The Circus Maximus was once a chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue. It was the perfect place for ludi, public games held for the benefit and entertainment of the Roman people, which often lined up with various Roman religious festivals. Measuring 621 m (2,037 ft) in length and 118 m (387 ft) in width, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and the later Empire. It could house an impressive audience of over 150,000 spectators. Thousands of years later, Circus Maximus is now a public park.