The ship has five cannons. After every Buccaneers touchdown or field goal, a designated “master gunner” triggers a sequence. Black smoke billows over the end zone. Visiting kickers flinch. Children under five either laugh or weep.
The ship is located , meaning you generally cannot visit it without a ticket to an event or a specific tour. tampa bay stadium ship
The iconic "Stadium Ship" (formally known as the Raymond James Stadium pirate ship) is located inside the stadium and is accessible to fans attending Tampa Bay Buccaneers games or stadium tours. The ship has five cannons
Not a kiddie playground. Not a painted mural. A real, steel-hulled, three-masted replica of a 17th-century raider. And what if it fired real black powder cannons every time the Bucs scored? Visiting kickers flinch
But Tampa, a city built on pirate lore (Gasparilla, anyone?), embraced the insanity. The ship was constructed in sections, hoisted into place, and welded to the stadium’s upper deck. When Raymond James Stadium opened in 1998, the ship was there — a 43-foot-tall act of beautiful defiance.
In April 2026, the Buccaneers announced a nearly $1 billion renovation project for Raymond James Stadium.
Architects thought they were joking. Engineers wept. The NFL’s branding committee reportedly went silent for a full 10 seconds.