I had heard great things about this stadium. It was named the best stadium of the 2006 Tour for the Cure by Cass. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high just in case it fell short of my lofty expectations. Good news—this really is the best stadium in the country (at least, so far that I have seen). Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium is one of the coolest and most unique places you will ever see a baseball game. It was built into a historic train station that was first constructed in 1898, and many of the stations features are still there today as part of the stadium. The team offices are part of the station—the old safes throughout the station are used as storage units. There are 20 luxury suites, six of which are built on top of the old train terminal and offer some great views of the field. The stadium also offers a 360 degree concourse, something that most other minor league ballparks don’t have. More interesting are the trains that pass by left field throughout the course of the game. The mayor of Montgomery has stated that he will pledge $1,000 to any Biscuits player who hits a homerun where the ball hits the train. It happened twice in 2006, and I’m sure it’s bound to happen again this year.

This is the REAL baseball experience we have been looking for on the trip. The smell of ballpark food is overwhelming when you enter through the train station terminal. You know they are doing it right when you see a Philly Cheesesteak stand in Montgomery, Alabama. Fans have the option of choosing general admission and bringing their own lawn chairs, or sitting in one of the two other designated seating areas. Out in center field sits a huge picnic area with a giant tent where people can sit at tables and enjoy the view of the entire stadium. There isn’t a bad place to see the game in the whole park.

As for the game, it was the 5th highest total attendance at the stadium since it opened in 2004. Almost 7,300 people watched what turned out to be a great game. The Biscuits jumped out to a big lead on the Huntsville Stars. In the 6th inning, the Stars mounted an unbelievable comeback and eventually took the lead. In the end, the Biscuits rallied to take the game 7-6. There were also fireworks after the game, a perfect way to celebrate a great victory. You can see samples of the fireworks show here and here.

I had a chance to go on the radio tonight during the 7th inning. Jim and Jesse are two fantastic broadcasters for the Biscuits, thanks so much to them for making sure our visit to Riverwalk Park was a great one. While I was up in the broadcasting booth, I managed to take a short video of the Biscuits announcers in action during the 6th inning.

After all of the fans had left, local boy scouts flooded the field with tents and sleeping bags. They had the opportunity to camp out in the outfield for the night, which is something I’m sure most people don’t get to do. There is a bunch more I could say about this stadium—it’s a perfect place to see a baseball game. Thanks again to Jim, Jesse and all of the Biscuits staff for everything!