by When traveling to ballparks there are a few places that every fan has starred on their map. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a revolutionary ballpark that changed the way baseball teams make stadiums. So of course, my next ballpark I’ll be reviewing is the home of the Baltimore Orioles, Camden Yards. I have been to this field just twice in 2019 on back-to-back nights. This is review number four and stadium number seven on my journey to visit and review all 30 MLB stadiums.
Each stadium will get a letter grade depending on five different categories, Location, aesthetics, atmosphere, food, and bells and whistles. These rankings come from my experiences at the ballpark. With, your experience may differ from mine. From now on these stadiums and cities are places I have only visited twice or less so I may not have gotten the full experience a diehard fan would get.
Park Info: Oriole Park at Camden Yards was first played on in 1992 to replace the outdated multi use stadium Memorial Field. The Baltimore Orioles are the only team to call the ballpark home like the owners intended. Camden Yards brought back the unique dimensions and look of the jewel box stadiums from the early 1900s. The record attendance at Camden Yards was set in 2005 when 49,828 fans gathered to watch the O’s play that night.
Location: Camden Yards is located near the Baltimore inner harbor just across M&T stadium. I have only been to Baltimore twice making may knowledge of the area slim. Camden Yards feels as it’s in the middle of the city. Multiple museums, theaters, restaurants, historic sites, and Little Italy are some of the places and activities that can be found in the inner harbor near the stadium. Entering the city wasn’t bad at first but once you are in the city the traffic hits. The roads are tight and can be confusing for someone who has never been in Baltimore. There are two big parking lots between Camden Yards and M&T stadium that give fans an ideal parking option. There doesn’t seem to be many options outside of those lots according to the parking map.
Location is a solid B due to all the events in the area
Aesthetics: Aesthetics will be based on how the stadium looks inside and out, grass and field dimensions will be in play as well as the background of the city.
Anyone who has ever seen this ballpark knows how beautiful it really is. Camden Yards was made in a time where every ballpark had the same dimensions and design. Stadiums like Three Rivers and Veterans stadium looked the same despite being in different places. It set an example for parks like PNC and Comerica to create unique looks. Camden Yards gives you an old school feel that shows you the tradition of the city with modern and up to date commodities. The ballpark uses a lot of brick and green colors to give the stadium an old look. The warehouse in right field helps the stadium bring the city’s proud past into the modern world. Right field is the best place to hang out, there is also a porch in right field for standing room and multiple shops and restaurants to visit. I could talk about how awesome right field is, but I would take the entire day writing about it. The dimensions are unique and differ from other ball parks. The walls are low other than right field and are not rounded but are almost like a jigsaw with unpredictable curves and edges.
Aesthetics are an easy A+
Atmosphere: The O’s have not been able to compete for a few years now including the year I visited the stadium. The atmosphere wasn’t bad considering they had the worse record in baseball. The first day I went I was in right field, a large group of kids from Australia sat in our section. When I mean a group, I mean two sections of kids wearing green and yellow shirts with safari hats. It was cool hearing those kids learn about both teams playing and the game of baseball. The second game I was behind home plate, it felt as if it was a Red Sox home game that day as the entire third base line was filled with Boston supporters. Anyone that has seen the Red Sox play on the road knows that this is a normal thing. When the national anthem plays the entire crowd yells out “O” it makes you imagine how loud that stadium can be in a playoff atmosphere. When the O’s start to compete again it will be easier to rate this, the fans are great but it’s hard when the team gives you nothing to root for.
Atmosphere is a B- would be higher if the team competed.
Food: Food for Camden yards is hard to judge because it was so long ago. This was also way before I knew I would write stadium reviews and post them online. They have standard food options like every ballpark should. They have a hot dog called a “Camden Frank” if you are a hot dog person that will make you happy. There are multiple places to eat around the stadium like Boog’s BBQ, Jade Satay, and Dempsey’s Brew Pub are all around the ballpark and located on Eutaw Street. I would name more but the amount of food options at Camden Yards are insane.
Food gets a B the amount of untraditional ballpark options carries it above other parks
Bells and Whistles: A lot of Bells and Whistles mix in with the atmosphere and Aesthetics. The Warehouse in right field fits in all three of those categories. The warehouse is home of the offices for the team and homes multiple shops, and breweries throughout the warehouse. It adds something completely different that no other ballpark in America can offer. Outside of the stadium they have the numbers of retired players that you can take pictures with as well as a few statues. It doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as a Comerica Park, but it has a lot to offer for tradition baseball fans. If you have a young kid with you sadly these bells and whistles aren’t directed towards them.
Bells and Whistles gets a B- lots of cool things that any baseball fan can get behind
Camden Yards is a one of kind like stadium, it mixes between an old school feel with modern facilities. Fans that love more modern stadiums will be able to find things to love in Baltimore. If you are a new fan that wants to be introduced to baseball Camden Yards is a great place to start.
Final Grade for Oriole Park at Camden Yards is an A+, this beautiful ballpark is one of baseball’s best, all they need is a competitive team.
