Rickwood Field Attractions & Landmark
America's oldest baseball park
Birmingham,
AL, 35204
United States
+1 205 458 8161
http://www.rickwood.com/
d.brewer@rickwood.com
Overview
Built in 1910 for in the city's then-professional baseball team, the Coal Barons, Rickwood Field is being restored to look the way it did in its 1940s heyday, all the way down to the hand-operated scoreboard. Wearing old-time uniforms, the Birmingham Barons play the annual Rickwood Classic. Baseball greats who played at Rickwood include Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb and Birmingham's own Burleigh Grimes, the last legal spitball pitcher in the big leagues. Rickwood was also home to the Birmingham Black Barons Negro League team, which brought the likes of Satchel Paige, Piper Davis and local teenage phenomenon Willie Mays to play here. There is no charge to visit Rickwood; inquire about admission prices for the Rickwood Classic and other special events.
As you may or may not know, Rickwood IS the oldest baseball park in America... and it appears that it has not changed much since. Vintage billboard ads, hand-changed scoreboard, etc. Great place to watch games, esp when the B'ham Barons play in the Rickwood Classic with "throwback" uniforms. I don't really even care for baseball that much, but seeing a game at Rickwood is an event.
If you get a chance, go to a minor league baseball game here at Rickwood Field. SEe a great team in the Birmingham Barons, and enjoy the wonderful experience of minor league baseball!
This is perhaps the finest example of what baseball had intended to house a ball field, ever. A distant reminder to an era when baseball was truly America's pastime. No luxury boxes, exploding scoreboards or diamond vision. Simply a beautiful green and white ballpark constructed of steel, concrete and wood. One can visit the ballpark , find a seat and image the greats that played here. I have visited 17 major league ball parks, Rickwood field is my favorite of all.
