Daikin Park facts for kids
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The Ice Box
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Daikin Park in 2024
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 Daikin Park
Location in Houston Downtown
Daikin Park
Location in Texas
Daikin Park
Location in the United States
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| Former names | The Ballpark at Union Station (planning phase) Enron Field (2000–2002) Astros Field (February–July 2002) Minute Maid Park (July 2002–January 1, 2025) |
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| Address | 501 Crawford Street |
| Location | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 29°45′25″N 95°21′20″W / 29.75694°N 95.35556°W |
| Public transit |  METRORail:   (at Convention District) METRO bus: 3, 6, 11, 20, 30, 37, 48, 50, 77, 137, 163, 236, 255, 256, 257 |
| Parking | Estimated 25,000 total spots within walking distance |
| Owner | Harris County-Houston Sports Authority |
| Operator | Harris County-Houston Sports Authority |
| Capacity | 41,168 (2017–present) 41,676 (2016) 41,574 (2015) 42,060 (2013–2014) 40,981 (2012) 40,963 (2011) 40,976 (2006–2010) 40,950 (2000–2005) |
| Record attendance | 44,203, September 26, 2001 |
| Field size | Left field – 315 feet (96.0 m) Left-center – 366 feet (111.6 m) Left-center (deep) – 399 feet (121.6 m) Center field – 409 feet (124.7 m) Right-center (deep) 408 feet (124.4 m) Right-center – 370 feet (112.8 m) Right field – 326 feet (99.4 m) Backstop – 49 feet (15 m)  |
| Surface | Platinum TE Paspalum (grass) |
| Scoreboard | 54 feet (16.5 m) high by 124 feet (37.8 m) wide |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 1, 1997 |
| Opened | March 30, 2000 (exhibition) April 7, 2000 (regular season) |
| Renovated | 2010 (offseason), 2017 (offseason) |
| Construction cost | US$250 million ($425 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HOK Sport (now Populous) Molina & Associates |
| Project manager | Schindewolfe and Associates |
| Structural engineer | Walter P Moore |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc. (Bowl) Uni-Systems, Inc. (Roof) |
| General contractor | Brown & Root/Barton Malow/Empire Joint Venture |
| Tenants | |
| Houston Astros (MLB) 2000–present | |
Daikin Park is a cool baseball stadium in Houston, Texas. It has a special roof that can open and close! The park first opened in 2000. It's the home field for the Houston Astros, a team in Major League Baseball (MLB).
The stadium can hold over 41,000 fans. It has a real grass field, which is awesome for baseball. Daikin Park was built to replace the Astrodome, which was the world's first domed stadium for baseball and football.
Contents
History of Daikin Park
From Train Station to Ballpark
Before it was a ballpark, the land where Daikin Park stands was home to Union Station. This was a big train station built in 1911. It was a very important place for trains in the Southern United States.
The station was made with strong materials like granite and marble. For over 70 years, it was Houston's main spot for people traveling by train. But after World War II, fewer people traveled by train. The last regular train left in 1974. After that, the building was used for offices.
How the Park Was Planned
In the mid-1990s, the Houston Astros baseball team needed a new home. Their old stadium, the Astrodome, was getting old. The team's owner, Drayton McLane, wanted a modern stadium.
At first, people thought about building the new park next to the Astrodome. But then, a businessman named Kenneth Lay suggested building it downtown. This idea gained support, especially because it would include a cool retractable roof.
In November 1996, people in Harris County voted to help pay for the new ballpark. The vote was very close, but it passed! This led to the creation of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. This group helped manage the money and building of the stadium.
Building the Stadium
The stadium's design was created by HOK Sport (now called Populous). They made sure to include parts of the old Union Station building. This means the main entrance to the park is actually inside the historic train station!
Construction started on October 30, 1997. The stadium was built to be a modern baseball park. It even has statues of famous Astros players, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, outside. These statues show them playing baseball together.
Naming the Park
When the park first opened in 2000, it was called "Enron Field." This was because a company named Enron paid a lot of money for the naming rights. But Enron later had big problems, so the Astros ended the deal in 2002.
For a short time, it was called "Astros Field." Then, in July 2002, a company called Minute Maid bought the naming rights. It was known as "Minute Maid Park" for many years.
As of January 1, 2025, the stadium is now called Daikin Park. This new name comes from a Japanese company, Daikin, which now holds the naming rights.
Changes Over Time
Over the years, Daikin Park has had some cool updates:
- In 2004, Wi-Fi was added so fans could use the internet. It was also one of the first stadiums to have a special screen just for closed captions.
- In 2006, funny Chick-fil-A cow signs were put on the foul poles. If an Astros player hits a pole, everyone gets a free chicken sandwich!
- In 2011, a giant HD video screen called "El Grande" was installed. It's one of the biggest scoreboards in baseball!
- After the 2013 season, the park was repainted to match the Astros' new team colors of navy and orange.
- In 2017, a unique part of the field called "Tal's Hill" was removed to add more seats and make the outfield a bit shorter.
- In 2022, the park added "Just Walk Out" technology from Amazon to some food stands. This means you can grab snacks and leave without waiting in line!
Exciting Events at Daikin Park
Baseball History Made Here
Daikin Park has seen many amazing baseball moments:
- In 2005, it hosted the longest postseason game in MLB history at the time. The Astros won in 18 innings!
- Later in 2005, it hosted the first World Series games ever played in Texas.
- In 2015, Astros pitcher Mike Fiers threw the stadium's first no-hitter game.
- The Astros won the 2017 World Series and the 2022 World Series. They celebrated their 2022 championship right on their home field at Daikin Park!
- The stadium will also host games for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Other Fun Events
Daikin Park isn't just for baseball!
- Soccer: It hosted a soccer game in 2006.
- Wrestling: In 2020, it hosted the Royal Rumble, a huge professional wrestling event.
- Concerts: Many famous musicians have performed here, including Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Madonna, Bad Bunny, and Lady Gaga.
- TV Shows: The TV show Rachael Ray even held a mass wedding at the park in 2008!
- Other Sports: It hosts college baseball tournaments and even a professional boxing match in 2015.
- Graduations: The University of Houston–Downtown holds its graduation ceremonies at Daikin Park.
- Super Bowl: In 2017, it hosted the "Super Bowl Opening Night" for Super Bowl LI.
Cool Features of Daikin Park
The Famous Train
One of the most unique things about Daikin Park is the train! It's a replica of an old steam locomotive. The train moves along a track on the wall in left field. It moves when the Astros take the field, when an Astros player hits a home run, and when the Astros win a game.
The train's tender (the car behind the engine) used to be filled with giant oranges when Minute Maid had the naming rights. Now, it's filled with giant baseballs to celebrate Daikin Park!
Crawford Boxes
The Crawford Boxes are a special seating area in left field. They are named after Crawford Street, which runs next to the park. This section is very close to home plate, only 315 feet away! This makes it one of the shortest distances to the outfield fence in all of Major League Baseball.
Home runs hit here have to clear a 19-foot wall. Below the boxes is a scoreboard that shows scores from other games.
Other Cool Stuff
- Retractable Roof: The stadium has a roof that can open or close depending on the weather. This is great for hot Houston summers!
- Scoreboards: Besides "El Grande," there's a smaller HD screen in left field and ribbon boards around the park.
- Phillips 66 Home Run Pump: In left-center field, there's a giant gas pump that keeps track of how many home runs the Astros have hit since the park opened.
- Union Station Lobby: The main entrance is inside the beautiful old Union Station building.
Getting to Daikin Park
Daikin Park is in downtown Houston, making it easy to reach. You can drive there, and there are lots of parking spots nearby.
You can also use public transportation. Houston's METRORail light rail system has a station called Convention District Station just one block away. The Red Line also stops a few blocks west at Preston Station.
Hurricane Harvey's Impact
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused a lot of flooding in Houston. Daikin Park, then Minute Maid Park, was affected, but it stayed in good shape. The storm forced the Astros to play some games in Florida.
When the team returned, they helped with recovery efforts. Daikin Park hosted the city's first sporting event after the hurricane, which was a double-header game. This helped bring some normalcy back to Houston.
Images for kids
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Former logo of Minute Maid Park
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Daikin Park dimensions
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Statue of Jeff Bagwell
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Statue of Craig Biggio
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ESPN's Sal Paolantonio talking to Tom Brady and Matt Ryan at Super Bowl LI Opening Night
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Tal's Hill and the flagpole
See also
In Spanish: Minute Maid Park para niños
