Touring a Piece of Sports History
Do you consider yourself a true football and baseball fan? Have you followed the San Francisco 49ers or the Giants for as long as you remember? Does the idea of being able to truly experience a piece of their history excite you? Lucky for you, the three major stadiums in San Francisco are there for more than just an occasional football and baseball game. So if you and your friends are looking for a way to spend a day when there isn’t a game on the tube, check out these great opportunities to see the best these stadiums have to offer.
Candlestick Park
This iconic stadium was the home of both the 49ers and the Giants at one time. The San Francisco Giants played at Candlestick Park from 1960 to 2000 when they moved into the Pacific Bell Park which has since been renamed AT&T Park. Candlestick also hosted the San Francisco 49ers from 1971 until they also picked up stakes and moved to Levi’s Stadium before the beginning of this 2014 NFL season. However, just because this stadium no longer hears the cheers of football and baseball fans alike and they no longer host tours, you can still tour this piece of San Francisco sports history from the comfort of your couch. Check out the virtual tour that gives you a first person view from not only the 50 yard line, but the locker room and other well-known areas of the stadium as well.
AT&T Park
This stadium has a capacity of more than 41,000 seats and accommodating an additional 1500 in standing room. Originally named Pacific Bell Park, it went through one other name change (SBC Park) before receiving the name it is known for now: AT&T Park. While most famous for the baseball games it hosts for the San Francisco Giants, people have been able to catch musical events as well as the occasional other sporting event. The California Golden Bears played there during their 2011 season and the park was even used in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour.
If you’re in town for a game and want to experience everything the stadium has to offer, be sure to check out all the tour options available. While they have a great our and a half public tour that covers everything from the visitor’s batting cage to the dugout, to cover all the bases, so to speak, you definitely want to splurge on the “Splash Hit, Splash Down” By the Bay Package. Before getting the same tour offered in the basic public tour, you and your group will also load up on a San Francisco Duck tour for a tour of the city as well. You’ll definitely hit a home run when you tour the Bay Area and AT&T Park this way.
Levi’s Stadium
The newest stadium in San Francisco is the new Levi’s Stadium that was built specifically to host games for the San Francisco 49ers. This stadium hosted its inaugural 49ers game on August 17th, 2014 when they were unfortunately shutout by the Denver Broncos. This shouldn’t worry the die-hard 49ers fans, though, as this writer is certain they’ll end this season on a winning note. Levi’s stadium has set a new precedence for future stadiums in their abundance of technology. There is an obvious use of clean energy thanks to the solar bridges that will eventually hold hundreds of solar panels as well as a green roof on top of the suite tower on the stadium’s west side.
This icon of modern technology and home to new sports memories also offers up some pretty incredible tour options. Visitors will be able to view the main concourse, the Gold Rush Cheerleaders’ locker room, the NRG Solar Terrace, a locker room, the Champion’s Club, BNY Mellon Club, and even Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak & Pub Restaurant. You can join in on a public tour or reserve a private tour seven days a week with the exception of home game days, select Levi’s Stadium events, and some holidays.
Now that I’ve endowed you some of the basics of these three great stadiums located here in the beautiful Bay Area, make it a point to stop in for a tour. They are a great way to spend a day with your kids or even a starting point for a bachelor’s party. Make some new memories while checking out the history and future of these great sports venues.
photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vtravelled/5136444366/">vtravelled.com</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
