St. Louis: Busch Stadium II

Overview

Amenities: It is a cookie cutter. It wasn't built to match up to the modern parks. For a cookie cutter, it's about as nice as it can be, especially after the 1996 renovation. The scoreboard is average. The food is average. Sightlines are generally good in cookie cutter parks, and here is no exception.

History: It opened in 1966, saw the World Series by '67, and has been the home for two Cardinal Series winners. A renovation in the mid '90s made this a much nicer park, since it didn't have to host football anymore.

Location: It is pretty much in downtown St. Louis. The view isn't good but for the arch. Unfortunately, this park is fully enclosed, so you only see the top of the arch. The neighborhood is somewhat dull, but only a few blocks away is the heart of the city. There seems to be enough parking nearby.

Atmosphere: The crowds are unusually large. St. Louis was named The Sporting News' 2003 Best Sports City in America. They are great baseball fans. The crowd is generally involved and excited. It is tough to make a cookie cutter park exciting, but St. Louis does.

Aesthetics: The interior is much more attractive than the outside. The field is nice, and the red seats are very nice to see instead of that awfully boring green. The deck layout is also unusual and pleasant to both experience and look at.