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!
15012 comments
https://telegra.ph/kfvjgk0n-7ivr4vs3-06-11
https://rentry.co/w3vw6j3y_w8ztolf1_n4b
https://paste.ee/p/92rEX
https://paiza.io/projects/MMnjVbWh3RmfF4x2PP0WEA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/tilivevamo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/7v10qf9m/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/QPhqMJ42
https://anotepad.com/notes/9ec76meb
https://paste.mozilla.org/ELN1ofjn
https://pastelink.net/97d6nt8o
https://telegra.ph/dcvye7wy-629uxn7u-06-11
https://rentry.co/cqflitq4_p2kmmf0r_2ng
https://paste.ee/p/dCbQW
https://paiza.io/projects/h-2uX82DAH5lJllDxkIrww?language=php
https://paste.laravel.io/a6ae5a9f-c4a2-40eb-b21b-d946ebbf348c
https://jsbin.com/bibojibusi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/z8c6fjk5/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/BTxNnDgZ
https://anotepad.com/notes/afjegtkm
https://paste.mozilla.org/ba9Vcz54
https://pastelink.net/4ri0vl4p
https://pastebin.com/n1fsyC4y
https://telegra.ph/9376abmu-epj9wd3s-06-11
https://rentry.co/3h96zsjf_3lh3hxac_9zr
https://paste.ee/p/npOBI
https://paiza.io/projects/6aqtrUZW4eFIRB0MblPuCA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/cayeziwuyi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/yzntgp67/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/Ktwr4ZYW
https://anotepad.com/notes/4k7xhswe
https://paste.mozilla.org/phBghubb
https://pastelink.net/suwch4xt
https://telegra.ph/64yj8dpy-9gyx4nay-06-11
https://rentry.co/svh68m4p_rmv6h1nc_bhm
https://paste.ee/p/Mmrht
https://paiza.io/projects/5dOHOMR32YubB_DzGFrBTA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/tivoyejele/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/eLon5t6h/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/pU9tNYv3
https://anotepad.com/notes/swmq4x2a
https://paste.mozilla.org/tGcd1J0C
https://pastelink.net/ughre6ih
https://telegra.ph/ty1q4agk-q72d5022-06-11
https://rentry.co/vomsv1ap_ega1scid_4l7
https://paste.ee/p/cVcYO
https://paiza.io/projects/EumHHfSdqTsj1d6pbqo7bw?language=php
https://paste.laravel.io/bb3adbdb-4ca2-48c8-afc8-49e391e6f896
https://jsbin.com/hunezorazo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/5jhyfvm7/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/IbDbEQ9F
https://anotepad.com/notes/36t7exyd
https://paste.mozilla.org/OwWsnmmq
https://pastelink.net/w85cpqx7
https://pastebin.com/9pv0iRpY
https://telegra.ph/x7vqgygt-9pa5hmez-06-11
https://rentry.co/pspesfq9_ncqyu4xu_n9f
https://paste.ee/p/0YBNY
https://paiza.io/projects/CyNJbJRx1pbd9fhVht6ZAw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/jedifojuqu/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/mt8j0Len/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/45rktwlI
https://anotepad.com/notes/my2j6n3i
https://paste.mozilla.org/ZyCZnTby
https://pastelink.net/aw1y9jz3
https://telegra.ph/jtm7syth-zrlxr9oy-06-11
https://rentry.co/krpxuaiv_umefrkl2_0yk
https://paste.ee/p/wKb6L
https://paiza.io/projects/IFgZ91jrKL5ahOnX-m4L4A?language=php
https://jsbin.com/zepofafadi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/rfLbk3x4/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/Tl1NShvo
https://anotepad.com/notes/tmrddgy6
https://pastelink.net/r9laxk90
https://telegra.ph/pgccq9p7-5tttyqlr-06-11
https://rentry.co/hc802dkb_n8jajx58_lfk
https://paste.ee/p/7KSaK
https://paiza.io/projects/Lv4J2_NtZTr6cRTTqIf1gw?language=php
https://paste.laravel.io/035e6bf8-96e0-4ec2-a108-c6f8ff006222
https://jsbin.com/musaqoxido/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/5ktmbyoa/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/Tdg2jPuX
https://anotepad.com/notes/f957d79d
https://paste.mozilla.org/3n4KbBV9
https://pastelink.net/txf9dwxk
https://pastebin.com/M4vaZZ8C
https://telegra.ph/qw2encp3-gcodx5k1-06-11
https://rentry.co/z0d7dgp5_mpkm6fvc_zrm
https://paste.ee/p/6jshz
https://paiza.io/projects/5acW4Cex5QKiLy3Py9DrHA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/fiwuxitumo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/vdgt4qa3/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/nloVoY7D
https://anotepad.com/notes/63w3dqfw
https://paste.mozilla.org/4bJK6izp
https://pastelink.net/yar5nga2
https://telegra.ph/440jvc5w-sjm7a3pi-06-11
https://rentry.co/8zqwezx4_mbafjjuc_kqt
https://paste.ee/p/hjSRB
https://paiza.io/projects/jzuYq99KF30ewPYoQJAcsQ?language=php
https://jsbin.com/baqobukiqe/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/s59Lhbyf/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/RMkfrmAV
https://anotepad.com/notes/fnhsw52j
https://paste.mozilla.org/r9qVGwkn
https://pastelink.net/0zg0cdet
https://telegra.ph/132nvmu3-cr88tyj7-06-11
https://rentry.co/mrwezxgq_bsy00lxk_jwu
https://paste.ee/p/BKwV1
https://paiza.io/projects/OolaTC1Sk7al-HDKhrPeMw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/kelabiwoco/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/3hn4sgkw/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/lhjJgnyQ
https://anotepad.com/notes/5q49fbj9
https://paste.mozilla.org/5V5y4ZK7
https://pastelink.net/ddiu15t8
https://telegra.ph/ukltunc9-czne8wn1-06-11
https://rentry.co/fxxtyz0q_wfys7727_gg6
https://paste.ee/p/MCG6N
https://paiza.io/projects/q-Sn3ZUVpeX7ZPaoxtiGow?language=php
https://jsbin.com/dovafiheji/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/1wr3zmx2/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/RNmdHrrH
https://anotepad.com/notes/erp8awis
https://pastelink.net/4l1y5508
https://telegra.ph/x3z778ww-o5zc6kys-06-11
https://rentry.co/s1ovx6td_t94w2q25_c00
https://paste.ee/p/pxWJO
https://paiza.io/projects/HJcDHeBc28AbrM7AWIgxgA?language=php
https://paste.laravel.io/86e1ff4f-b7e8-4903-9a79-bf3ec3f148ed
https://jsbin.com/pubitiwemu/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/7vt9xem0/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/yxV45TKj
https://anotepad.com/notes/bgk68hjc
https://paste.mozilla.org/0QovDhvm
https://pastelink.net/wubqyz8z
https://pastebin.com/FTxmELYZ
https://telegra.ph/729dqtmp-b5r6hnla-06-11
https://rentry.co/a747jgmg_j398qr8j_8lg
https://paste.ee/p/BAbwc
https://paiza.io/projects/_t5LWixzow16geeYIfgTxg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/vobivokoze/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/yo6c3rzv/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/JiWSWLMc
https://anotepad.com/notes/s4rgp3xg
https://paste.mozilla.org/NmD3Zz2q
https://pastelink.net/v3f8w7u0
https://telegra.ph/noyok8ha-qcy85ugp-06-11
https://rentry.co/4nvmb540_zjepb2nj_lsg
https://paste.ee/p/Voitx
https://paiza.io/projects/9d-hnxHX5Xdcsirj37xmOg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/fozelojoki/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/kvqxs9wu/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/qCav5KC6
https://anotepad.com/notes/y44bf6e3
https://paste.mozilla.org/zphKGcWa
https://pastelink.net/kqpbx0vw
https://telegra.ph/8xasl2tq-js89yqi2-06-11
https://rentry.co/vxalfb1r_wots37z2_dwd
https://paste.ee/p/btoHe
https://paiza.io/projects/2seVqgaVLEBtSvv3cjVp-w?language=php
https://jsbin.com/fovefoyiqi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/j7nu94zp/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/UjjSG8mZ
https://anotepad.com/notes/p34yja2x
https://paste.mozilla.org/2gj4kgAO
https://pastelink.net/v9pbm7uj
https://telegra.ph/sfbfkwpd-6nwi0av0-06-11
https://rentry.co/ajncsgmy_2clinpp8_8d0
https://paste.ee/p/vykUC
https://paiza.io/projects/bVggvt8aHcItyf8ZHP3Emg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/fekobuyuxu/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/r3b2yasf/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/OcwqEGqi
https://anotepad.com/notes/ycjtqy6m
https://pastelink.net/425dlvpw
https://telegra.ph/ufhcaokq-xewrvo29-06-11
https://rentry.co/215gy823_rkpl0x48_778
https://paste.ee/p/MgRli
https://paiza.io/projects/TN8ebFz1chDqph4nCYHuNg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/fifufuvovo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/rgzwp7ou/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/cxSlRTbL
https://paste.mozilla.org/N8XV9OEN
https://pastelink.net/7mxo8seh
https://telegra.ph/rbfbmtpc-vgb3u5mx-06-11
https://rentry.co/x6b0429f_c5hgke22_t49
https://paste.ee/p/hj9JR
https://paiza.io/projects/evWXD0Zn_l9IDT2Aj3MrpA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/lixupalago/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/3d4m86k5/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/fqdqfTIw
https://anotepad.com/notes/p8afbsdb
https://paste.mozilla.org/xwZmA7ec
https://pastelink.net/d63x42lh
https://telegra.ph/jfj13sqe-ulal967r-06-11
https://rentry.co/jwm5fs31_mdyzqcn2_3ue
https://paste.ee/p/vlFBn
https://paiza.io/projects/IyGUmmVzG_Rz6kfU0OCJhg?language=php
https://jsbin.com/bejigonozi/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/208rfa5o/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/YU5kkLl6
https://anotepad.com/notes/h4pq6s2m
https://paste.mozilla.org/FNfh3B2c
https://pastelink.net/49e6ulpl
https://telegra.ph/oj5guzre-c5oio8zm-06-11
https://rentry.co/yq9nv38n_6bgejb5m_wm6
https://paste.ee/p/2aREC
https://paiza.io/projects/cU-1RPB3tkfepRxN7PJaCw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/hujiganuqo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/74t89xep/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/avrfjwXV
https://anotepad.com/notes/gww7gc6k
https://pastelink.net/j5eal9ij
https://telegra.ph/c6370tv5-3fmbxsjp-06-11
https://rentry.co/cvvkd69x_z44tvj7g_gz9
https://paste.ee/p/qikLq
https://paiza.io/projects/Mi6ckCvdr0wFvm-o83IxkQ?language=php
https://jsbin.com/yetubuduqe/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/231oyhur/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/RFc8ZHhZ
https://anotepad.com/notes/jtt47qwg
https://paste.mozilla.org/E6pUnpxz
https://pastelink.net/6smi10vf
https://telegra.ph/75g600jk-x1hxqxe8-06-11
https://rentry.co/fu7sruoa_lt9nb3so_4ql
https://paste.ee/p/fZMmC
https://paiza.io/projects/sEtw9_2GQo5pK7Z6_maWDw?language=php
https://jsbin.com/wopadukiya/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/gvjeqc8x/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/SHfM5bKA
https://anotepad.com/notes/qq2ai6ne
https://paste.mozilla.org/q56EUKRs
https://pastelink.net/14wr8s4d
https://telegra.ph/77etvnad-qiqd4w7a-06-11
https://rentry.co/9eztv4wl_6dultszn_06h
https://paste.ee/p/y9D4t
https://paiza.io/projects/VmLBbotRex169jGQawaEyA?language=php
https://jsbin.com/kuvigayeka/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/176dzb4h/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/K7d4zb8K
https://anotepad.com/notes/itww8bdj
https://pastelink.net/v00fqnvx
https://telegra.ph/a1z5hufi-3p6mnr5n-06-11
https://rentry.co/vv2lq93p_1a22th7i_ko4
https://paste.ee/p/J3HZA
https://paiza.io/projects/Rxr2Qxa_D_TsRceqJ876-w?language=php
https://jsbin.com/sezixixaxo/1/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/ajc9drwx/
https://www.toptal.com/developers/paste-gd/PWPG9NH3
https://pastelink.net/ardbmst7