Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Comerica Park
Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team, is located on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit. Named for Comerica Bank, the ballpark’s construction cost $300 million. It was designed by the architectural firm HOK Sport Venue Event, which designed the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum as well as dozens of award-winning sports venues around the world. Construction on Comerica Park began in October, 1997. It was built on the former site of the Detroit College of Law.
On April 11, 2000, Comerica Park hosted its first Major League game, officially replacing Tiger Stadium as the home of the Tigers. Since then, the ballpark has hosted MLB World Series events, seasonal outdoor music concerts, a 2017 International Champion Cup soccer game, and several outdoor ice hockey games. In addition, the stadium hosts many community youth outreach events every year.
Comerica Park is a three level, open air stadium noted for its spectacular view of the downtown skyline. The venue offers over a hundred private suites, 70,000 square feet of retail space and 36,000 square feet of office space. As of 2020, the stadium seats 41,000 guests. In July 2008, its record attendance of 45,280 was reported.
The main concourse offers a decade-by-decade pedestrian museum known as the Walk of Fame. Along the left center field wall, six of the Detroit Tigers’ legendary players (Ty Cobb, Willie Horton, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg, Hal Newhouser and Al Kaline) are memorialized in 13-foot stainless steel statues atop granite pedestals. For amusement, there is tiger-themed carousel, a 50-foot baseball-themed ferris wheel and a large "liquid fireworks" wall fountain. Whenever the Tigers score, the sound of a roaring tiger is played over the speakers.
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