Busch Memorial Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The stadium opened on May 12, 1966, while the final game at Sportsman's Park was played on September 11, 1965, replacing a venue that had become dilapidated by 1953. Designed as a "cookie-cutter" multipurpose facility similar to those in Atlanta and Pittsburgh, it featured a removable Astroturf infield for football games until 1978, when sliding pits were installed. The playing surface was notoriously hot, with temperatures well above official readings during the baseball season due to the artificial turf introduced in 1970. Its legacy includes four World Series appearances: a seven-game victory over the Boston Red Sox in 1967, a seven-game loss to the Detroit Tigers in 1968, a comeback win against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982, and a seven-game loss to the Kansas City Royals in 1985. The 1985 National League Championship Series is also etched in memory for Ozzie Smith's iconic left-handed home run, prompting announcer Jack Buck to shout, "Go Crazy Folks!" The stadium was eventually torn down piece-by-piece from November 7 to December 5, 2005, avoiding implosion due to the proximity of the MetroLink tunnel.

In Their Own Story

Groundbreaking began on May 25, 1964, following a city plan to revitalize downtown that included condemning local areas like the historic Grand Theater. The project was driven by the need for parking and modern facilities after the NFL's Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis in 1959, altering the original baseball-only design. Construction took just under two years, creating a complex that also housed the Stouffer's Riverfront Inn and office buildings. Over the decades, bronze statues of legends like Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, and Ozzie Smith lined the grounds. In 1995, following the Rams' departure to the new Dome at America's Center, the Cardinals retrofitted the venue into a baseball-only stadium by closing upper deck seats and restoring natural grass. The final demolition began in late 2005, with the site later partially occupied by the new Busch Stadium (Busch Stadium III) and eventually Ballpark Village.

Reader's Guide

Visitors to this historic site would find themselves entering a circular stadium defined by its open-air concrete tiers and the distinctive "Crown of Arches" roof. The facility hosted six different World Series seasons, though the text specifically details championships in 1967 and 1982. Fans experienced extreme summer heat on the Astroturf before the switch to natural grass in 1995, which also saw outfield walls repainted from blue to green. The stadium was accessible via downtown development plans that included parking garages established during construction. While it hosted major concerts like a Beatles performance and the 1966 All-Star Game, its primary identity remained with the Cardinals and NFL's Cardinals. The demolition process was methodical, utilizing a wrecking ball rather than explosives to protect surrounding infrastructure.

Did You Know?

• The stadium opened on May 12, 1966, while the final game at Sportsman's Park was played on September 11, 1965—over eight months earlier.
• The 96-arch roof called the "Crown of Arches" was designed by Sverdrup & Parcel, with Edward Durell Stone as a consulting architect, to echo the nearby Gateway Arch.
• Anheuser-Busch purchased the stadium in 1981 for $53 million and removed "Memorial" from the name in January 1982.
• The playing surface was among the hottest in baseball due to Astroturf installed in 1970, with temperatures exceeding local official readings.
• Demolition was conducted piece-by-piece from November 7 to December 5, 2005, instead of implosion to avoid damaging the nearby MetroLink tunnel.