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RFK Stadium - Buy Washington Nationals tickets for RFK Stadium at TickCo.com!

RFK Stadium / Washington Nationals

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Year Opened	1961
Capacity	56,00
Architect	George A. Dahl and Osborn Engineering
Dimensions	335L, 385LC, 410C, 385RC, 335R
Playing Surface	Grass
Last Visit	2005
Web Site	mlb.com
Online Broadcasts	Yes
Online Ticket Sales	Yes
Phone	202/397-SEAT (7328)
Ticket Prices (2006)	Field Box, $45; Loge MVP, $45; Terrace MVP, $40; Loge Box, $35; Terrace Box, $34; Terrace, $25; Lower View MVP, $23; Loge OF, $20; Lower View Box, $16; Upper View MVP, $16; Lower View OF, $11; Upper View Box, $11; Upper View OF, $7
League	National League
Parking	One of the big advantages to the Expos moving to RFK Stadium: an infrastructure capable of handling tens of thousands of fans daily was in place, thanks to the enormous popularity of the Redskins in the 1980s and 1990s. It is an infrastructure that routes people around the surrounding neighborhood, which is probably a good idea.
Address/Directions	2400 E. Capitol Street, Washington, D.C. There are two popular ways to get to the ballpark: driving and Metro. Taking the Metro is the cheaper and easier method of transport. D.C.’s subway system is among the best in the world: it’s clean, safe and serves every important part of town, including surrounding communities like Alexandria and Arlington. The Blue-Orange Line stops at the Stadium-Armory stop at 19th and East Capitol Street; just walk two blocks from the station to the ballpark. Driving is almost as easy, as there are 10,000 parking spots onsite. The ballpark is located next to I-395 on the east side of the District.
Written by:	Kevin Reichard
Rating

There may be no second acts in American life, but there are second chances galore, and Washington’s RFK Stadium has a second life as the home of the Washington Nationals. Built in 1961 as the home of the second Washington Senators and the NFL’s Washington Redskins, RFK Stadium has been infused with new life, as millions of fans passed through the turnstiles in 2005 to cheer on the relocated Montreal Expos.

In retrospect, RFK Stadium was the only logical destination for the Expos. It was designed for major-league baseball. The infrastructure for handling large crowds -- freeway and mass-transit access, concessions, a wealth of luxury boxes -- was in place, and the District of Columbia was hungry for major-league baseball. RFK today is a place where Republicans and Democrats can coexist; America’s Pastime in America’s Capital. A match made in heaven.

RFK was one of the original cookie-cutter stadiums: circular facilities designed to host both pro football and baseball, with the fences and stands reconfigured depending on the use. At RFK, the transition between football and baseball took several hours to complete, with a whole set of seats (now located down the third-base line) rolling on a curved train track to open the end of the football field and add seats to the sidelines. (When RFK was being readied for baseball before the 2005 season opener, crews from Turner Construction were nervous about whether the track would work, as it had not been used in years. It did.)

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The traditional definition of a cookie-cutter stadium involves a circular design, but nothing about RFK Stadium is circular. Instead, the design features a few different ovals that intersect. The stadium isn’t a perfect circle, and neither is the seating bowl for baseball. You can sit in the outfield looking directly down the middle of the plate and be a little disoriented because what’s behind it isn’t a perfect semicircle. This leads to a few other quirks as well; for instance, there’s a lot of foul territory.

There aren’t many cookie-cutter stadiums left: Cincinnati dumped Riverfront Stadium, St. Louis is dumping the second Busch Stadium, and when a new ballpark in completed, the Nationals will be leaving RFK Stadium as well.

What happens then is anyone’s guess. RFK Stadium was given up for dead several years ago when the Washington Redskins flew to the suburbs, and only the lack of a game plan for the area saved the stadium from the wrecking ball.

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Until then, RFK Stadium will serve admirably as the home of the Nationals. For a forty-year-old-plus cookie-cutter stadium, RFK Stadium is in better shape that you’d expect. Yes, it’s definitely frayed around the edges and in need of a good cleaning, but it’s got more charm than you’d expect in such an old and disused facility. For a cookie-cutter stadium, it’s OK.

First off, it’s old. RFK Stadium is the second-oldest ballpark in the National League, with only Wrigley Field opening before RFK. DC Stadium (as it was originally named) opened on April 9, 1962, while Dodger Stadium opened on April 10, 1962. Much of its layout reflects that age: the concourses are cramped, there are no escalators moving between levels, and the outfield sections rise a full level above the playing field. Luckily, the ballpark was designed before the rise of artificial turf.

The expansion Senators team playing at RFK was never very good: the team never won a division and approached .500 only under the tutelage of Ted Williams. For many years Frank Howard was the box-office draw at RFK, with his mammoth homers regularly reaching the upper deck. The Senators marked the seats where Howard’s shots finally came out of orbit; alas, these seats were painted over with Redskin gold and burgundy after the Senators fled, a color scheme that still stands. One sad thing about RFK Stadium is the lack of an homage to baseball’s rich history (except for a marker commemorating Clark Griffith outside the ballpark, which formerly stood at Griffith Stadium): no displays honoring the original or expansion Senators, the Homestead Grays, other Negro League teams, or great players like Walter Johnson (save a perfunctory listing on the Washington Hall of Fame) or Josh Gibson. You wouldn’t know Washington had a colorful baseball past after visiting RFK Stadium.

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Part of the reason why RFK is interesting is its architectural flourishes. The roller-coaster roof is recognizable from a distance (you always knew the Redskins were in town when CBS would flash an exterior shot), and the waves soften the edges of the ballpark. The waves aren’t symmetrical throughout the park and exist only behind home plate.

Still, a lot in baseball changed between the last days of the Senators and the beginning of the Nationals. Fans aren’t expected to spend nine innings planted in their seats with the occasional bathroom and concession break, and RFK Stadium is ill-suited to fans wanting to wander the ballpark and watch the action from multiple vantage points. The Nationals don’t prevent you from wandering; it’s just that there aren’t many places to stand and watch the game past the main-level concourses down each line. Plus, the aisles and rows between are narrow, and the angle of the seating differs: it’s a steep climb between rows in the upper deck, but the angle is so slight on the grandstand it’s sometimes hard for shorter fans to see the action. On the bright side, the seats are plenty wide, so once you’re sitting you’ll be comfortable.

Major-league baseball did mandate some improvements to RFK Stadium. A new videoboard in right field provides replays, scores and other game information. Concessions were upgraded after the first month of play, with fans complaining of long lines and little food selection (a problem that still exists, although we expect to see it change in coming seasons). The funky closed-circuit TV displays dating back to the Redskins days are still scattered through the concourses, their picture quality as fuzzy as ever. For anyone who spent a lot of time at Washington Redskins games, the memories will come back quickly.

Otherwise, there’s little in the way of interesting décor at the ballpark, with the most noteworthy flourish a huge clock in the outfield sporting a Nationals logo. A Washington Hall of Fame board in right field honors great athletes and sports figures of the past.

The more interesting décor may be the faces in the stands, as Washington’s political pundits – Bob Novak, Fred Barnes, David Brooks – are queued up for season tickets. (Alas, one of the problems faced by the Nats is the large number of people buying season tickets and not showing up for games, as the punditry class and other abandoned the team at the end of the season.) During our most recent visit, Fox News anchor Brit Hume threw out the first pitch: predictably, it sailed to the right of center.

RFK Stadium is a temporary home for the Nationals, as a new ballpark in Southeast D.C. is in the works. Considering the franchise has spent much of its history in “temporary” facilities -- Jarry Park, Hiram Bithorn Stadium, even the final days at Olympic Stadium -- the Nationals and their fans could do a lot worst than biding time at RFK Stadium.

Concessions
Concessions at RFK Stadium are weak. The Nationals are attracting a fairly upscale audience, but the food offerings are decidedly downscale. Most concessions stands offer the same limited menu: $4 hot dogs (avoid; ours was cold and bland), nachos, popcorn, chicken tenders, candy, and fries. Sausages and brats are sold at Dominic’s of New York stands (despite the name, Dominic’s is a Virginia firm).

One of the biggest complaints when the Nationals began their season was the lack of concession variety. If you look you can find some unique offerings, such as the Burrito Brothers burritos behind section 109, and the beer selections include Heineken, Dos Equis, Red Hook, Guinness, Harp, and Killians.

Behind section 116 there’s the Foggy Bottom Brewpub, serving beers from the Olde Heurich Brewing Company. Heurich is a traditional name in Washington brewing: the Christian Heurich brewery was a D.C. landmark for decades (it was torn down to make way for John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), and grandson Gary Heurich carries on the family tradition. Alas, the Foggy Bottom beers are contract-brewed in upstate New York. A special pilsner is brewed for consumption at RFK. Since the smoking regulations in D.C. are on the liberal side, this is a popular gathering spot for smokers. Mixed drinks are also on the menu here.

For the Kids
There is little for children at RFK Stadium past a play area outside the north side of the ballpark.

We’re not sure kids will be entertained by the Nationals’ mascot, Screech. Screech is a bad, bad mascot, resembling the pompous Sam the Eagle from the Muppets.

Ballpark History
The Montreal Expos formerly played at Olympic Stadium and Jarry Park.