Jon HoeflingUSA TODAY
Baseball may not be for everyone, but everyone can agree that the history of the sport is rich. Major League Baseball officially started in 1903, making it the oldest professional sports organization in America, but remnants of the league have been around even longer, dating back to the creation of the National League in 1876.
Arguably the most iconic part of Major League Baseball is the stadiums though. There are certain ballparks where, just by walking through them, you can feel the history jump off the walls, whether it's because of the old school architecture or notable championship teams. In general though, the older a stadium, the better (so long as it's been well-maintained). That doesn't mean there aren't any exceptions though.
Here are the eight oldest stadiums still active in Major League Baseball ranked, based on USA Today's rankings.
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Oldest Ballparks in Major League Baseball:
8) Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland Athletics
Opened: September 18, 1966
At the top of this article, I wrote, "the older, the better (so long as it's been well-maintained)." That was in reference to Oakland Coliseum. The Coliseum has been open a long time and has undergone numerous name changes throughout the years: McAfee, Coliseum, O.co, Network Associates, RingCentral. There have been countless iconic moments, legendary teams, and a solid Brad Pitt movie in this ballpark's history. Anyone who has visited the Coliseum though, seems to agree there are a lot of areas where the ballpark could be improved.
Of course, none of that will matter when the team leaves the Coliseum after this year. The team's front office had clearly been planning a move for some time, and thusly, renovations likely weren't at the front of their minds. Still, the iconic moments that this stadium housed can easily flood fans' minds when thinking of their favorite A's highlights, and that is special.
7) Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Rays
Opened: March 3, 1990
The only stadium on this list to have never witnessed a World Series championship, Tropicana Field has recently become more well-known for being constantly empty than anything else. The team has also made plans to move to a new stadium in St. Petersburg in 2028, so it won't be long until the Trop is just a memory for MLB fans.
Ironically though, baseball was not the first sport that the stadium housed. Although it was built to be a baseball stadium, the Trop (or the Florida SunCoast Dome as it was called then) was built to either entice other teams like the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants to relocate, or be granted an expansion team. That did not come to fruition until 1995, and by then, the Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm and the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning had already called the Dome home.
For a baseball team that has been around nearly 30 years at this point, they've never known another home. And despite being one of the younger teams in MLB, the Rays' stadium has a good amount of history behind it. The reason is ranks so low is due to its poor location. There really isn't any good way to get to the park and it's outside of its target area in Tampa.
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6) Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels
Opened: April 19, 1966
For how old Angel Stadium is, it's still a tremendously beautiful ballpark. The Big A in the parking lot, the giant hat outside the front gate, the rock sculpture beyond center field, all of it provides a magical atmosphere that makes you feel like the team really cares about putting on a great product for its fans.
Unfortunately, the stadium's age has certainly taken its toll on some of the finer features. The team has attempted to cover up those flaws with minor renovations over the years, but fans have noticed the deterioration for sure. It's a park that almost certainly needs to be replaced or updated.
5) Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays
Opened: June 3, 1989
You might think it interesting that a baseball stadium could open in the middle of the baseball season, but that is exactly what happened with Rogers Centre. Construction finished two months behind schedule and the Blue Jays had to play the first two months of the 1989 season in Exhibition Stadium. Outside of that though, there wasn't much controversy surrounding the creation of this ballpark.
The stadium certainly had a few noteworthy style choices over the years. The decision to implement sliding pits made Rogers Centre one of the most instantly recognizable ballparks in baseball for years. For six years, they were the only ballpark in MLB to have grass between the basepaths instead of dirt. That look was done away with in 2016 though.
Recent renovations have updated the look of the stadium and have kept it from sliding down a few spots.
4) Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals
Opened: April 10, 1973
Originally, Kauffman Stadium was supposed to be a multi-purpose complex, the Truman Sports Complex, that would've housed both the Kansas City Athletics and Kansas City Chiefs. After all, the Athletics had just signed a lease that would've kept the A's in Kansas City for many more years. The A's broke that lease almost immediately though and moved to Oakland, so Kansas City felt they were owed a new team, and that's how the Royals were birthed.
Even though the Royals started playing in 1969, Kauffman Stadium (or Royals Stadium as it was originally called) did not finish construction until 1973. The Royals' new stadium opened with the Royals winning 12-1 over the Texas Rangers. Royals Stadium also hosted the All-Star game that year.
Even though the Royals plan on building a new stadium and moving by 2028, Kauffman still holds up tremendously well thanks to massive renovations in 2009. Unfortunately, those renovations have seemingly outlived their usefulness.
3) Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
Opened: April 10, 1962
Contrary to its namesake, Dodger Stadium actually played host to both the Dodgers and Angels its first four years. Since then, the stadium has undergone a few renovations, and outside of changing out the colorful seating in 2005 to reflect more Dodger blue, none of those renovations have really changed the classic feeling the ballpark brings.
Sure, there have been other changes and updates, but walking into the concourse at Dodger Stadium still feels very classic to this day, and it's a feeling that not a lot of other ballparks offer. The fact they've been able to accomplish that feeling while updating things like the seating, scoreboards, restrooms, and concession stands, is a testament to how well-run the ballpark actually is.
2) Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
Opened: April 20, 1912
Fenway has hosted the World Series 11 times, and although it endured a 80+ year championship drought, it has been home to four World Series teams since 2004.
Although Fenway has undergone major renovations as recently as this century, the Red Sox's home is still the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. It has only been able to withstand the test of time thanks to the adoring Boston public's willingness to keep it afloat. The renovations that started in 2002 were only done because ownership wanted a new Fenway Park near the original with more seating, closer fences in right field, and less foul territory. This was all in an attempt to make the team more marketable so ownership could sell.
Fortunately for fans with Fenway fever, architect Janet Marie Smith started a ten-year renovation project that maintained Fenway's integrity and kept the park usable.
1) Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs
Opened: April 23, 1914
One of the most easily identifiable ballparks in America, Wrigley Field was not made for the Cubs. It was originally made for the Chicago Whales, a team that won the Federal League Championship in 1915. The league fell apart after that championship though and the stadium found new tenants with the Cubs. The rest is history.
From the iconic ivy lining the outfield walls to the renowned rooftop bars across the street enabling fans to watch the game from outside the stadium, there's a lot to love about Wrigley.
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