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One Year Later, Pacific Bell Park Still The Miracle On Third Street
Known
as "The Miracle on Third Street," Pacific Bell Park opened on April 11, 2000.
Designed to be a “state of the art old-fashioned ballpark,” Pacific Bell Park
is the first privately financed major league ballpark built in more than 40 years.
No wonder San Franciscans love it! It's located so close to the San Francisco
Bay that balls hit out of the stadium over right field splash into the San Francisco
Bay at “McCovey Cove,” named after Giants great Willie McCovey.
Location: The ballpark is located at Third and King Streets by China Basin,
however the official street address is 24 Willie Mays Plaza, honoring one of the
greatest players in Giants history. The plaza features 24 palm trees in recognition
of Mays' jersey number and is home to a nine-foot bronze sculpture of the famous
ballplayer.
Seating Capacity: All 40,930 seats are angled for the best view of the
diamond and the higher rows offer spectacular views of the San Francisco
Bay.
Schedule: The 2001 season runs from April 2 through September 30.
Tickets: Tickets are somewhat limited but 500 tickets will be available for
purchase at the ballpark the day of each game, four hours before starting
time. For tickets and information, call (415) 972-2000 or visit
www.sfgiants.com.
Tours: Tour guides offer one-hour walking tours everyday except on game
days, every hour from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The tours highlight many of
the park's unique areas. Individual rates are $10. Groups of 30 or more
people are $8 per person. Lower rates are available for children, senior
and school groups.
Giants Dugout Store: Located in the ballpark adjacent to Lefty O'Doul
Plaza, this is the largest retail store of the Giants chain with an extensive
selection of baseball merchandise for sale.
Transportation: While parking is limited at the park, public transit is very
convenient from downtown. In fact, Pacific Bell Park is served by more
public transportation than any other ballpark in the United States. Several
buses, including the 15 Third, 30 Stockton, 42 Downtown Loop and 45
Union, go directly to the ballpark. Ferry service is available from Blue &
Gold Fleet, (415) 705-5555, Red & White Fleet, (415) 673-2900 and the
Golden Gate Ferry, (415) 923-2000.
Food: There are a wide variety of food vendors inside of the ballpark. In
addition to “ballpark food” such as hot-dogs, fries, crackerjacks, peanuts,
etc., there are a few surprises such as sushi, Mexican and Caribbean food,
fruit smoothies, espresso and local microbrews. The restaurant Twenty
Four, located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza at Pacific Bell Park, opened on April
11, 2000 to coincide with the Giants' first baseball game of the season
against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Named after Willie May's baseball
number “24,” this restaurant features new American cuisine by Chef Julie
Pryce. Outdoor seating and a banquet room for up to 75 people are
available. (415) 644-0240.
For more information on events, activities, transportation and lodging
reservations in San Francisco, visit sfvisitor.org . For lodging reservations by
phone, call (888) 782-9673 toll free within North America or (415) 974-4499
elsewhere. San Francisco visitor guides are available at the Visitor Information
Center at 900 Market Street at the corner of Powell and Market streets, lower
level, Hallidie Plaza. To receive a copy by mail, call (415) 391-2000, write to the
San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 429097, San Francisco,
CA 94142-9097 or send your request by e-mail to vic1@sfcvb.org.
MORE on Pac Bell Park
here.
MORE San Francisco family activities
here.
........ last updated August 29, 2001.......
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