Ballpark Profile: Minute Maid Park
Name: Minute Maid Park
Location: Houston, Texas
Opened: 7 April 2000
Architect: HOK Sport
Cost: $250 Million
Capacity: 40,950 (original)
41,168 (present)
Surface: Platinum TE Paspalum (natural grass)
Minute Maid Park -- like several of the other parks we've profiled -- was once our home ballpark.
Thinking about it, here's the complete list of 'home' ballparks:
Oakland Coliseum (1985-1994)
Candlestick Park (1995-1999)
PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park (2000-2002)
Riverfront Stadium (2002)
Great American Ball Park (2003)
Minute Maid Park (2004)
Coors Field (2005-2006)
New Comiskey Park/Wrigley Field (2006-present)
Citizens Bank Park (future)
So, some personal experience here.
When Minute Maid Park (then called Enron Field) opened, it was universally (and fairly) panned. It was gimmicky to the extreme, with the ill-fated "Tal's Hill" and in-play flagpole in center field -- which originally extended to an eye-popping 436 feet.
Both the hill and the flagpole seemed to be there just for the sake of being there, and both were (thankfully) scheduled for removal during the 2015-16 offseason. (The Astros made the postseason in 2015, which disrupted the timeline, and the hill was not removed until the start of the 2017 season.)
Like Camden Yards and Petco Park, the design for the ballpark incorporated an existing structure, in this case Union Station, a train station built in 1911, which was one of the busiest rail hubs through the end of World War II. The station is now the main entrance foyer for the ballpark, with team offices upstairs.
The train motif continues with a larger-than-life steam engine that runs along the tracks of the large retractable roof. The train runs and sounds its horn after Astros home runs. Sure, it's gimmicky, but fans (especially kids) love it. And the guy who runs it is the best kind of hometown fan.
And so we get to it: the roof.
First, the outside aesthetics. The roof and supporting structure of acres of glass wall are not unatrractive to look at; but the color scheme is. Scroll back to the previous ballpark profiles of Chase Field, Citizens Bank, Miller Park . . . it's like MLB got an unlimited supply of weird turquoise/teal paint and they just can't stop using it.
I don't get it. I don't like it.
As for the criteria that makes a good ballpark: Minute Maid checks many of them: it's right downtown, which is good. It's easily accessible with several public transit options. It fits the aesthetic of the neighborhood (after a fashion), and the fan experience is better-than-average, especially the outstanding food options.
And, when the roof is open, it's a really nice place to see a ballgame.
But. The. Roof. Is. Never. Open.
It's funny; if you search for images of Minute Maid Park, a number of in-game shots with the roof open show up, and they look great. But I lived there for two years, and never once was the roof open for a game. Nobody I've talked to has ever been to a game with the roof open.
It's a completely different feel with the roof closed. It's dark, it's artificial-feeling.
Believe me, having lived there, I know Houston has some incredibly unpleasant, even unsafely hot summer days. And, by all means, the roof should be closed in those events. It also gets more than its share of summer rainstorms.
But, if it's just a warm/hot day? Open the dang roof. People across the country love sitting out on a warm evening watching baseball. It gets plenty hot in Cincinnati, and St. Louis, and . . . almost everywhere baseball is played. I've been to some extremely warm games in the bleachers at Wrigley.
That's part of the fun.
Just because you can close the roof doesn't mean you should.
Have your own thoughts and feelings about Minute Maid Park? Put them in the comments below for a chance to win a FREE PRINT from Ballpark Blueprints!
15003 comments
https://telegra.ph/ww1h6d4d-ycfp2qz5-06-13
https://rentry.co/tlc8opxz_wqi5tsdw_ixk
https://paste.ee/p/FBNd3
https://paiza.io/projects/LJVu6_8F-ZH8kTLh4mJnwQ?language=php
https://paste.laravel.io/aab2b7df-ca4c-408b-a3f5-c8c3c697fd98
https://jsbin.com/kabegekopu/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/7dp3Ltw5/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/83qSMySF
https://paste.mozilla.org/7MFEoTmU
https://pastelink.net/ajnnzf6k
https://pastebin.com/yLt4SfiL
https://telegra.ph/zaxoyk1r-o5uaxph7-06-13
https://rentry.co/59fvthwt_h5o0ckp4_jhf
https://paste.ee/p/zE8Ax
https://paiza.io/projects/kZ1vDIBnKpOeeAwAoPHZqQ?language=php
https://paste.laravel.io/457d165a-c46c-4078-9208-f44cb09a523d
https://jsbin.com/menukizili/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/yx0g8f64/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/ZFk6oppu
https://anotepad.com/notes/4rt32xq6
https://paste.mozilla.org/oAvmChDk
https://pastelink.net/0iwjn1ca
https://pastebin.com/YtSMr0C5
https://telegra.ph/q4gd9i6j-bomy2pt8-06-13
https://rentry.co/o04cithr_kmpx190i_q9g
https://paste.ee/p/drOF1
https://paiza.io/projects/8Ug5v93RLilCcJxnZbMDBg?language=php
https://paste.laravel.io/23c53fd1-ad6a-4bdb-9031-047a338c59cc
https://jsbin.com/xidesupivi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/u8aepywn/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/rqANTftP
https://anotepad.com/notes/t8jf2c3h
https://paste.mozilla.org/er4g027n
https://pastelink.net/mgfbi6qd
https://pastebin.com/ewPKN3CV
https://telegra.ph/w26cqphk-ggw5cg0l-06-13
https://rentry.co/c7d7c15h_crn6ngml_c7m
https://paste.ee/p/AyAML
https://paiza.io/projects/l49QuU2_aQR6Xi6LmvZasQ?language=php
https://jsbin.com/xeqaxuqugo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/vyefxdj4/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/FptKZSMF
https://anotepad.com/notes/398img2t
https://paste.mozilla.org/nF7DZaMn
https://pastelink.net/039ylyfk
https://pastebin.com/4302Sc5q
https://telegra.ph/6fmgnwoh-tslqd4tr-06-13
https://rentry.co/1bb6eay4_6qnd3cxj_2x0
https://paste.ee/p/0KVAh
https://paiza.io/projects/lpVSHNXNc7gfvrorkFEgzQ?language=php
https://jsbin.com/pacaraduxu/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/nvzcjr89/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/0wHkU3sv
https://anotepad.com/notes/43c9mf48
https://paste.mozilla.org/GpzxdK0N
https://pastelink.net/jmqjkzby
https://pastebin.com/DEfbhq9z
https://telegra.ph/it4rhzp5-2bp89mnj-06-13
https://rentry.co/1lixdowr_qamu8g9h_2b1
https://paste.ee/p/HcUjJ
https://paiza.io/projects/NtozSkGcJRHMj8O7JceRFg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/hopozigoke/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/89r2dsbe/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/qDUr4rQU
https://anotepad.com/notes/b8f8mwcf
https://pastelink.net/jpxxs5oy
https://pastebin.com/pX3EDPbJ
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547282004/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547282008/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284208/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284202/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284241/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284243/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284483/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284481/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284919/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547284916/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289781/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289787/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289134/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289132/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289317/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289311/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289387/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289380/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289637/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547289631/
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf28/profile
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf28/profile?xgxch6
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf28/profile?vghhf6e
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf28/profile?ghf5gxd
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf28/profile?gdxfgddt
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf28/profile?hfgutsegt
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf28/profile?ll7gg
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf296/profile
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf296/profile?hg45gbjhg
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf296/profile?bcbft46mg
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf296/profile?hghdyuu
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf296/profile?dxgxd53
https://www.artstation.com/allesstehtkopf296/profile?gcvtyfts4
https://telegra.ph/sw6qaens-2kwjt2gh-06-13
https://rentry.co/uf3m3zll_2nbv31wm_v2m
https://paste.ee/p/2lSFZ
https://paiza.io/projects/6DvnWDuC6zzQamZECBnTJA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/medeluguli/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/fj2esr1u/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/bdMIwMzR
https://anotepad.com/notes/p8228ijf
https://pastelink.net/f70fsxrv
https://pastebin.com/en2kWftN
https://telegra.ph/065r3t2a-if0deapz-06-13
https://rentry.co/cub0et1z_1xnnucbs_o0a
https://paste.ee/p/x4yau
https://paiza.io/projects/HG7HN7jqghMD6p1VApJiGw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/jidofofade/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/1sogr57p/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/vZO9OqOM
https://pastelink.net/7m1wp1ky
https://pastebin.com/U763kHDm
https://telegra.ph/9iow7v2h-gwrcxa8f-06-13
https://rentry.co/irzxmqdo_prjy7nrh_cvm
https://paste.ee/p/5T7UA
https://paiza.io/projects/9kYFNuS8f2pq6OHRVQKpEw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/siqovoxifi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/1so50n2v/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/8iIG7zXR
https://anotepad.com/notes/74xrdjsf
https://pastelink.net/pfl0hp90
https://pastebin.com/wvv5ADP0
https://telegra.ph/2hhs2f9b-u4trrh7u-06-13
https://rentry.co/41d8a56c_hemp3g46_sv5
https://paste.ee/p/mGm8A
https://paiza.io/projects/_YkrA6wRPhHQPVzqRAYgRQ?language=php
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/bP1J6bBy
https://anotepad.com/notes/gsmft9cs
https://pastelink.net/dul0iex0
https://pastebin.com/Sd5JrxQr
https://telegra.ph/7bst03wm-6s8o1j7n-06-13
https://rentry.co/equf8kms_upkos1x4_rr3
https://paste.ee/p/uUtSH
https://paiza.io/projects/wkCyESzTk1EDpooNF7rFCg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/tuhuxoqono/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/cov7yabj/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/H0znxp8C
https://anotepad.com/notes/ftq69cw9
https://pastelink.net/rmlqr9sc
https://pastebin.com/Y9ez6gF5
https://telegra.ph/wk2esate-302z1qng-06-13
https://rentry.co/ftrcp9lm_rz32sbo5_men
https://paste.ee/p/nGLu8
https://paiza.io/projects/nclqmdngz1LCwgZkg-RMXA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/xugidakave/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/xeo319kw/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/afnfZeLD
https://paste.mozilla.org/5R0hJCDC
https://pastelink.net/m8ligb3p
https://pastebin.com/9A1dnYqs
https://telegra.ph/lk5ktzxn-8qbdll3x-06-13
https://rentry.co/1k9x8arq_snl6ysdk_t6q
https://paste.ee/p/SUqdW
https://paiza.io/projects/Xj4FmdKwft5QD39ZtSlpKA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/siwupogeki/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/t4vLjfec/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/tcMqxt3K
https://anotepad.com/notes/4g2nyy8y
https://paste.mozilla.org/G9d1qWeo
https://pastelink.net/ocknoskn
https://pastebin.com/kfrSUERW
https://telegra.ph/57knr6es-x0wy5sra-06-13
https://rentry.co/c6mhifv9_exti3zbn_1z2
https://paste.ee/p/PxXFD
https://paiza.io/projects/vikANH6MzumVXbhdchPmRw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/fexesoruse/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/ecn09g7z/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/JNDCryIg
https://anotepad.com/notes/xacjb9bq
https://paste.mozilla.org/GFTdomwh
https://pastelink.net/d44ldat8
https://telegra.ph/gwu54d78-th90nb9n-06-13
https://rentry.co/bv4ssiza_ivpoqrp1_s1z
https://paste.ee/p/6Xc8o
https://paiza.io/projects/ZkSEkFlKIUFmHlScu94XJw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/nugoxujote/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/vyq25sbu/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/bVtkgcpq
https://paste.mozilla.org/EpYzAYtC
https://pastelink.net/mnq32o10
https://telegra.ph/f0dk6bhe-7ngu0iuf-06-13
https://rentry.co/31e4mxb2_5f6alb7h_9d5
https://paste.ee/p/2iQmR
https://paiza.io/projects/57O4aGBmbBaIVtLGu0nYXA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/faxuguheco/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/p30tzxb7/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/zlpfzob6
https://anotepad.com/notes/gfarnmt3
https://paste.mozilla.org/Og0uc4z2
https://pastelink.net/82dhwy0a
https://telegra.ph/s2p28bme-0k9iajqy-06-13
https://rentry.co/l3ncfpkg_dunvmwwu_7z8
https://paste.ee/p/d15p0
https://paiza.io/projects/0fQ1lnHbggN-6oaE_onliw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/wogojahixi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/pq47fnrm/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/XdaNc3Kj
https://anotepad.com/notes/fitirac9
https://pastelink.net/1i7duu84
https://pastebin.com/RqyMrdnQ
https://telegra.ph/50iqurv7-3l88g291-06-13
https://rentry.co/izw9yd1b_iixk264r_2a0
https://paste.ee/p/eiBBj
https://paiza.io/projects/CdinH5aFJEdbedfFQk54sQ?language=php
https://jsbin.com/modenuduvu/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/cdy6a8wk/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/AZRvuEVV
https://anotepad.com/notes/ri7mxp3g
https://pastelink.net/z54f0ac1
https://pastebin.com/h57XkgVR
https://telegra.ph/ukvoxsyt-yim9ty80-06-13
https://rentry.co/14w3fia4_vnz86rjg_3s8
https://paste.ee/p/oJDMQ
https://paiza.io/projects/AmMC81JGCAamA88Ad8C04g?language=php
https://jsbin.com/kusoromixa/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/jv7unt5k/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/rTLXk1bx
https://anotepad.com/notes/2nhqhhie
https://pastelink.net/4f3odeaw
https://pastebin.com/T0EkJLen
https://www.artstation.com/watch-fated-to-my-cruel-ceo-full-movie/profile
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287214/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287230/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287413/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287412/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287494/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287480/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287995/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287991/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287813/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547287816/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281002/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281050/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281029/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281045/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281579/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281515/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281583/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281586/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281737/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281733/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281783/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281784/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281131/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547281132/
https://telegra.ph/ho05zb7s-a8wsbqxq-06-13
https://rentry.co/6simbpvp_47d552ea_hpy
https://paste.ee/p/CfAAP
https://paiza.io/projects/gxnJ3HVkPUYViQlc9Adbcg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/wowobozaco/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/0dh4t9ef/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/xo9u5vD7
https://anotepad.com/notes/rsyxi8c7
https://paste.mozilla.org/ng1rVfiB
https://pastelink.net/dgst98ul
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227942/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227944/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227948/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227816/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227812/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227814/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227819/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547227830/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221019/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221018/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221030/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221031/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221033/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221510/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221511/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221513/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221514/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221518/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221706/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221702/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221770/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221777/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221771/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221132/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221134/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221139/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221165/
https://m.imdb.com/list/ls547221167/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547227834/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547227867/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221066/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221068/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221551/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221570/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221529/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221541/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221730/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221731/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221159/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547221158/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223756/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223775/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223779/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223717/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223718/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223126/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223147/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223142/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223190/
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls547223194/