If you are a fan of old stadiums, then a trip to Burlington, Vermont should be on your list.
Centennial Field’s first game was held on April 17, 1906. Wrap that around your head a little bit when you think about how old it is. The stadium seats nearly 4,500 people and when you walk in, it’s definitely an old-school feel.
The concourse sits outside the main playing area, much like older stadiums. Inside, beams can obstruct your view (as was the case with us, but not too bad). The dugouts are a tad farther down the lines, so it’s almost odd to see where players come out and where they swing as they wait to bat.
An old-school way of watching baseball at Vermont.
It’s a cool little stadium, though. Concessions are in booths, and the souvenir store is a spot where you can go in and see at the stand, but can’t walk through a store. It makes for some slow service, though, as people will often look for a while and block the way. Such is the way of these older stadiums.
Parking is awful. There aren’t many spots at the stadium and surrounding streets have “no parking” signs all over. You park in a parking garage (free) on the University of Vermont campus and take a school bus shuttle to the game. It actually added to the experience, but it was definitely different.
The crowd gets into the game, so it’s definitely a “baseball” stadium. You could tell they understood the game and such, so that was a good thing. Tickets weren’t easy to get (at least what I like), and they had a good crowd when I was there, which is also a good sign. When I visited (August 2014), I felt like it was definitely for baseball.
The food selection is average and there was a good selection of beer, which would be expected in Vermont. There are some good craft beers up that way.
If one is smart, you’ll spend a night or two in the town as well and venture out and about around Burlington. It’s a nice area and I wish I had spent a little more time there.
Park Notes:
Centennial Field
Burlington, Vermont
Home of the Vermont Lake Monsters (Short-season A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics)
Visited on: Saturday, August 2, 2014
Opponent: Mahoning Valey (Short-season A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians)
Ratings (out of 10)
- Stadium: 7.5/10
- Concessions: 6/10
- Parking: 1/10
- Ambiance: 8/10
- Friendliness: 8/10
I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version. I’m also catching up on some 2014 stadiums to make sure all are completed.
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