The Astros already have a less-than-stellar reputation in baseball these days. A trip to Minute Maid Park is a must for any baseball fan or for a family looking for a fun time.Fans are calling Chas McCormick dirty after the Astros outfielder took a swipe at Mariners first baseman Ty France’s glove. Other attractions at the ballpark include the FiveSeven Grille, a bar and grill opened in honor of Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. Kids can have fun at the Minute Maid Squeeze Play area, playing a variety of interactive games and more. Fans can purchase Astros gear at The Shed, the official store of the team, located in Union Station. Minute Maid Park has many attractions including the Phillips 66 Homerun Alley, located behind the left field seats that features images of memorable moments in Astros history, allows fans the chance to catch a homerun ball or to take a picture with an old fashioned gas pump that counts the number of homeruns hit at the ballpark. It includes a premium group seating area at field level, three new bar locations and four additional food locations. The project began after the 2016 season and was finished by the 2017 season. However in June 2015 the Astros announced plans to remove this area, moving the center field fence in from 436 feet to 409 feet. In dead center field was Tal’s Hill, a 20 degree angled hill, measuring 90 feet wide at its widest point with a flagpole in play. Along with views of downtown Houston, a 57-foot, 24-ton full-size replica of a 19th-century Wild West steam locomotive runs on an 800-foot track located above left field.įor 16 seasons Minute Maid Park featured one of the most unique in-play areas of any MLB stadium, a homage to bygone ballparks such as Crosley Field. Over 2,500 seats, known as the Crawford Boxes jut out into left field, making the distance to just 315 feet at the left field foul pole. The video/scoreboard is located above these seats. Two levels of seats are located beyond the right field fence. Four levels of green seats extend from the left field foul pole to home plate and around to the right field foul pole. In 2002 the facility was known as Astros Field, then received its current name, Minute Maid Park, when the Minute Maid Company purchased the naming rights. It was originally known as Enron Field before Enron Corporation went bankrupt. On Apthe Houston Astros played their first game at the ballpark in front of more than 41,000 fans. Craig Biggio collects his 3,000th hit on June 28, 2007.Barry Bonds 70th homerun on October 4, 2001.This provides fans a view of the Houston skyline whether or not the roof is open. The retractable roof also features a 50,000 square foot sliding glass door that opens and closes along with the roof. Consisting of three panels, the roof can open or close in 20 minutes. In order to continue to provide relief from the extreme summertime heat, but to also allow for outdoor baseball in the spring, the ballpark features a retractable roof. The design of the ballpark was greatly influenced by the surrounding neighborhood including the 1911 vintage Union Station that forms the ballpark’s main entrance in left field. Built of steel and concrete with a brick and limestone exterior, construction began October 30, 1997. A 25 acre site in downtown Houston where Union Station, a former rail-passenger terminal, is located was chosen as the site. In November 1996, voters approved a referendum to fund construction of a new ballpark for the Astros in downtown Houston. Astros owner Drayton McLane threatened to sell the club to Bill Collins who would have moved the team to Northern Virginia. The Astros struggled to receive support for construction of a new stadium during this time and their future in Houston looked bleak. However, by the 1990s the stadium lacked amenities of the new retro ballparks built in baseball as it had an Astroturf field and many of the seats were far away from the field. The Astrodome, a dome multipurpose stadium, allowed Astros fans a way to escape the summer heat by coming inside to watch baseball. Previously they played at the Astrodome, dubbed as the “Eight Wonder of the World” when it opened in 1965. Opening in 2000, Minute Maid Park is the third ballpark the Astros have called home.

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