Angel Stadium facts for kids
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The Big A
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Angel Stadium in 2019
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 Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Location in California
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Location in the United States
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| Former names | Anaheim Stadium (1966–1997) Edison International Field of Anaheim (1998–2003) |
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| Address | 2000 Gene Autry Way |
| Location | Anaheim, California, US |
| Coordinates | 33°48′1″N 117°52′58″W / 33.80028°N 117.88278°W |
| Public transit |   Anaheim |
| Owner | City of Anaheim |
| Operator | Angels Baseball LP |
| Capacity | 43,250 (1966) 64,593 (Baseball—1980) 69,008 (Football—1980) 45,517 (2019–present) |
| Record attendance | Baseball: 64,406 October 5, 1982 (ALCS Game 1) |
| Field size | Left Field – 347 ft (105.8 m) Left-Center – 390 ft (118.9 m) Center Field – 396 ft (120.7 m) Right-Center – 370 ft (112.8 m) Right-Center (shallow) – 365 ft (111.3 m) Right Field – 350 ft (106.7 m) Backstop – 60.5 ft (18.4 m)  |
| Surface | Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 31, 1964 |
| Opened | April 19, 1966 April 1, 1998 (renovations) |
| Construction cost | US$24 million ($155 million in 2021 dollars ) $118 million (1997–1999 renovations) ($186 million in 2021 dollars ) |
| Architect | Noble W. Herzberg and Associates (1966) HOK Sport Robert A. M. Stern, and Walt Disney Imagineering (Renovations) |
| General contractor | Del E. Webb Company (1966) Turner Construction Company (Renovations) |
| Tenants | |
| Los Angeles Angels (MLB) (1966–present) Orange County Ramblers (CoFL) (1967–1968) Cal State Fullerton Titans football (NCAA) (1970–1971, 1983) Southern California Sun (WFL) (1974–1975) Long Beach State 49ers football (NCAA) (1977–1982) California Surf (NASL) (1978–1981) Los Angeles Rams (NFL) (1980–1994) Freedom Bowl (NCAA) (1984–1994) |
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Angel Stadium of Anaheim, often called Angel Stadium, is a famous baseball stadium in Anaheim, California. It opened in 1966 and has been the home field for the Major League Baseball team, the Los Angeles Angels, ever since. From 1980 to 1994, it was also the home stadium for the Los Angeles Rams football team.
People often call the stadium The Big A. It's one of the oldest active baseball parks in the major leagues, after Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium. Angel Stadium has hosted the important All-Star Game three times: in 1967, 1989, and 2010.
The ARTIC is a nearby transportation hub. You can get to the stadium easily from there using trains like Metrolink Orange County Line and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner. This makes it simple for fans to visit the stadium, the nearby Honda Center, and even Disneyland.
Besides professional baseball and football, Angel Stadium has hosted many other events. These include high school and college football games, concerts, and even religious gatherings. The stadium also has the offices and studios for the Angels' own radio station, KLAA (830 AM).
Contents
Where is Angel Stadium?
Angel Stadium and its large parking lot are located in Anaheim, California. They are surrounded by major roads like Katella Avenue to the north and the Orange Freeway to the east.
The Big A Sign
The famous "Big A" sign is a landmark near the stadium's eastern side. It used to hold up the scoreboard in left field. This sign is 230-foot (70 m) tall and weighs 210 tons! The "halo" at the top of the sign lights up when the Angels win a game, whether they are playing at home or away. It stays lit all the time now, but shines even brighter after an Angels victory.
History of Angel Stadium
How it Started
Angel Stadium became the Angels' home when they moved from Los Angeles. Construction began on August 31, 1964. In 1966, the team, then called the California Angels, moved into their new stadium. Before this, they played at Dodger Stadium for four seasons. In their very first season in 1961, the Angels played at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field.
The stadium was built on about 160 acres (0.65 km2) of flat farmland in Anaheim. Like many sports stadiums built in the 1960s, it was placed in a suburban area, but one that was already popular with tourists.
The field's measurements, like the distance to the fences, were carefully planned by the Angels. They wanted to make sure the field was fair for both pitchers and hitters. Over the years, they made small changes to these distances to keep the game balanced. For example, the center field at 396 feet (120.7 m) is one of the shortest in the American League.
Even with these changes, legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan had amazing success here. He threw two of his seven career no-hitters at this ballpark. He also recorded 2,416 strikeouts during his eight seasons with the Angels. One of his no-hitters in 1975 tied a record set by Sandy Koufax.
The Rams Move In
In the late 1970s, the owner of the Los Angeles Rams football team wanted a more modern stadium than the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He also wanted a smaller stadium so that Rams games would not be blocked from being shown on local TV. The Coliseum was too big, and the Rams often had trouble filling it.
So, the Rams moved from Los Angeles to an expanded Anaheim Stadium. To make room for more football fans, about 23,000 seats were added. The stadium was made into a fully enclosed shape. The famous "Big A" sign was moved 1,300 feet (395 m) to its current spot in the parking lot. A new scoreboard was installed in left field.
These changes were not always good for the Angels baseball team or their fans. Many of the new seats were too far from the baseball action. Even though the stadium could hold more people, it often looked empty because it was so large. The Rams played at Anaheim Stadium until they moved to St. Louis after the 1994 season.
In 1994, an earthquake caused the left-field scoreboard to fall onto the seats below. Luckily, no one was hurt because it happened early in the morning when no games were being played. The damaged area was rebuilt with a new scoreboard.
The Disney Era
In 1996, The Walt Disney Company took control of the Angels team. Disney owned the team for a while, and the stadium is very close to Disneyland. The Angels and the city of Anaheim agreed to a new deal to keep the team in Anaheim. As part of this deal, the stadium went through a big renovation. It was changed back to be a baseball-only stadium.
Before the 1997 baseball season, the section behind the outfield wall was removed. This brought back the beautiful views of the mountains and the freeway. The stadium's outside was also updated with new colors.
The most exciting part of the renovation was the "California Spectacular." This is a special area behind the left-center field fence with geysers, a stream, and artificial rocks covered with real trees. Fireworks shoot out from this display at the start of games, after every Angels home run, and after every Angels win.
The field dimensions became a bit uneven after the changes. A 19-foot (5.8 m) high wall was built in right field, which has a scoreboard showing scores from other games. A plaza was built around the stadium with statues of former Angels owner Gene Autry and Michelle Carew, the daughter of former Angel Rod Carew.
The main entrance has two huge Angels hats. Inside, there's a brick infield with names of Angels players engraved on bricks. The Angels opened their "new" stadium on April 1, 1998, winning 4–1 against the New York Yankees. The renovated stadium has many club seats and luxury suites.
In 1998, the stadium was renamed Edison International Field of Anaheim. This was because a local company, Edison International, bought the rights to name the stadium for 20 years. People sometimes called it "The Big Ed." However, in 2003, Edison International ended the deal. On December 29, 2003, the stadium officially became known as Angel Stadium of Anaheim again. Disney also sold the Angels team around this time.
Modern Updates
In 2009, new LED video screens were installed at the stadium. The largest screen is 41 ft (12.50 m) high and 67 ft (20.42 m) wide. In 2017-2018, the Angels upgraded the video boards even more. The new right field board is one of the largest in Major League Baseball. A new sound system was also added.
Angel Stadium is set to host baseball and softball events for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
In recent years, there were discussions about selling the stadium and the land around it. However, in May 2022, the Anaheim City Council decided to stop the sale.
Seating Capacity
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Notable Events at Angel Stadium
Baseball Highlights
Angel Stadium has hosted the MLB All-Star Game three times. The 1967 game was the first All-Star Game ever played at night on prime-time television.
The stadium has also hosted many important playoff games, including the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series. Most famously, it hosted the 2002 World Series, which the Angels won in an exciting series against the San Francisco Giants. This was a huge win for the team and their long-time owner, Gene Autry.
Many famous baseball moments have happened here:
- Mickey Mantle hit his last game-winning home run.
- Nolan Ryan struck out nine straight Boston Red Sox players and threw two of his record seven no-hitters.
- Reggie Jackson hit his 500th career home run.
- Rod Carew got his 3,000th career hit.
- Don Sutton earned his 300th career win.
- Vladimir Guerrero hit his 400th career home run.
- George Brett got his 3,000th career hit.
- Albert Pujols hit his 600th career home run.
On August 9, 2014, the stadium hosted its longest game ever. It lasted 6 hours and 31 minutes! The Angels won 5–4 against the Boston Red Sox with a walk-off home run in the 19th inning.
Football Highlights
- In 1984, Eric Dickerson broke the NFL single-season rushing record here, gaining 2,007 yards in one game.
- In December 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles used Angel Stadium as their practice field.
Soccer Matches
Angel Stadium hosted five group stage matches for the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup, including two games with the U.S. national team.
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Tournament | Spectators |
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| January 10, 1996 |  Canada |
3–1 |  Honduras |
1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup First Round | 27,125 |
 El Salvador |
3–2 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
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| January 13, 1996 |  United States |
3–2 | Trinidad and Tobago |
12,425 | |
| January 16, 1996 |  Guatemala |
3–0 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
52,345 | |
| United States |
2–0 | El Salvador |
Concerts and Other Events
Angel Stadium has hosted many famous music artists, including The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Madonna, and U2.
It has also been the site for:
- Motorcycle speedway races.
- AMA Supercross Championship rounds.
- Monster Jam shows.
- Annual Christian Harvest Crusades.
- Muslim Eid el Fitr celebrations.
- A commencement speech by former President Barack Obama in 2014 for the University of California, Irvine.
Movies Filmed Here
Several movies have used Angel Stadium as a filming location:
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
- My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
- Taking Care of Business (1990)
- The Disney remake of Angels in the Outfield (1994)
- The Fan (1996)
- Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
Regular Season Home Attendance
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Images for kids
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A schematic view of Angel Stadium's dimensions.
See also
In Spanish: Angel Stadium of Anaheim para niños
