Oriole Park Stadium

Inaugurated in 1992, the home of the Orioles was the first of the modern ballparks. Located in downtown Baltimore in Maryland , Oriole Park at Camden Yards was constructed to replace the aging Memorial Stadium. The ballpark hosted its first Major League Baseball All Star Game in 1993. Cal Ripken set a record by playing his 2,131st consecutive game on September 6, 1995 and surpassed Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games. The ballpark is also the site where Eddie Murray hit his 500th career homerun.

Governor William Donald Schaefer played an influential role to push plans for a baseball-only facility in Baltimore through the state legislature. He also promoted the plans for the construction of football-only stadium to be built adjacent to the Camden Yards. It was also planned that the construction of both the stadiums would be financed by a new instant lottery game. The construction of the new baseball-only ballpark began in June 1989. Construction lasted 33 months on the ballpark, and was finally inaugurated on April 6, 1992 . The new ballpark was built in a typical old-way with steel columns, beams, and trusses. The facade comprising of brick with arches, the low raked upper deck keeping the ballpark from looming over other buildings. Bleacher seats, a picnic area behind part of the centerfield fence, and ivy growing on the hitters backdrop giving the ballpark a nostalgic feel. It has a sunroof over the slope of the upper deck, an asymmetrical playing territory and a real turf, the trend that was pioneered by Shibe Park and Forbes Field in 1909. The ballpark also has luxury suites and a picnic area with beautiful trees and flowers located beyond the centerfield.

The Orioles played their home-opening game against the Cleveland Indians. Built at the cost of $110 million on an 85-acre of land, the retro-style ballpark set a trend among other cities to construct more traditional, fan-friendly retro style ballparks. Some of them are Jacobs Field in Cleveland , Ameriquest Field in Arlington in Arlington , Texas and Comerica Park in Detroit . The owner of the Orioles wanted to name the ballpark Oriole Park whereas Governor William Donald Schaefer wanted to name it Camden Yards. After a considerable questioning and answering on whether to name the new ballpark Oriole Park or Camden Yards, it was agreed to use both the names.

Camden Yards complex includes the 1898 Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse, which is eight stories high, and several blocks long. It is located beyond the seats in right field and is the longest building on the East Coast. Warehouse has Orioles' offices as well as a cafeteria, sports bar, gift shop, and the exclusive Camden Club. Each walkway seat in the park features a 1890s Orioles logo. The playing field is 16 feet below street level. The main playing field is nestled below street level. The concourses are large and open. The bronze baseballs embossed in the cement of the Eutaw Street walkway memorialize the home runs hit in the ballpark. The centerfield of the ballpark was once was occupied by Babe Ruth's father's café, at 406 Conway Street . The ballpark has three leveled grandstand. All 48,876 seats are painted in green. Additional seating is under the main score/video board in right center field. The "H" in "The Sun" sign on top of the scoreboard flashes to show a scoring decision of a hit and the "E" to show an error. Due to a significant drop in home runs in 2001, the home plate that was moved back seven feet for the 2001 season was placed on its original spot the following season. Moreover it also affected the viewing angle of the batter's eye. Escalators, ramps, and elevators allow an access to the upper level. The name of the ballpark has been derived from the rail yards that were formerly on this site. Neighboring the stadium is a rail station served by both the MTA light rail and MARC commuter train.