Minute Maid Park

Since its opening in 2000, Minute Maid Park has become one of baseballs "crown jewels." Throughout the early and mid 1990s the future of Major League Baseball in Houston looked bleak as the team struggled to get a new ballpark built to replace the Astrodome. By 1995 Astros owner Drayton McLane threatened to sell the team to Bill Collins who would have moved the club to Northern Virginia. There was also a plan that had the Astros moving to Orlando. In November 1996, a referendum was placed on the ballot and voters finally approved it to allow construction of a new ballpark in downtown Houston and keeping the Astros in town. Located on a 25 acre site in downtown Houston, construction began October 30, 1997. The ballpark was constructed with steel and concrete, with the facade consisting of brick and limestone. The design of the ballpark was greatly influenced by the surround neighborhood including the 1911 vintage Union Station that forms the ballpark's main entrance. Part of the design for the ballpark includes a retractable roof that is necessary to keep the summer heat out and to keep fans cool. The retractable roof consists of three panels that can open or close in 20 minutes. For its first two years the ballpark was known as Enron Field before the company went bankrupt. During part of the 2002 season, the ballpark was known as Astros Field before the naming rights were sold to The Minute Maid Company purchased the naming rights.

The Houston Astros played their first game at Minute Maid Park on April 7, 2000 before 40,950 fans. Three levels of green seats extend from the left field foul pole to home plate and around to the right field foul pole. Two levels of seats are located beyond the right field fence. A 131 foot wide scoreboard is located above these seats. Over 2,500 seats, known as the Crawford Boxes jut out into left field, making the distance to it just 315 feet at the left field foul pole. 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. Along with the train, Minute Maid Park has many other attractions. Tal's Hill, a 20 degree angled hill is located in dead centerfield, measuring 90 feet at its widest point, and curving around 100 feet of outfield fence. A flagpole is also here and is in play. Banners from Astros championships hang from the archways along the Conoco Home Run Alley behind left and center field. Fans can buy Astros merchandise at The Shed, the Astros official gift shop at Union Station. Original oil paintings, lithographs, bronze sculptures and other unique memorabilia can be bought at the Gallery at Minute Maid Park. After the 2010 season, the original scoreboard was replaced with a 54' x 124' HD video/scoreboard. The Astros hope to bring back championship baseball to Minute Maid Park after winning the National League Championship in 2005.