1966 Opening Day at Memorial Stadium

Lore & Background

The stadium was launched as Municipal Stadium in 1922, designed by Pleasants Pennington and Albert W. Lewis. It was primarily a football stadium with a horseshoe shape and an earthen-mound exterior. In July 1944, it was pressed into service as a baseball park by the Baltimore Orioles of the International League after their previous home burned down. The stadium was rebuilt in stages starting in 1949, with a second deck added in 1953–1954. The total cost of the multi-phase project was $6.5 million. On April 15, 1954, the new major league Orioles paraded from Baltimore City Hall to Memorial Stadium for their first home game, beating the Chicago White Sox 3–1.

In Their Own Story

The April sun beat down on the red clay of Memorial Stadium, illuminating the fresh green grass where legends were about to be forged. The crowd hummed with a nervous energy, sensing that something different was in the air. As Earl Weaver paced the dugout, his cap pulled low, he watched Frank Robinson take his position at third base, a new chapter written in chalk and dirt. When the first pitch crossed the plate, it wasn't just a game starting; it was the ignition of a firestorm that would sweep through baseball for years to come.

Reader's Guide

The stadium was bound by Ellerslie Avenue to the west, 36th Street to the north, and Ednor Road to the east. It hosted high school games, college games (including University of Maryland and Navy), minor league baseball, Negro league games, and later the NFL's Baltimore Colts and MLB's Baltimore Orioles. The Colts sold out 56 consecutive games during their peak years. The stadium was dubbed 'The World's Largest Outdoor Insane Asylum' due to fan devotion.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was built in what was formerly Venable Park, a city park from the 1920s.
• The 1922 version seated 70,000 to 80,000 people.
• The 1954 reconstruction cost $6.5 million.
• The stadium's name honored Baltimore's dead from World War II.