Although Busch Stadium was once a multi purpose facility it was one
of the best looking stadiums in baseball when it closed. For years
there was talk about a midtown sports stadium in downtown St. Louis.
The
Cardinals
wanted a new ballpark after playing at
Sportsman's Park for more than four decades. In the early 1960s
Anheuser-Busch pledged $5 million toward the $20 million stadium
project. On May 24, 1964 ground was broken for a stadium on 30 acres
in downtown St. Louis. The
Cardinals played their first game on May 12, 1966 at Busch
Stadium. Four tiers of 46,068 red seats circled the entire grass
playing field and a $1.5 million scoreboard with an electronic
cardinal that chirped was located behind the outfield fence. Busch
Stadium was called one of the best stadiums in the country when it
opened.
Astroturf replaced natural grass in 1970 in order for the stadium to
be converted from football to baseball easier. For more than two
decades there were few changes at Busch Stadium. New ownership
retrofitted Busch Stadium in 1995 after football was no longer
played at the stadium. Grass replaced the Astroturf, new seats were
added, and new scoreboards were added. The bullpens were placed
behind the outfield fence, and the area behind the outfield was
spruced up.
During the last ten years of its existence as when the stadium
opened, fans flocked to downtown St. Louis for Cardinals games,
parking in the nearby parking garages
and
walking to the stadium. As fans entered the gates, they were at the
main concourse level and could take ramps to the upper levels of the
stadium. Once seated, fans saw a sea of red seats that enclosed the
stadium. Busch Stadium consisted of four main seating sections. The
lower level of seating that once moved to form the football section
was between the foul poles and was closest to the field It also had
several rows of padded green luxury seats in the first few rows that
were added in 1995. Luxury suites, the pressbox and game day
operations were located on the third tier of the stadium. Prior to
renovations in the 1990s seats in the upper deck circled the field.
During the past ten years of the stadium's existence, approximately
5,000 of these seats in the outfield were covered up and replaced by
a huge manual scoreboard. This area also contained retired numbers,
championship flags and various other
Cardinals information.
Many amenities were
added to Busch Stadium including the Family Pavilion, that had
many games and activities, Homer's Landing, a picnic area
overlooking the bullpen in left center field and a stadium club
restaurant and bar. Statues of Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Enos
Slaughter, Red Schoendienst and Jack Buck were located on the
Plaza of Champions outside the stadium. Although many fans would
have probably said that they liked and enjoyed Busch Stadium,
the owners of the Cardinals committed to building a new ballpark
adjacent to Busch Stadium in 2000. The Cardinals played their
last game at Busch Stadium in a playoff loss to the Houston
Astros on October 19, 2005. The stadium was demolished in
November 2005 and the Cardinals moved into the new Busch Stadium
in April 2006.
FACTS & FIGURES
-Tenant:
St. Louis Cardinals
-Capacity:
50,345
-Surface:
Grass
-Cost:
$20 Million
-Opened:
May 12, 1966
-Closed: October 19, 2005
-Owner: St. Louis Cardinals -Former Name(s):
Busch Memorial Stadium
(1966-1995)
-Demolished: November 2005
-Dimensions:
330-L, 372-LC, 402-C, 375-RC, 330-R
-Architect:
Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates; Edward Durell Stone
Click to Enlarge Pictures/Larger Images
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ST. LOUIS CARDINALS MERCHANDISE
St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium Panoramic
Photo
St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium Panoramic Photo
