The Houston Astros are one of the most famous teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). While they are now a member of the American League (AL), they also represented the National League (NL) in the past. Nicknamed as “Stros”, they have won the World Series Championship twice in their history so far. However, they have won three NL West Division Championships, four NL Central Division Championships and six AL West Division Championships along with four AL pennants so far.
Jim Crane is the present owner of the Houston Astros team. Notably, Dana Brown serves as the General Manager of the team and Joe Espada has been chosen as the new manager for the team from the 2024 MLB season after former manager Dusty Baker retired in 2023.
What is the name of the Houston Astros’ Stadium?
Minute Maid Park is the official stadium for the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed “The Juice Box”, it is based in Houston, Texas, United States. The Houston Astros have used this stadium for their home games since 2000.
Minute Maid Park’s History/ Minute Maid Park Construction and Cost
The Astrodome served as the earlier home stadium for the Houston Astros. However, the stadium was renovated in 1988. Despite this, the team felt that it was no longer fulfilling the needs of the team and the fans. They originally wanted to build the new stadium next to the Astrodome. However, the now defunct Enron provided the help of necessary funding and a new site was selected 14 km away from the old stadium. It was agreed that a $250 million baseball stadium along with a retractable roof would be constructed in the area. Accordingly, the construction work started eleven months after the decision. Initially, the park was named the Ballpark at Union Station. However, after Enron purchased the naming rights for the stadium for 30 years for $100 million, it was renamed as Enron Field. Unfortunately, the company suffered a financial scandal in 2001 and the team canceled their partnership in February 2002. The stadium was renamed as Astros Field. Then Minute Maid, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola purchased the naming rights of the stadium for $100 million for 30 years and the stadium was finally renamed as Minute Maid Park. The stadium was made accessible for the public on March 30, 2000.
The Minute Maid Park is a retro modern baseball stadium. It is also one of the most hitter friendly stadiums in MLB. There is a big statue of a locomotive, which reminds the fans of the Union Station that was added into the stadium. This train moves on a track of 240 meters whenever any player of the Houston Astros score a home run, fields and pitches first or when the team wins home games. The stadium authorities added free Wi-Fi for the fans in 2004. Additionally, there is also a video screen specially for fans suffering from hearing issues to enjoy the game. The stadium also has the 4th largest scoreboard, which was added in 2011. It is 54 feet high and 124 feet wide. The stadium also has the Plaza which has statues of former players like Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell in batting poses with all the championships the team won. Moreover, the stadium can also be fully air conditioned if necessary.
There is the Phillips 66 Home Plate Tower where the fans can dance to music. The concession stands of the stadium has a food plaza with notable restaurants and bars like The Michelob Ultra Bar, which also provides an impressive view of the field. The Union Station area of the stadium has “The Shed”, the merchandise store for the team. For the kids, the Minute Maid Squeeze Play has several interactive games along with a dedicated baseball arena.
The field surface of the stadium has been created by using Seashore Paspalum. The left field is 315 feet, the left center field is 366 feet and the deep left center field is 399 feet. The right field is 326 feet, the right center field is 370 feet and the deep right center field is 408 feet. The center field is 409 feet while the backstop is 49 feet. The construction of Minute Maid Park was $250 million in 2000, which was equal to $425 million as of 2022. Populous and Molina & Associates did the construction work for the stadium.
Minute Maid Park’s Capacity
Minute Maid Park has the capacity to support 41,168 fans as of 2024. However, it can accommodate 44,000 fans by standing. The stadium saw a record attendance of 44,203 fans during a Houston Astros vs St. Louis Cardinals game on September 26, 2001. Unfortunately, the Houston Astros lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 1-5.
This is a look at the capacity for Minute Maid Park from the beginning till now.
| Years | Capacity |
| 2000-2005 | 40,950 |
| 2006-2010 | 40,976 |
| 2011 | 40,963 |
| 2012 | 40,981 |
| 2013-2014 | 42,060 |
| 2015 | 41,574 |
| 2016 | 41,676 |
| 2017-Present | 41,168 |
Minute Maid Park Seating Chart
The following is the seating chart for fans for a baseball game at Minute Maid Park:
The Houston Astros have informed their fans that the Phillips 66 Diamond Club and Sections 112-126 are screened with netting for the protection of the fans. However, they can still be injured due to bats or bat fragments or balls thrown or hit. In such cases the fans are responsible for injuries. They should contact the Houston Astros ticket office for betting seating options, netting and screening coverage.
What is the parking cost at Minute Maid Park? Parking Map
The following is the parking map available for fans for a baseball game at Minute Maid Park.
The Houston Astros have six main parking lots, Diamond Lot, Lot A, Lot B, Lot C, Lot D and Lot E. However, there are almost 25,000 parking spaces available just a short distance away from the stadium. The team has suggested their fans visit their parking page on SpotHero and choose their convenient parking spaces.
As per online sources, these are parking prices for the five lots at Minute Maid Park:
| Parking Lots | Pre Parking Tickets | Game Day Parking Tickets |
| Diamond Lot | $9 | $10 |
| Lot A | $35 | $50 |
| Lot B | $35 | $50 |
| Lot C | $9 | $10 |
| Lot D | $9 | $10 |
| Lot E | $30 | NA |
Minute Maid Park’s Notable Events
Minute Maid Park, being the home for the Houston Astros has been a witness to several notable events in baseball.
| Dates | Events |
| March 30, 2000 | First exhibition baseball game was hosted at this stadium. The Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 6-5 |
| April 7, 2000 | First MLB game was played at the stadium. The Houston Astros lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 1-4. The late Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron threw the first ceremonial pitch |
| September 26, 2001 | The stadium saw a record attendance of 44,203 fans during a Houston Astros vs St. Louis Cardinals game. Unfortunately, the Houston Astros lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 1-5 |
| October 9, 2005 | The longest MLB postseason game was played at the stadium. The Houston Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-6 after an 18 inning game that took 7 hours to complete |
| October 25, 2005 | The longest MLB World Series game was played at the stadium. The Houston Astros lost to the Chicago White Sox 5-7 after an 14 inning game which took 6 hours to complete |
| September 30, 2007 | Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros played his final MLB game. The stadium sold 43,823 tickets |
| August 21, 2015 | The first no-hit was pitched at the stadium by Mike Fiers of the Houston Astros |
| October 24, 2017-November 1, 2017 | The Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 and became the MLB World Series Champions for the first time in this stadium. They also won their first AL West Division Championship and AL pennant in this stadium |
Other Sports
Soccer
Minute Maid Park had been the host of a soccer game in 2006.
| Date | Team | Result | Team | Tournament |
| February 22, 2006 | Club América | 2–1 | Portmore United | 2006 CONCACAF Champions' Cup Quarterfinal |
WWE
Minute Maid Park was the home of the 2020 WWE Royal Rumble on January 26, 2020. Drew McIntyre won the Royal Rumble by eliminating Roman Reigns with a Claymore kick.
Music Concerts
Several notable artists had also performed their music concerts at Minute Maid Park. This includes Madonna (2008), Taylor Swift (2011,2015), Paul McCartney (2012), Beyonce & Jay-Z (2014), The Eagles (2018), Ed Sheeran (2018), Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer (2021), Def Leppard & Motley Crue (2022), Bad Bunny (2022), Lady Gaga (2022), Billy Joel (2022), Red Hot Chili Peppers (2023), P!nk (2023), Guns N’ Roses (2023) and Morgan Wallen (2023).
In 2024, the stadium will see Def Leppard & Journey performing on August 14, 2024. This will be followed by Chris Stapleton performing on August 24, 2024.
FAQ's On Houston Astros Stadium
Q. What is the official stadium for the Houston Astros?
A. The official stadium for the Houston Astros is Minute Maid Park.
A. The official stadium for the Houston Astros is Minute Maid Park.
Q. What was the construction cost of Minute Maid Park?
A. Minute Maid Park’s construction cost $250 million in 2000.
A. Minute Maid Park’s construction cost $250 million in 2000.
Q. When was the first MLB game at Minute Maid Park?
A. April 7, 2000 was the date for the first MLB game at Minute Maid Park.
A. April 7, 2000 was the date for the first MLB game at Minute Maid Park.
Q. What is the capacity of Minute Maid Park?
A. Minute Maid Park can support 41,168 fans, which can be increased to 44,000 fans by standing.
A. Minute Maid Park can support 41,168 fans, which can be increased to 44,000 fans by standing.
Q. What were the previous names of Minute Maid Park?
A. The Ballpark at Union Station, Enron Field and Astros Park were the previous names of Minute Maid Park.
A. The Ballpark at Union Station, Enron Field and Astros Park were the previous names of Minute Maid Park.
