On Sunday, the New York Yankees will play their final game at Yankee Stadium, ending more than 80 years of baseball at the park.

Waiting to host the team next season is brand new stadium that is being built adjacent to the old stadium at Macombs Dam Park. But before the team looks ahead, take a look back at the stadium that hosted MLB games for more than eight decades.

Moving To The Bronx

On Feb. 6, 1921, the New York Yankees released a statement announcing the purchase of 10 acres of land for $675, 000 in the Bronx.

The purchase would move the team across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds -- which they shared with the city's National League team, the Giants, since 1913. The Giants had informed the Yankees in 1921 that they would need to move out the stadium, a move that was spurred in part by the Yankees attendance draw. The Yankees drew about 100,000 more fans than the Giants in the 1920 season, thanks to the addition of Babe Ruth to the team's lineup.

With the location picked for the new ballpark, the team started on the design process.

Building The Stadium

The owners -- Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast l'Hommedieu Huston -- wanted to create a triple-decked stadium with a capacity of 70,000.

The company commissioned to design the stadium, the Osborne Engineering Company, also had big ideas. The company wanted to build a triple-decked and roof ballpark.

But the initial designs were eventually scaled down. The triple-decked grandstand wouldn't reach either foul pole, and the action would be visible from trains and buildings that would be built around the stadium. The new designs did keep one distinct element from the original plans -- a 15-foot deep copper façade on the front of the roof.

The stadium would be a left-handed hitters' park, with the right-field foul pole measuring 295 feet from home plate. Right-handed hitters had to contend with a deep left field that measured 395 feet.

New York's White Construction Co. completed the stadium for $2.5 million in 284 working days, allowing the new park to open on April 18, 1923 for the Yankees' game against the Boston Red Sox. The inaugural game drew 74,200 fans, which were treated to a three-run home run by Babe Ruth during the Yankees' 4-1 victory.

Remodeling The Stadium

Yankee Stadium got its first major upgrade in 1928, when the triple-deck grandstand in left field was extended beyond the foul pole.

The right-field grandstand was later extended in 1937, and lights were added in 1946.

In 1966, under new owner CBS, the stadium underwent a $1.5-million modernization. Most of the changes involved paint, as the brown concrete exterior and the copper façade were painted white. The grandstand seats were changed from green to blue.

In 1972, the stadium received a major upgrade, which caused the team to move to Shea Stadium for two seasons while their ballpark was almost completely demolished and then rebuilt. The biggest change to the rebuilt stadium was the removal of obstructive steel columns. Escalator towers were added to the outside of the stadium, and 10 additional rows of seats were added to the upper deck. The remodeled stadium reopened on April 15, 1976, when New York defeated Minnesota 11-4.

The House That Ruth Built

Ruth's slugging power packed fans in the seats throughout his Yankees career. It was also widely known that Ruth's popularity allowed the team to build the new facility. Because of this, the new ballpark quickly became known as "The House That Ruth Built."

Later, as the team piled up World Series titles, the stadium was also dubbed "The Home of Champions."

Not Just For Baseball

Yankee Stadium has hosted more than just baseball games throughout its long history in the Bronx.

The stadium hosted important religious gatherings, including masses with Pope Paul VI and John Paul II, and annual conventions of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Other athletic activities were also held at the ballpark.

Football games were played at the stadium, including a matchup between Notre Dame and Army in 1928 when Knute Rockne made his "win one for the Gipper" speech. It also housed the New York Giants from 1956 to 1973.

The stadium was also the site of many boxing matches, including bouts between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton on Sept. 28, 1976, and Joe Louis against Max Schmeling on June 22, 1938.