Ballpark Overview: Busch Stadium

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit my second MLB park of the summer and, while I had visited Busch Stadium before, it was nice to go back because there are changes being made to the park that will improve it even more. The home of 11-time World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals opened in 2006 and was christened with the club's 10th World Series title that season. The Redbirds added another in 2011 and the park has also hosted an All-Star Game.

Busch is a beautiful ballpark, nestled right under Interstate 64 with views of the Gateway Arch and the rest of the St. Louis skyline beyond center field. Two large scoreboards sit in right-center field and Big Mac Land occupies the second-level seats in left field. The Cardinals pay homage to their history in several places throughout the park and the retired numbers can be found below the scoreboard and also on the left field wall. The World Series years are honored on top of the scoreboard with a flag flying for each winner and the club routinely refers to themselves as the "11-time World Champions" on the scoreboard.

Outside the park there are 11 statues and 10 of them are located on the corner of Clark and Eighth Streets. Another Stan Musial statue stands at the Gate 3 entrance on the third base side of the stadium. There are also several gestures to the old Busch Stadium which stood on the same ground. The outfield wall and foul lines are marked and the old out-of-town scoreboards are inside the park and they were left just the way they were when the final out was made at old Busch.

Concessions aren't bad at Busch and I can personally recommend the foot-long bratwurst sold at Dizzy's Diner. There are also nachos that are quite large, Dippin' Dots, Ben & Jerry's ice cream and an Asian and Mexican market. In short, there are plenty of choices for fans who decide to eat at the park. Another nice touch is that after the game there are free Snapple beverages being offered to fans outside the park.

Fan gear and memorabilia shops aren't hard to find either. The official team store is located out in left field with a smaller one down the first base line. In center field there is also an Authentics shop with game-used bats, bases, helmets and plenty of autographed pictures, etc. The Fredbird Store is also inside the park and offers kids (or grownups) to make their own Fredbird doll kind of like the Build-a-Bear workshop. Speaking of kids, the interactive games and other activities are located beyond center field.

What's exciting about Busch is that across the street in left field where the old park used to sit, the franchise is building the new Ballpark Village. The plans say there will be restaurants, shops and even rooftop seating. It will allow fans more options before the game and will also give the left field area some life.

Busch is one of the better parks I've been too and the fans make it a great place to watch a game. It's long been said that the Cardinals have the best fans in baseball and it's easy to see after watching a game at the park. The food is good, the views of the city are nice and team is the best in baseball at the moment. I would definitely say this is one of the top destinations for any baseball fan.