Many on this list have become institutions
No other sport arguably has as rich a history as Major League Baseball. One reason is because of its 120-plus years of national popularity. Another comes from the ballparks, some of which are so old that they are in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. With that in mind, here are MLB's 10 oldest ballparks.
NOTE: While Tropicana Field opened in 1990, it did not house the Tampa Bay Rays until 1998 so I do not have it on this list.
10. Progressive Field
Team: Cleveland Indians
Location: Cleveland
Capacity: 35,000
Opened: April 2, 1994
Originally known as Jacobs Field until the Progressive Corporation purchased naming rights in 2008, this ballpark gave the Indians a better fitting home than 74,000-seat Cleveland Municipal Stadium. After Cleveland played the Pittsburgh Pirates in an exhibition game on April 2, President Bill Clinton threw out the opening day pitch on April 4.
9. Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Location: Baltimore
Capacity: 45,971
Opened: April 6, 1992
Perhaps the most influential ballpark on this list, Camden Yards moved away from the multi-purpose stadiums that dominated the past 50 years and gave fans the intimate feel of the classic ballparks. Nearly 30 years later, it remains one of the most pleasant stadium experiences in baseball.
8. Guaranteed Rate Field
Team: Chicago White Sox
Location: Chicago
Capacity: 40,615
Opened: April 18, 1991
The White Sox originally opened as the second Comiskey Park and was named U.S. Cellular Field from 2003-16 before the mortgage company Guaranteed Rate purchased the naming rates. This ballpark also opened with a gut punch to Chicago fans, as the Detroit Tigers beat the White Sox 16-0 on its opening day.
7. Rogers Centre
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Location: Toronto
Capacity: 49,282
Opened: June 3, 1989
This venue opened as the SkyDome and was the first to have a fully retractable motorized roof. In addition to being the home of the Blue Jays, it has also housed the Toronto Raptors and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.
6. Kauffman Stadium
Team: Kansas City Royals
Location: Kansas City, Mo.
Capacity: 37,903
Opened: April 10, 1973
The only primarily baseball stadium built between 1966 and 1991 is named after the Royals' first owner, Ewing Kauffman.
5. RingCentral Coliseum
Team: Oakland Athletics
Location: Oakland, Calif.
Capacity: 46,847
Opened: Sept. 18, 1966
When the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968, they moved in with the hometown Raiders. The Oakland Coliseum, which has had six different names since the turn of the century, was the last stadium to be used for both football and baseball until the Raiders moved to Las Vegas after the 2019 season.
4. Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Location: Anaheim, Calif.
Capacity: 45,517
Opened: April 19, 1966
The "Big A" has been the home of some baseball's greatest milestones, including two of Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters, Reggie Jackson's 500th career home run, Rod Carew's 3,000th career hit, Don Sutton's 300th career win, and Albert Pujols' 600th career home run.
3. Dodger Stadium
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Location: Los Angeles
Capacity: 56,000
Opened: April 10, 1962
After moving west from Brooklyn in 1958, the Dodgers played their first three seasons in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving into their current home. Today, Dodger Stadium is the oldest ballpark west of the Mississippi River.
2. Wrigley Field
Team: Chicago Cubs
Location: Chicago
Capacity: 41,649
Opened: April 23, 1914
All of the hyperbole about "The Friendly Confines," from its ivy-colored outfield wall to the ability to watch games from the roof of nearby buildings, is true.
1. Fenway Park
Team: Boston Red Sox
Location: Boston
Capacity: 37,755
Opened: April 20, 1912
Baseball's oldest park will likely keep this status for a long time. The Red Sox ownership group has renovated the ballpark to ensure that it remains usable through 2061.
— Written by Aaron Tallent, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Tallent is a writer whose articles have appeared in The Sweet Science, FOX Sports' Outkick the Coverage, Liberty Island and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter at @AaronTallent.
