Busch Stadium

A new chapter in Cardinals history began in April 2006 when the team christened Busch Stadium. For more than five decades fans have been attending games at different Busch Stadiums as the Cardinals have moved into new ballparks. Throughout the late 1990s the Cardinals began lobbying for a new ballpark to replace old Busch Stadium. Like nearly every team in baseball the owners of the team wanted a new ballpark to bring in additional revenues from luxury and club seats. Although many fans were sad to see old Busch Stadium demolished, a new chapter in Cardinals history is now open at the new Busch Stadium containing many new memories.

By 1995 the old Busch Stadium was nearly 30 years old and the Cardinals began to lobby for a new ballpark. The most logical location sought to construct a new stadium for the team was in downtown St. Louis. For several years the Cardinals struggled to obtain financial assistance from the city for construction. By 2000 the team began exploring options to build a ballpark East of the Mississippi River in Illinois including a location in Madison, IL near the Gateway International Raceway. Many fans preferred that a ballpark be built downtown and in June 2001 they got there wish as the Cardinals and the State of Missouri signed a contract to build a new ballpark in downtown St. Louis, adjacent to their old ballpark. Construction of Busch Stadium began in December 2003 with official groundbreaking ceremonies occurring on January 17, 2004. In August 2004, the Cardinals and Anheuser-Busch agreed on a 20 year contract to keep the Busch Stadium name alive. Busch Stadium is owned by the Cardinals and was privately financed using a combination of private bonds that the Cardinals are required to repay, bank loans, cash from the owners of the Cardinals and a long-term loan from St. Louis County.

On April 10, 2006 the St. Louis Cardinals made their debut at Busch Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers. As fans approach the ballpark many walk by the old site of Busch Stadium and enter on the field level. The facade of the ballpark consists of brick and steel, with arched openings at the main entrances, with the arches reminisce of nearby warehouses. For the first half of the season, a small section of Busch Stadium in left field was not complete. Construction of this section was not able to begin until the old Busch Stadium was demolished. By July 2006, Busch Stadium was complete and has a seating capacity of 46,700.

As fans roam the large open concourses and take their seat to watch the Cardinals, they have one of the best views found in any ballpark. Beyond the outfield area, is the skyline of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch. Busch Stadium consists of three main seating decks with the main concourse, loge concourse, and terrace concourse levels. Bleachers are found in the both left and right field providing fans a different view of the action on the field. All the concourses are open including the upper level to allow fans views of the field while getting concessions. The main scoreboard is located above the seating area in right-centerfield with an out of town scoreboard to the right of the main scoreboard. The bullpens are found in left and right centerfield. From nearly anywhere in the ballpark fans have magnificent views of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch. Busch Stadium has many  gathering and party areas including the Casino Queen Party Porch, Coca-Cola Scoreboard Patio, and the Ford Plaza.

The Cardinals plan to build a Ballpark Village beyond centerfield of the new ballpark, on the site of the old Busch Stadium. This area may contain a Cardinals Hall of Fame, an aquarium, restaurants, shops, offices, residential units and parking areas. Some of the buildings in this area of the ballpark may have rooftop viewing, like Wrigley Field in Chicago. As of 2011 the Ballpark Village has yet to be constructed due to financing issues. The site remains an open grassy and parking area next to Busch Stadium. Fans will come to love Busch Stadium as it a traditional ballpark that fits into the St. Louis landscape. The Cardinals became the first team since the New York Yankees in 1923 to open a new stadium and win the World Series in 2006. In 2011 the Cardinals celebrated their 11th World Series Championship as they beat the Texas Rangers.

ST LOUIS CARDINALS WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS MERCHANDISE

BUSCH STADIUM PICTURES