Ever wondered where baseball dreams come alive in the nation’s capital? That’s Nationals Park.
Nationals Park stands proudly along the Anacostia River. It is in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington D.C. Since 2008, it has been the home of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals. It was also the first LEED-certified green major professional sports stadium in the United States.
Designed by HOK Sport and Devrouax & Purnell Architects and Planners, Nationals Park was initially expected to cost $670 million. The final price tag was $693 million. D.C. financed almost the entire construction. The amount included $135 million in upfront payment from taxpayer funds. Municipal bonds funded the rest of the sum that was about $535 million. This put the city deeply into debt. An additional $84.2 million was spent on transportation, art, and infrastructure upgrades. The total cost amounted to $783.9 million.
Nationals Park has a seating capacity of 41,373. From the upper decks on the first base side of the field, you can spot the Washington Monument and the Capitol building.
Nationals Park hosted the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It was the first All-Star Game to be played in Washington, D.C., since 1969. It also hosted games 3, 4, and 5 of the 2019 World Series. It was the first World Series in the city since 1933. The stadium is accessible from Interstate 395 via the Southwest Freeway. You can also reach it from Interstate 295 via the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.
The primary mode of transportation to Nationals Park is the Washington Metro system. The Navy Yard Ballpark station on the Green Line is just one block away. The station’s southern entrance was expanded when the stadium was built. It added an escalator, an elevator, and a street-level farecard mezzanine.
There are 14 Nationals Park-sanctioned parking lots or garages near the stadium. The Nationals ran a free shuttle service from parking lots at RFK Stadium to Nationals Park on game days during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. It was called the Nats Express. Cyclists can use free valet bicycle parking at Garage C. There are also 110 red bike racks on the sidewalks around the ballpark.
The 2008 Washington Nationals season marked the team’s debut at Nationals Park. The George Washington University Colonials baseball team played the first game there on March 22, 2008. The Washington Nationals won their exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on March 29, 2008.
The Nationals opened the 2008 MLB season at Nationals Park with a game against the Atlanta Braves on March 30. President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Nationals defeated the Braves 3–2 with a walk-off home run from Ryan Zimmerman. That gave the Nationals their first opening day win since moving to Washington.
Several ballpark improvement projects were completed during the 2009 off-season. Three statues were installed. They honored Walter Johnson, Frank Howard, and Josh Gibson. A large Washington Nationals hat was added above the team store entrance. Levy Restaurants became the new provider of food and beverage at Nationals Park.
In 2010, the stadium added the Ring of Honor. It celebrates players from the Washington Senators, the Washington Homestead Grays, and the Montreal Expos.
Since 2011, a submarine dive horn has sounded after every Nationals home run and win. This is a nod to the park’s location in the Navy Yard neighborhood. Queen’s We Are the Champions plays over the PA after any World Series victory.
In 2015, Nationals Park hosted the NHL Winter Classic. In 2018, Nationals Park began using a bullpen cart.
As of 2017, Nationals Park has 41,338 seats. It features 79 suites on three levels around the infield. The park has an out-of-town scoreboard. The main scoreboard is more than five times the size of the one at RFK Stadium.
The ballpark’s press box is named in honor of Washington Post sports columnist Shirley Povich.
So, as you explore Nationals Park, remember it’s more than just a baseball field. It is a place where history is made.