Music and Sports Venues

PNC Park

115 Federal St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

 

 

PNC Park is located along the banks of the Allegheny River on the North Shore in Pittsburgh, PA and is the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is a beautiful ballpark that sits across the river from downtown Pittsburgh and has stunning views of the city skyline from just about anywhere in the park. The stadium opened in 2001 and is still considered to be one of the nicest ballparks in major league baseball even though it is one of the smallest with a seating capacity of 38,362. The venue was built to resemble old Forbes Field where the Pirates played their games from 1909 to 1970 and as a salute to other Classic style parks such as Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. There are many things that make the ballpark unique. It is the first ballpark to be built with only 2 decks since the Milwaukee County Stadium opened in 1953. The luxury suites are located between the upper and lower decks. There is a restaurant above the left field bleachers that has views of both the playing field and the city. Anyone in the ballpark can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this restaurant/bar. There is also a U-shaped bar in right field that anyone can frequent. It too, offers views of the field and the city. The ballpark also has two food courts that fans can enjoy. One offers some of Western PA’s favorite foods while the other offers more traditional ballpark food. There are also restaurants along the River Walk that are accessible from both inside and outside of the park. You should come to this ballpark hungry so you can take advantage of the whole experience.

 

Previous to PNC Park the Pirates called Three River Stadium home for thirty years. They shared the stadium with the Steelers. The venue served its purpose but it certainly lacked the character of the new ballpark. In 1991 the mayor of Pittsburgh proposed that a new 44,000 seat stand-alone baseball stadium be built on the North Side. At that time it wasn’t even clear if the Pirates would stay in Pittsburgh. In 1996 (five years after the proposal) Kevin McClatchy bought the Pirates franchise. The new mayor then created a task force to study the costs and challenges of building a new stadium. When the study was finalized, it was determined the ballpark would be built on the North Shore Site. Construction costs for the new structure was $216 million. The Pirates fronted $40 million for the new ballpark and the rest came from public money. As a result the Pirates made a deal with the city to stay in Pittsburgh through 2031.

 

 

Construction began in April of 1999 and PNC Park took only 24 months to build. It was completed three months faster than any other Major League ballpark. There were many people in the city who wanted the Stadium named after Roberto Clemente (the Pirates star right fielder who was killed in a plane crash in 1972 while on the way to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua). However, PNC Financial Services had purchased the naming rights in 1998 before construction began on the stadium. PNC purchased the naming rights for twenty years through 2020 for $30 million. As a compromise, the city renamed the 6th Street Bridge (which crosses the river at the southwest corner of the ballpark) to the Roberto Clemente Bridge. On game days, the bridge is closed to all motorists so fans can park in the downtown area and walk across the bridge to the ballpark. There are also commemorative statues of Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell, Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente (all former Pirates players) located at various points outside of the stadium.

 

PNC Park is not only used for baseball. It has hosted concerts, trade shows, seminars and other events over the years. Some of the concerts have included Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffet and the Zac Brown Band to name a few. If you’re going to the ballpark there are many different options for parking. If you are driving from the north your best bet is to park on the North Shore. There are parking lots close to the stadium on the north side. If you are coming from the south, east or west you should consider parking in the downtown area and walking across the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Parking is somewhat cheaper in the garages downtown. You can also park at any of the stops along the Light Rail (“T”) service and ride to the stadium. The “T” service is free and the ballpark is served by the North Side Transit Station. There is also easy access to interstates 279, 376 and 579 near the stadium.

 

If you’re going to be in Pittsburgh you should plan to attend an event at PNC Park. This is a beautiful ballpark and you will be happy you decided to go.

 

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