Fenway Park in Back Bay

Stepping into this stadium is like walking back in time. With its signature feature, the Green Monster as the 37-foot high left field wall and a manually-operated score board, this is a unique piece of civic history. The building opened in 1912 and is now America's oldest baseball park and is the home to the Red Sox team. Although, the structure has survived several fires over the years, it still stands strong. For those who cannot attend a Red Sox game, take one of the guided tours, available from May through September.

Though generations have come and gone, Fenway Park remains, much like it did the day it opened on April 20, 1912.

The home of the Boston Red Sox resounds with the echoes of great baseball players: Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Jimmy Collins, Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker, Harry Hooper, Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski, to name just a few.

Fenway Park is actually the second home for the Sox. In 1901, the Boston Americans became one of the charter members of the fledgling American League. The Americans played ball at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, now a part of Northeastern University's campus.

Boston Globe owner General Charles Henry Taylor, a Civil War veteran, bought the team for his son John I. Taylor in 1904. At various times were called the Puritans, Pilgrims and Plymouth Rocks. In 1907, owner Taylor changed the club's name from the Pilgrims to the Red Sox. In 1910, tired of the leasing arrangement for the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Taylor announced that he would build a ballpark for his Red Sox. Taylor dubbed the new ballpark Fenway Park because of its location in the Fenway section of Boston.

Facts

Fenway Park measures 310 feet (94.5 meters) down the left field line: 379 feet (115.5 meters) in left center field; 390 feet (118.9 meters) in center field; 420 feet (128 meters) in deep center field; 380 feet (115.8 meters) in deep right field; and 302 feet (92 meters) down the right field line.

The left field wall -- also known as the Green Monster -- measures 37 feet (11.3 meters) high, with the screen above the wall extending 23 feet (7 meters). The center field wall is 17 feet (5.2 meters) high, the bullpen fences measure five feet (1.5 meters) and the right field fence is 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) high.

Opening Day for Fenway Park was April 20, 1912. The Red Sox defeated the New York Highlanders (later named the Yankees) 7-6 in 11 innings before 27,000 fans. Tris Speaker drove in the winning run.

Fenway Park was actually due to open two days earlier, on April 18; however, there were two postponements due to rain.

Of course, the opening of Fenway Park was pushed off the front pages of Boston newspapers by news of the Titanic sinking. Navin Field (later known as Tiger Stadium) in Detroit opened the same day as Fenway Park