In today's society some of the best things are ones that undergo little change and remain basically the same as they have for decades. Fenway Park is an example of this as the Boston Red Sox are committed to staying at this classic ballpark that they have called home since 1912. It is the oldest major league ballpark in use and Fenway Park still looks much as it did when it opened. The history of the Red Sox dates back to 1901 when they became a charter member of the American League. Instead of opting to play at the Boston Braves home, South End Grounds, the Red Sox, then known as the Somersets (1901-1902), later called the Pilgrims (1903-1906) built Huntington Avenue Grounds on site of a wasteland in 1901. This rickety wooden ballpark had a seating capacity of just over 11,000 and was home to the team for a decade.

Because of possible fires and embarrassment to the team and the City of Boston, Red Sox owner John Taylor decided to build a new ballpark to replace Huntington Avenue Grounds. Taylor, a real estate magnet, sold himself cheap land in "The Fens" of Boston to construct a new ballpark. The construction of the ballpark led to an increase in the value of the team. Taylor capitalized on this and sold the team to Jim McAleer and Robert McRoy before Fenway Park was completed. Construction of the ballpark began in September 1911. It took one year for the 27,000 seat ballpark to be constructed. Named Fenway Park and built of steel and concrete, it had only one level of seating. Wooden bleachers were located in parts of left, right and centerfield. The facade consisted of red brick. Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912 and original dimensions were 321 ft. (left), 488 ft. (center), and 314 ft. (right). In front of the left field fence until 1934 was Duffy's Cliff, a 10foot embankment.

The 1920s were not the best times at Fenway Park. Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees and then the team was sold. In 1926, the wooden bleachers along the left field foul line burned and were not rebuilt. However, better times came to Fenway Park in the 1930s when Thomas A. Yawkey bought the Red Sox in 1933. Beginning that Fall, renovations began at Fenway Park. Duffy’s Cliff was removed, wooden seats in right and center field were replaced by concrete stands and the entire grandstand was enlarged. The seating capacity increased from 27,642 to 33,817. The most significant feature added to the ballpark was the 37 foot high wall in left field. The wall was covered with advertisements and at the base was a hand operated scoreboard. A fire in January 1934 destroyed most of the construction, however the ballpark was complete when it reopened on April 17, 1934.

Throughout its history there have been small expansions and changes to Fenway Park. In 1936, a 23 foot net was placed on the left field wall to prevent baseballs from breaking windows in nearby shops. In 1940, bullpens were constructed directly behind the right field wall. The "Green Monster" was created in 1947 when the advertisements were removed from the left field wall and it was painted dark green. Night baseball at Fenway Park was first played in 1947. After the 1975 season, a $1.3 million video/scoreboard was erected behind the bleachers in centerfield and the press box was enlarged, enclosed in glass and air-conditioned. The same year, the tin that made up the "Green Monster" was replaced by a hard plastic surface. In the 1980s luxury boxes were added where the press box was located moving the press box. Additional seating has been added along parts of the rooftop, down each baseline creating a small upper deck consisting of several rows. New teal and red seats have been added replacing many of the old wooden seats.

In 2002 the Red Sox were sold to John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. Prior to the sale of the team, their had been discussion of building a new Fenway Park. This ballpark would have had the same distinct features of Fenway Park but with modern amenities found in ballparks recently built. However, the current owners of the Red Sox are committed to preserving and improving Fenway Park for the foreseeable future. Throughout the past six years numerous improvements have been completed at the Red Sox's home. After the 2002 season, 250 bar style seats were added atop the Green Monster in left field, giving fans a new view of Fenway Park. The following year the team added additional seats atop the roof in right field. After the 2005 season, the Red Sox began work on the latest improvements to Fenway Park. The .406 Club, once enclosed, was renamed the EMC Club and features 406 open-air seats directly behind home plate in the same location where the .406 Club seats were located. Additionally, a pavilion level of 400 open-air club seats above the EMC club and more pavilion level seats down the baselines were added during the off-season increasing the seating capacity to over 38,000. The latest upgrades to Fenway Park were completed before the 2008 season. These upgrades included the Coca-Cola Corner that is located where the left field foul line meets the Green Monster. The Coca-Cola Corner replaces luxury seats built for the 1999 All-Star Game and includes a 100 person standing room only section and 412 pavilion level seats. New luxury suites have been added to the expanded State Street Pavilion. The Red Sox have stated that the seating capacity of Fenway Park will not exceed 40,000 and has a current seating capacity of 39,928. Today, Fenway Park along with Wrigley Field are two of the last remaining classic ballparks in baseball.