The area of downtown Denver that houses Coors Field is one of the buzziest swaths of the city, especially during sunny baseball season! Though it incorporates parts of Five Points, Union Station, LoDo, and RiNo, the area is more broadly referred to as the Ballpark District, and it’s known for packed bars, late-night crowds, an abundance of eats, and all the best pre-game parties. But this area would be nothing if not for, well, the ballpark. Built in 1995, Coors Field is the third oldest stadium in the National League. Here are some Coors Field fun facts:
- The field is 21 feet below street level.
- The first official game was played Aug. 26, 1995. The Rockies beat the NY Mets 11-9.
- Because the air is thinner a mile above sea level, baseballs travel roughly 9% farther than at other stadiums.
- The construction of Coors Field was funded by a sales tax approved by voters in counties across the metro area; Denver County voters rejected the tax.
- Dinger, the Rockies’ dino mascot, was named for a dinosaur bone discovered during the stadium’s construction.
You can dive deeper into the history of Coors Field through the documentary “When Colorado Went Major League.” The hour-long feature is by local journalist, news anchor, and filmmaker Kyle Dyer, and debuted earlier this summer ⚾
Correction: Apologies for an error in the Coors Field Fun Facts. Coors Field is the third oldest in the National League.
