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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 teammed 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 (900,000) 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, to be played in February 2014. MetLife Stadium will be the first open-air stadium in a cold-weather U.S. city to host the Super Bowl.

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

SEATING NOTES:

General:

Guests are welcome to carry-in: --Bags or purses that are 12" x 12" x 12" or less in size. All bags will be subject to search. --Food contained in a clear plastic bag. --Factory-sealed, plastic bottles of water that are 20 ounces or less in size (caps will be removed by Safety Services staff). --Jackets or blankets after being patted down or searched. Guests may not carry-in the following items: --Bottles, cans, hard-sided coolers, thermoses or ice chests. --Alcohol of any kind. --Weapons or anything that can be used as a projectile or is deemed dangerous. --Banners, signs or flags of any size. --Footballs, frisbees, beach balls, laser pointers, strollers or umbrellas. --Any animal with the exception of a service animal. --Any other item deemed inappropriate at the discretion of management.

Alcohol policies:

The New Meadowlands Stadium Co. strives to present a safe, pleasant and family-friendly environment for every guest who visits the stadium. To achieve this goal, the following policies have been established to promote the responsible use of alcohol. --Any guest who appears to be 40 years of age or younger will be required to provide appropriate proof of age with a valid, government-issued picture identification. --Guests may not possess or purchase more than two (2) alcoholic beverages at a time, of which sizes may not exceed 16 ounces each for beer and 6.5 ounces each for wine. --All concession stands and portable units will stop serving alcohol at the beginning of the third quarter. For non-football events, alcohol cut-off times will be determined by the New Meadowlands Stadium Co. management. --Alcohol of any kind may not be brought into or removed from the stadium. --Any guest who is determined to be deliberately concealing alcohol while entering the stadium will not be permitted to enter the building. --A person exhibiting visible signs of impairment will not be permitted into the stadium. --Any guest who exhibits behavior that distracts, inconveniences or otherwise interferes with another guest's enjoyment of the event may be removed from the stadium. --Alcohol will not be served to any underage person or visibly impaired guest. --Alcohol beverage sales may be curtailed or prohibited at the discretion of management.

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.

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.

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.