Minute Maid Park

After years of cellar dwelling, the Houston Astros have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past handful of seasons with a World Series championship in 2017 and an American League Pennant in 2019. The sign-stealing scandal that dates back to 2017 and was revealed in early 2020, however, has left a big asterisk next to the team’s achievements on the field.

Scandals aside, when you consider the unique features and fun vibe that are present at Minute Maid Park, you’ll be ready to book a trip to the Space City. The most notable feature at Minute Maid Park, of course, is its retractable roof. After the team’s 35 years in the Astrodome, the opening of Minute Maid Park (then known as The Ballpark at Union Station) gave Houstonians the chance to finally enjoy open-air baseball. The retractable roof is a baseball road tripper’s dream. It means that you’ll never have to worry about a rainout, nor will you necessarily have to endure stifling heat; the team closes the roof on days that are especially hot. When it comes to how the stadium looks and feels, however, it’s nicer when the roof is open because you’ll get to enjoy the Houston skyline.

Minute Maid Park opened in 2000, but was ingeniously built to tie into its historic neighborhood. The ballpark is connected to the city’s historic Union Station, which dates back to 1911. Although this train station is no longer in use, its concourse was turned into Minute Maid Park’s lobby area. If you’re a train buff, you’ll certainly enjoy taking a tour around this building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, before you enter the ballpark.

Perhaps the most notable feature at Minute Maid Park is the train, which sits on an 800-foot stretch of track high above left field. It carried mock oranges, given the Minute Maid sponsorship, and moves at the start of the game, after each Astros home run and following Astros wins. Another notable feature is the Phillips 66 Home Run Pump, which is located on a porch above left-center field. The pump has a digital display that tracks Astros home runs, and this is one of the more popular spots in the ballpark to hang out during games. Not all of Minute Maid Park’s unique features are still present. Tal’s Hill, a 30-degree sloped section of the field in deep center that featured a flag pole in play, was removed prior to the end of the 2016 season.

Address:
501 Crawford St., Houston, TX, 77002

Minute Maid Park Photos