Home to the Red Sox since 1912, Fenway is the oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues. Because it was built decades before the birth of modern day ballparks and their spacious parking lots, it is squeezed into a dense neighborhood, resulting in various quirky features - most notably the famous left field wall affectionately nicknamed The Green Monster. The fact that it has the 4th smallest seating capacity in MLB (37,673), despite being one of the 3 most popular teams, is a major reason why Fenway holds the MLB record for most consecutive sellouts with 794 regular season games (plus 26 postseason games). In addition to baseball games, Fenway Park has hosted professional football games, soccer and hockey games, concerts, political and religious campaigns. In 2012, as part of its centennial celebration, Fenway Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Location: Fenway Park is located at 4 Yawkey Way, near Kenmore Square in Boston.
Cost: Most tickets will cost between $44-$200. Of course luxury seats can sell upwards of $1000 for weekend games against the Yankees. Tours of the park run about $18/person.
Time: Most games are about 3 - 3 1/2 hours long. Some fans like to show up a couple of hours early to enjoy watching pregame activities such as batting practice.
Description: Fenway Park is not your typical baseball park. It is one of only two MLB stadiums older than 100 years (the other being Wrigley Field in Chicago). As the second smallest stadium in total capacity, Fenway has many unique features. The most obvious feature is the "Green Monster" - the 37 foot left field wall which daily affects the course of play. It was built so tall in an effort to offset its relatively short distance from home plate (310 feet). The original wooden wall was covered in tin and concrete when a scoreboard was added in 1934. The scoreboard is one of the only manually operated scoreboards in use today, with Boston employing a scorekeeper who spends the game inside the Monster updating scores from around the league. The wall was painted green in 1947. In recent years, highly coveted seats were added to the top of the wall.
Other quirky features of Fenway include "The Triangle" - a section of field in right-center field that juts out 420 feet from home plate. "Williamsburg" is the nickname given to the bullpen area in right field. It was built in 1940 primarily to benefit left-handed slugger Ted Williams, since it brought in the right field wall 23 feet, making it easier for him to belt home runs. The Lone Red Seat in the right field bleachers (section 42, row 37, seat 21) commemorates the longest recognized home run hit in Fenway - officially measured at 502 feet (hit by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946). Pesky's Pole is the name given to the pole on the right field foul line which stands a measly 302 feet from home plate (the shortest distance of any pole in MLB) before curving out to a more reasonable distance. The pole was named after Johnny Pesky, a light-hitting shortstop who managed to sneak six home runs just past the pole during his career. The left field pole, atop the Green Monster, has been nicknamed Fisk Foul Pole after catcher Carlton Fisk hit one of the most famous home runs of all time off the pole in the 1975 World Series. In the 12th inning of Game 6, he hit a long drive that appeared to be headed foul. Fisk, though, started skipping up the first base line, waiving the ball fair for the walk-off win. There are 9 retired numbers above the right field grand stand, representing some of the greatest players in Red Sox history. Behind home plate is the highly coveted EMC Club (.406 Club) luxury seats topped by the Press Box with flags representing the AL pennants the Red Sox have won over the years.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Things You Should Know: - Because of its old design, there are several seats with partially obstructed views.
- The stadium has no parking lot, so fans are encouraged to use public transportation. Even then, you might have to walk a bit, so arrive early.
- Gates open 90 minutes before game time.
- The baseball season goes from April to the beginning of October. Also, the Red Sox play half of their games on the road. So, if you want to catch a game at Fenway, make sure you check the schedule before you book your reservations.
- Royal Sorell is a world-famous balloon artist. He can usually be found outside of Fenway Park making balloon pets for fans. So if you buy one, don't ask for something simple; he can make anything. Other entertainment options along Yawkey Way on game day include: a stilt walker, a brass band, a face painter, a juggler, a caricature artist, and speed pitch.
- Fenway Park offers tours where you can go out on the field, touch the Green Monster, visit the press box and the Red Sox Hall of Fame wall. For more information call 617-226-6666.
- If you don't have tickets, take a stroll down Lansdowne Street. That's where most of the ticket scalpers are located. It might cost a bundle, but if you've never been to Fenway, it might be worth it.
- If you have never been to Fenway Park before, make sure that you stop into one of the Fan Services booths (located at Gate E, Gate D, and Gate B) to receive your "First Timers" fan items.
- If you are a Red Sox fan, you might want to try Autograph Alley at the team store. There is almost always some former player there signing autographs.
- For any other questions, go to the Red Sox official web site.
Nearby: Fenway Victory Gardens, MIT, Boston Public Garden, Freedom Trail
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