grounds of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Original Exhibition Stadium seats surround both the St. Marys Cement Company Field and the St. Marys Rotary Club Field.
