By Although baseball has been played in the United States since the early 19th century, Major League Baseball was not created by the National League as well as the American League until 1903—the first year the Leagues hosted the World Series.
About ten years later, the first official Major League baseball stadium opened, and the majority of MLB stadiums—with apart from maybe the two oldest stadiums—are only 50 or so years old. The majority of MLB teams used to play at aging ballparks or multi-use stadiums in their home cities until proper stadiums were built. However, do you know which MLB stadiums are the oldest? Today we will discuss the 7 oldest Major League baseball stadiums.
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Rickwood Field
Location: 1137 2nd Avenue West, Birmingham, Alabama
Owner: City of Birmingham
Capacity: 10,800
Area: 12.7 acres (5.1 ha)
Built: 1910
The oldest baseball stadium in America is Rickwood Field, which is situated in Birmingham, Alabama. It was constructed in 1910 for the Birmingham Barons and is currently undergoing slow restoration to become a “working museum.” Rickwood Field hosts one Barons regular season game each year.
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Fenway park
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Owner: Fenway Sports Group
Operator: Fenway Sports Group / Boston Red Sox
Capacity: 37,731
Opened: April 20, 1912
The Boston Red Sox have called Fenway Park their home field since it opened in 1912, making it the earliest Major League Baseball stadium still in operation. “The Green Monster,” the largest wall in Major League Baseball’s left field, is the stadium’s most recognizable feature. A listing of the park on the National Register of Historic Places was made on March 7, 2012.
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Wrigley Field
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Owner: Ricketts family
Operator: Chicago Cubs
Capacity: 41,649
Opened: April 23, 1914
Wrigley Field was constructed in 1914. The outfield walls of this Major League Baseball stadium are covered in ivy alone. The Chicago Cubs had to play every home game during the day because Wrigley Field lacked lights before1988. The Cubs play the most matches of any baseball team even in modern times with lights, continuing the tradition of day games.
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Dodgers Stadium
Location: Los Angeles, California
Owner: Guggenheim Baseball Management
Operator: Los Angeles Dodgers
Capacity: 56,000
Opened: April 10, 1962
Since it first opened its doors in 1962, Dodger Stadium has welcomed more than 147 million spectators, making it one of the real cathedrals of baseball. The club broke the franchise record in the year 2007 when attendance surpassed 3.85 million. It stands as one of the most distinctive and picturesque settings in sports. It is the third-oldest park in Major League Baseball to have been continuously used.
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Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Location: Anaheim, California, U.S.
Owner: City of Anaheim
Operator: Angels Baseball LP
Capacity: 45,517
Opened: April 19, 1966
Since moving from Los Angeles after the 1965 season, the Angels have called Anaheim Stadium home. On April 9, 1966, the California Angels and San Francisco Giants played an exhibition game at the new stadium. On April 19, 1966, the franchise played its debut American League game against the Chicago White Sox. In 1961, Wrigley Field hosted the Los Angeles Angels, while Chavez Ravine hosted them from the year 1962 to 1965.
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O.Co Coliseum
Location: Oakland, California
Owner: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (City of Oakland and Alameda County)
Operator: AEG
Capacity: 46,847
Opened: September 18, 1966
Since it was opened in 1968, the O.Co Coliseum, also known as the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum has gone by various names. The Oakland Raiders of the NFL as well as the Oakland A’s both play at this stadium.
Don’t forget to check out the Biggest Baseball Stadiums in the World.
