HISTORY:

From the "Miracle at the Meadowlands" to the urban legend of Jimmy Hoffa's remains to the Bill Parcells years and Eli Manning's heroics during an improbable run to a Super Bowl victory in 2007, Giants Stadium was the centerpiece of the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

Opened in 1976, Giants Stadium was the first major sports venue in New Jersey and the only one to host two NFL teams (the Giants shared it with the Jets beginning in 1984). Instead of New Jersey residents always going into the city, the city would have to come to New Jersey and the Complex (with its racetrack and basketball/hockey arena), which made East Rutherford as important a destination as any in the country for sports fans.

But the Giants and Jets outgrew the old Giants Stadium and teamed up to help build a new facility, MetLife Stadium, which opened to both teams in 2010. With a construction price tag of $1.6 billion, MetLife Stadium is the league's most expensive. With an area of 2.1 million square feet, the stadium has more than two times the square footage of Giants Stadium. According to the New York Giants media guide, the first row of seats is just 46 feet away from the field.

All four corners of the new facility (built just yards away from Giants Stadium) feature 30-by-118-foot HD video boards, and there is a 350,000-square-foot outdoor plaza.

The stadium established a milestone even before its first event, when the NFL awarded it Super Bowl XLVIII, which was played in February 2014. MetLife Stadium became the first open-air stadium in a cold-weather city to host the Super Bowl.

-- Information from the New York Giants media guide was used in this description

Address:

102 Route 120
East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Directions:

From the George Washington Bridge: Follow Interstate 95 South signs to the New Jersey Turnpike's southwestern spur (Sports Complex to Exit 16W), which provides direct access to the Sports Complex parking areas.

From the Lincoln Tunnel: Take Route 3 West and follow the signs to the Sports Complex and Racetrack.

North on the New Jersey Turnpike: Follow the western spur (Sports Complex to Exit 16W), which provides direct access to Sports Complex parking areas. If congested, use the eastern spur (Lincoln Tunnel) to exit 16E to Route 3 West, then follow directions above.

South on the Garden State Parkway: Garden State Parkway South to Exit 163 (Route 17). Follow Route 17 to Paterson Plank Road. Take Paterson Plank Road east to the Sports Complex.

North on the Garden State Parkway: Garden State Parkway North to Exit 153A (Route 3). Follow Route 3 East to the Sports Complex.

From Holland Tunnel or Brooklyn-Staten Island Bridge Crossings: Take New Jersey Turnpike extension to the Turnpike North. Follow Route 3 West to the Sports Complex.

More information about transportation can be found on the stadium website.

Parking:

Rates are $25 for cars and $75 for RVs and buses. There are approximately 23,800 parking spaces distributed among 14 lettered lots at MetLife Stadium. In addition, there are 5,000 parking spaces adjacent to the east side of the stadium. Lots open three to five hours before kickoff. See the parking section of the stadium website for details.

Transportation:

Rail and bus service to MetLife Stadium is available. Trains begin running three hours before kickoff and continue for two hours after the end of the game. Visit the New Jersey Transit website or call (973) 275-5555.

Information sources: New York Giants and MetLife Stadium.