The Boston Fenway Park is well known as the oldest Major League Baseball stadium and only one of two classic stadiums left in the United States. It is the home of the Boston Red Sox but also serves as a venue for other sports and events. The love that Americans have for this stadium can be readily seen in the fact that it has sold out every home game since May 2003.
Fenway Park was first opened in April 1912. It is located in the heart of the busy Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston. Because of this, it has gone through several renovations over the years since it cannot expand outward at all. In fact, in 1999, the CEO of the Red Sox announced that a new Fenway Park was being planned. Although many of the trademark parts of the stadium were to be preserved, the majority of the stadium was to be demolished. Many Bostonians and others revolted against this idea since Fenway is one of the best-loved sports venues in the world. After years of deliberations, the decision was made to remodel the stadium extensively instead. The $285 million remodel was finished in 2011, and lovers of the stadium were pleased to hear that Fenway Park could easily withstand several more decades of use.
Fenway Park seats 37,067 people during the day and 37,495 people at night. This is one of the lowest seating capacities for baseball parks in the U.S. Over the years, Fenway has added seating throughout the park. However, some seats are still sold as obstructed views due to the poles that hold up the upper decks.
This stadium has several areas with coined names that are well known to Bostonians and baseball lovers alike. One of these is the Green Monster, which is a thirty-seven-foot tall wall in the left-field that holds the scoreboard. Another is Williamsburg, which is the name for the bullpen located along the bleachers in right-center field. The Triangle is located in the center field and its furthest pole is generally used to measure center field distance.
More Sports & Recreation in Boston
If you are visiting and seeking sports and recreation in Boston on a family vacation, start off by taking a Boston Bike Tour, available through Urban Adventures on Atlantic Avenue. This citywide bicycling program gives you and your family the opportunity to see the city on two wheels with a guide who can give you the history of the sites while you get in your exercise.
You and your family can take a historic walking tour of the city along the Freedom Trail, covering 2.5 miles of the historic sites of the city and you will be able to see 16 major spots that are rich in Colonial Boston history.
Prepare the family for the time to paddle and see the city from a completely different perspective. Located on Soldiers Field Road, you can rent kayaks and canoes from five different locations from Charles River Canoe and Kayak.
If golf is your passion, visit the International Golf Club & Resort, located in Greater Boston West in Bolton, to get in a few rounds of golf with your party.
For wintertime fun with your family, visit Kendall Square Skating Rink so you can all lace up your skates and hit the ice for hours of ice skating fun. This activity is located in Cambridge on Athenaeum Street.
Laser tag is always an option for fun family recreation and entertainment. You and your family can visit the Roslindale/West Roxbury/Hyde Park area of the city to enjoy this interactive adventure game for people of all ages to enjoy. You can enjoy this rollicking family adventure at any time of the year since it is indoors.
If you and your party are more interested in being spectators and seeing professional sports, you always have baseball. Check out a game at Fenway Park, located in the Fenway/Kenmore area of the city, for an afternoon enjoying the sunshine, snacks, and a great game, no matter who the Red Sox may be playing when you visit.
Basketball fans will be in for a treat when you visit the financial district in downtown Boston for an evening watching the Boston Celtics. Enjoy your shot at seeing this 17-time champion team, steeped in history. Take a trip to the TD Gardens for a night of exciting basketball.
Visit the TD Gardens in the downtown financial district to watch the city’s professional hockey team, the Boston Bruins.