The Pirates and their fans have always held PNC Park in the highest regard, ever since its opening back in 2001. The gorgeous ballpark, situated along the Allegheny River on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, has also received rave reviews from virtually anyone who has ever visited, no matter where they call home.
The team’s 25th season at PNC Park will get underway on Friday at 4:12 p.m., when the New York Yankees will provide the opposition in the opening game of a three-game weekend series.
“The home opener is always a special day for our city, and this season, it’s extra special as we celebrate our 25th year at PNC Park,” Pirates president Travis Williams said during the team’s annual media open house on Wednesday. “Our ballpark has been widely recognized as the best ballpark in America for a reason.
“As you sit in any seat, tune into the telecast of a game or follow along on social media, you see that this ballpark is the ultimate postcard for Pittsburgh. It’s a stunning view of the river, bridges and skyline that demonstrates just how clean, vibrant and beautiful our city is.”
In a report that was released last month, USA TODAY ranked PNC Park first among all Major League stadiums for the second straight year. Eight baseball reporters and editors from the USA TODAY Network rated each current stadium and then used the aggregate scores to determine the rankings. Oracle Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants, was second on the list.
The media open house offered opportunities for still photographers and TV camera people to take “beauty shots” of PNC Park as the Pirates’ grounds crew was busy preparing the field for the home opener. The tour also included a visit to the Fanatics Clubhouse Store to see the dazzling array of Pirates merchandise that will be available this season, and the unveiling of the new season-ticket holders’ headquarters and a collection of the team’s promotional giveaway items.
The festivities concluded with members of the media having the enviable chance to sample a variety of creative new food items from Aramark that will be available either at the concession stands or in the suites this season. Among them were the Kielbasa Cheesesteak, Chili Crunch Cheeseburger, Hot Honey Chicken Croissant, Polish Cannonballs (featuring egg noodles, kielbasa, cabbage and cheddar cheese) and the Fried Almond Torte with raspberry sauce.
Now 25 years in, PNC Park is exhibiting remarkable staying power. The 38,000-plus seat facility remains every bit as breathtaking as it was when it opened. But it’s much more than a thing of beauty. Through a steady series of improvements and renovations, the ballpark is more state of the art and fan-friendly than ever.
In fact, the past few years have seen the Pirates reimagine the Riverwalk experience in the outfield, upgrade the main concourse, renovate the suites, expand the team store and install a new sound system and a massive new scoreboard.
“Bob Nutting’s vision has been to maintain what makes PNC Park great while continuing to evolve the fan experience,” Williams said. “By prioritizing the fan experience and ballpark improvements, we have made sure that PNC Park stands the test of time.”