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Citizens Bank Park is a
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Home to
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
's
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
, the stadium opened April 3, 2004. It is named after Citizens Financial Group. The 42,901-seat
ballpark A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into two field sections called the infield and the outfield. The infield is an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined in part ba ...
was built to replace the 33-year-old
Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating ca ...
, a multipurpose football and baseball facility that was demolished in 2004. Citizens Bank Park features a natural grass-and-dirt playing field and Philadelphia-style food stands that serve cheesesteak sandwiches, hoagies, Tastykakes, soft pretzels, Yards and Yuengling beer, and other regional specialties. The ballpark sits on the northeast corner of the Sports Complex, which includes
Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University ...
, Wells Fargo Center, and Xfinity Live!, a dining and entertainment venue which often serves as a media hub for various live broadcasts.


History


Planning

In 1999, the owners of the Phillies and the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
of the NFL joined their
western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Unite ...
counterparts, the owners of the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
and
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, in asking state and local governments to replace
Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating ca ...
and
Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) ...
in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
with separate baseball and football stadiums. Pressure for new Philadelphia stadiums increased after a railing collapsed at "The Vet" during the 1998
Army–Navy Game The Army–Navy Game is an American college football college rivalry, rivalry game between the Army Black Knights football, Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen football ...
, injuring eight cadets. The Pirates owners threatened to leave Pittsburgh in 1997, helping to convince the state legislature to approve funding for the four proposed stadiums. With their architectural plans already in place, Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh approved the pacts swiftly. Still, debate among Philadelphia's city leaders continued into 2001, when Pittsburgh opened its stadiums (
PNC Park PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore (Pittsburgh), North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth location to serve as the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates. Opened during the 2001 Major League Baseb ...
for the Pirates and Heinz Field for the Steelers). The Eagles ultimately agreed to the site of a former food warehouse slightly southeast of Veterans Stadium.
Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University ...
celebrated its grand opening in August 2003. The Phillies originally sought to build a downtown ballpark similar to
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
's,
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
's,
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
's,
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
's,
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
's and
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
's. Various locations were proposed, including Broad and Spring Garden streets; Spring Garden and Delaware Avenue; and next to
30th Street Station 30th Street Station, officially William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, is a major intermodal passenger transport, intermodal transit station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The station opened in 1933 as Pennsylvania Station– ...
on the site of the former main post office. The team and the city announced that the site would be at 13th and
Vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...
streets in
Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
, just north of Interstate 676, within walking distance of Center City. There was considerable support for a downtown ball park from business and labor and the city at large. But Chinatown residents protested, fearing a new ballpark would destroy their neighborhood. The City and team eventually settled on building the ballpark at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex on the site of another abandoned food warehouse. In the years that followed, residents, fans, and owner Bill Giles expressed regret that the new ballpark was not located in Center City Philadelphia. Still, the team set attendance records in
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
(3,647,249 fans, averaging 45,028) with all home games sold out for the first time in the team's 81-year history, extending a sellout streak dating to July
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
to 123. Chief architect of the new stadium was EwingCole's Stanley Cole. The new park's design was unveiled at a groundbreaking ceremonies on June 28, 2001. After the game that evening, the location of the left-field foul pole, from home plate, was unveiled at the outset of the team's annual
Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...
fireworks display. On June 17, 2003, Citizens Bank agreed to a 25-year,
US $ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
95 million deal for the park's
naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...
and advertising on billboards, telecasts, radio broadcasts, and publications. The ballpark was officially topped off on August 12, 2003, and opened in April 2004.


Modifications

Shortly after the park opened in 2004, the
bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...
s were reassigned so the Phillies' pitchers used the lower pen and visitors used the upper pen. This was done to give Phillies' pitchers a better view of the game and to protect them from heckling by fans. However, the team forgot to rewire the bullpen phones after the bullpens were reassigned, so during the first game, the dugout coaches had to communicate with the bullpens by hand signals. In its first years, Citizens Bank Park allowed 218 home runs in 2004 and 201 in 2005, more than half to left-field. After the 2005 season, the left-field wall was moved back . Even with these modifications, the park has a reputation as one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. In 2009, it gave up 149 home runs, the most in the National League and second in the majors behind only the new Yankee Stadium, but has been neutral since, with a .997 park factor in 2011.


Events

*April 12, 2004, 1:32 PM: Randy Wolf of the Phillies threw the first regular-season pitch at Citizens Bank Park to D'Angelo Jiménez of the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, who got the park's first hit, a lead-off ground-rule double. Jiménez scored the park's first run later in the inning on a
wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third st ...
. Bobby Abreu of the Phillies hit the first home run in the bottom of the first inning, which also served as the franchise's first hit at Citizens Bank Park. Reds pitcher Paul Wilson earned the first win in that game and Danny Graves earned the park's first save. *June 14, 2004: Phillies first baseman Jim Thome hit his 400th career home run into the left-center field seats at Citizens Bank Park. The home run came before a 2-hour, 18-minute rain delay that started when the game was not yet official. The teams waited out that delay and two more to finish the game at 2:06 am. *June 20, 2004: The first
inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a rare play in which a Batter (baseball), batter rounds all four bases for a home run without the baseball leaving the baseball field, field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-p ...
at the stadium was hit by
Jimmy Rollins James Calvin Rollins (born November 27, 1978), nicknamed "J-Roll", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–), Los Angeles Dodgers (), and Chicago White S ...
against the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
. *April 4, 2005: The
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
played their first regular season game as a new team after moving from
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
at Citizens Bank Park, and the Phillies won the game 8-4. *May 9, 2005: In the first
Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
game at the park, the Eastern League Reading Phillies defeat the
Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...
, 5–3. *September 14, 2005:
Andruw Jones Andruw Rudolf Jones (; born April 23, 1977) is a Curaçaoan former professional baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tex ...
of the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
hit his 300th career home run, which sailed off Phils reliever Geoff Geary in a 12–4 Phillies win. The ball landed in the upper deck in left field. *July 15, 2007: The Phillies lost their 10,000th regular-season game to the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
, 10–2, the first time a professional sports franchise reached that mark. *October 3, 2007: The park hosted its first postseason game as the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
defeated the Phillies 4–2 in Game 1 of the 2007 NLDS. *October 25, 2008: The park hosted its first
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
game, as the Phillies defeated the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
, 5–4 in Game 3. Before the game,
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
, the son of the late Phillies closer Tug McGraw, who had recorded the last out in the Phillies' World Series victory in , took a handful of his dad's ashes and spread them on the pitcher's mound just before handing the ball used in throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in the game to Steve Carlton. *October 29, 2008, 9:58 PM: In Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, Phillies closer Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske of the Rays to complete a 4–3 victory and clinch the Phillies' second World Series championship in franchise history. Game 5 had originally started on October 27, but was stopped in the bottom of the sixth inning due to rain, and would remain suspended before resuming play two nights later. The Phillies held a celebration at the park at the conclusion of their championship parade on October 31. *June 25, 2010: Citizens Bank Park hosted the first regular-season game in a
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
stadium in which the
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
was used; Major League Baseball moved the Phillies' series against the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
from
Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a retractable roof stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to t ...
to Philadelphia, citing security concerns for the G-20 Summit. Ryan Howard served as the first DH in a
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
ballpark. Despite playing in their park, Philadelphia was designated as the road team. *October 6, 2010: The first
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
at Citizens Bank Park was thrown by
Roy Halladay Harry Leroy Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nickname, "Doc ...
against the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
in the first game of the 2010 NLDS. *May 1, 2011: During a game between the Phillies and the rival
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, the 45,713 fans in attendance began to chant " U-S-A!" following the news that
Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden (10 March 19572 May 2011) was a militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, Bin Laden participated in the Afghan ''mujahideen'' against the Soviet Union, and support ...
, the mastermind of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, had been killed by U.S. special forces in Pakistan. *October 2, 2011: A crowd of 46,575 attended Game 2 of the 2011 NLDS between the Phillies and the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
. As of 2023, this remains the highest-attended baseball game in the park's history. *May 25, 2014:
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
pitcher Josh Beckett threw the first regular season no-hitter in the ballpark's history. He was also the first opposing pitcher to throw a no-hitter. *April 16, 2019:
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
announced that Citizens Bank Park would host the 2026
Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. *November 2, 2022: In Game 4 of the
2022 World Series The 2022 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2022 Major League Baseball season, 2022 season. The 118th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL ...
,
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
starting pitcher Cristian Javier, combined with bullpen relief from Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly, threw a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
, the first in a World Series game since Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the
1956 World Series The 1956 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1956 Major League Baseball season, 1956 season. The 53rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American Leagu ...
. *August 9, 2023: In his first home start with the Phillies, Michael Lorenzen threw a no-hitter against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, the stadium's fourth no-hitter and the second by a Phillies pitcher. *August 30, 2023: Phillies designated hitter Bryce Harper hit his 300th career home run into the right-center field seats in a game against the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
. *August 15, 2024: Weston Wilson became the first rookie to hit for the cycle in Phillies history. It was the second Phillies cycle hit in Citizens Bank Park and the 10th cycle in Phillies history.


Features


Ashburn Alley

Behind center field is Ashburn Alley, named for Phillies
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
center fielder
Richie Ashburn Don Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames "Putt-Putt", "the Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He pl ...
, who played for the team from 1948 to 1959 and was a Phillies broadcaster from 1963 until his death in 1997. It is seen by Phillies fans as a sop to their desire to see the stadium named for Ashburn. Ashburn Alley is named for the slightly-overgrown grass that bordered the third base line at
Shibe Park Shibe Park ( , rhymes with "vibe"), known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a ballpark located in Philadelphia. It was the home of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League (AL) from 1909 to 1954 and the Philadelphia Phillies of the Natio ...
, where Ashburn was famous for laying down bunts that stayed fair. The new Ashburn Alley, located near Ashburn's defensive position, is a walkway with restaurants, games and memorabilia from Phillies history. Ashburn Alley also has a memorabilia shop and a large bronze statue of Ashburn directly behind center field, as well as the U.S. flag, the flags of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and the City of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, a POW/MIA flag, and the flags from the Phillies' championships. In 2004 and 2005, organist Paul Richardson performed from Ashburn Alley, as Citizens Bank Park was built without an organ booth.


Other attractions

*CP Rankin and Hall of Fame Clubs: Two premium seating areas in the park. The CP Rankin Club, located behind home plate, includes an air-conditioned indoor club area with exclusive food and souvenir shops where ticket holders can watch batting practice on either side of the club (especially on rainy days). There are a total of 1,164 seats in the CP Rankin Club. A second level, called the Hall of Fame Club, is located between Sections 212 through 232. This air-conditioned area features exclusive food and souvenir stands akin to The CP Rankin Club, and also houses memorabilia from the teams' past going back to the 1880s, along with memorabilia from the Philadelphia Athletics. The Hall of Fame Club contains 6,600 seats. In addition to being an attraction to fans, the Hall of Fame level also houses the A/V crew on the first-base side of that level that controls the scoreboard and all other monitors throughout the park and is where Dan Baker announces the game, as well as the press box, television, and radio booths. *High and Inside Pub: Located on the Terrace Level behind home plate, the area is open to groups before the ballgame, and the public once the games start. *Liberty Bell: Standing above street level, this by mechanical, lighted replica of the
Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American Revolution, American independence located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of Pennsylvania State House, now know ...
"rings" and lights up after every Phillies home run and victory. In recent years, the Phillies have promoted the
hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag operator that is prefaced by the hash symbol, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services–especially Twitter and Tumblr–as a form of user-generated tagging that enable ...
"#RingTheBell". *New Era Phillies Team Store and '47 Alley Store: The team store is open year-round, and serves as the starting point for tours of the ballpark. The bi-level store features regular merchandise on the first level and player jerseys as well as Phanatic-themed items on the second level, while the Alley Store is open during all home games and features authentic replicas of older Phillies jerseys made by the famous Philadelphia retailer of vintage uniform shirts and caps, Mitchell and Ness, as well as other items. During the off-season, customizable jerseys are available in the main store when a stand next to the store is open during the season. *McFadden's Bar and Grille: Open year-round, this restaurant combined the McFadden's and Zanzibar Blue menus at the Third Base Gate. Since its opening, it has become a popular post-game (or event) site for the nearby Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field. Closed in 2018. *Pass and Stow: Located at the former site of McFadden's Bar and Grille. Pass and Stow is an indoor bar and restaurant while also consisting of an outdoor bar and pizza oven. It is located inside of the entrance of the third base gate. Opened in 2019. *Phanatic Phun Zone: Located at the First Base Gate plaza, this playground offers fun for guests eight years old and younger with slides, climb, explore and play games. A separate area for toddlers three years old and younger is found inside.


Statues

In addition to the
Richie Ashburn Don Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames "Putt-Putt", "the Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He pl ...
statue in Ashburn Alley, statues of three other famous Phillies, Robin Roberts (at the First Base Gate),
Mike Schmidt Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1972 to 1989. Schmidt was a 12-time Al ...
(at the Third Base Gate), and Steve Carlton (at the Left Field Gate), are located outside of the facility. Each of the statues were made by local sculptor Zenos Frudakis and cast at Laran Bronze in nearby
Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
. Other art found throughout the park includes tile mosaics, murals and terrazzo floors with outlined images of famous players in Phillies history. In April 2011, the Phillies accepted a gift of a fan-underwritten
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
statue of legendary broadcaster
Harry Kalas Harold Norbert Kalas (March 26, 1936 – April 13, 2009) was an American Sports commentator, sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award, Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead Sports commentator, play-by-play announcer for the Phila ...
. Created by noted local sculptor Lawrence Nowlan and cast at Laran Bronze, it was placed behind Section 141, near the restaurant that bears Kalas' name, after a dedication held on August 16, 2011, before a game against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
. The statue was unveiled two days later than originally scheduled (the originally-scheduled date is on a plaque on the ground below the statue) because of a rained-out game between the Phillies and the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
.


Green stadium

The
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
are the first
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
team to join the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership Program which motivates organizations across the world to purchase green power in order to minimize environmental impact. The Phillies announced on April 30, 2008, that their home field, Citizens Bank Park, will be powered with 20 million
kilowatt-hours A kilowatt-hour ( unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a non-SI unit of energy equal to 3.6 megajoules (MJ) in SI units, which is the energy delivered by one kilowatt of power for one hour. Kilowatt-hours are a commo ...
(kWh) of green energy purchased in Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Certificates (RECs). The EPA said that this purchase holds the record in professional sports for the largest purchase of
100% renewable energy 100% renewable energy is the goal of the use renewable resources for all energy. 100% renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling and transport is motivated by climate change, pollution and other environmental issues, as well as ec ...
. The Phillies are among the top three purchasers of green power in Philadelphia, and the executive director of the Center for Resource Solutions, Arthur O'Donnell, wants "other clubs to take their lead." Aramark Corporation is the Phillies' food and beverage provider at Citizens Bank Park and they are taking major actions in improving the environmental impact of the Phillies' stadium. Glass, cardboard and plastics used during game day are recycled; frying oil is being recycled to produce
biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...
fuel, and biodegradable, recyclable, and compostable products, serviceware, and plastics have been introduced.


Non-baseball events


Ice hockey

On January 2, 2012, Citizens Bank Park hosted the fifth annual
NHL Winter Classic The NHL Winter Classic () is an annual outdoor ice hockey game played during the National Hockey League's (NHL) regular season on or around New Year's Day. It is generally held in a football or baseball stadium in the United States in an area w ...
between long time division
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
and
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
before an SRO crowd of 46,967. The game, which was televised throughout the United States and Canada by
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
and
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
respectively, was won by the Rangers, 3–2. Two days earlier, on New Year's Eve, 45,667 attended an alumni game played between teams made up of former Flyers and Rangers who had retired from the NHL between the 1970s and 2011 of which eight (four on each team) were also members of the
Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
. The Flyers' starting goalie for the game, which was won by the Flyers alumni, 3–1, was Hall of Famer Bernie Parent. He made his first on ice appearance since his playing career ended prematurely due to an eye injury suffered during a game against the Rangers played at the neighboring (although since demolished)
Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
in February 1979. Four days after the 2012 NHL Winter Classic game, a third sell out crowd of 45,663 filled the Park on January 6 to watch the Flyers' AHL farm team, the Adirondack Phantoms, defeat the
Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Bears have played in the American Hockey League (AHL) since the 1938–39 season, making it the longest continuously operating member club of the league still ...
, 4–3, in overtime. That crowd exceeded by a factor of more than two the previous largest gathering (21,673) to ever attend an AHL game since the league was established in 1936. With the normal 43,651 baseball seating capacity of the Park having been increased by more than 3,000 with the installation of temporary bleachers built over the bullpen area in center field, the trio of outdoor hockey games drew a combined total of 138,296 over the week of Winter Classic events.


Concerts

The first concert at the park was
Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...
& The
Coral Reefer Band The Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett (until Buffett's death in September 2023). The band's name alludes to both coral reefs (in line with Buffett's tropical-themed music) and "reefe ...
on August 25, 2005; they returned on June 14, 2008. The
Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
, The Dixie Chicks, and
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban ( né Urbahn; 26 October 1967) is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves Int ...
were scheduled to perform on June 14, 2010, but the show was cancelled.


Other stadium information

Public address announcer Dan Baker has introduced the players since 1972. During each player's first at-bat, Baker, in an excited voice, says, "Now batting for the Phillies, number (#), (position), (player's name)". For example, a first at-bat introduction would have Baker say, "Now batting for the Phillies, number 11,
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
Jimmy Rollins James Calvin Rollins (born November 27, 1978), nicknamed "J-Roll", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–), Los Angeles Dodgers (), and Chicago White S ...
!" During subsequent at-bats, players are only announced by their position and name, for example, "Phillies
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
, Ryan Howard!" Baker only uses the city of the opposing team when he announces their players rather than the team nickname, for example, "Now batting for
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, number ten,
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
Chipper Jones", and makes the announcement in a more-subdued tone.


Video boards

In 2004 and 2005, Citizens Bank Park installed
Daktronics Daktronics, Inc. is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota, that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, dynamic message signs, sound systems, and related products. It was found ...
video and message displays in the park. One of the largest incandescent displays in Major League Baseball was installed in left field that was used as a
scoreboard A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score (sport), score in a game. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards i ...
and for giving statistics. There are also out-of-town field-level displays installed in the park that measure about high by wide. During the 2010–2011 offseason, the Phillies replaced their incandescent scoreboard with a new HD scoreboard that cost $10 million. The new screen measured high and wide, which nearly tripled the size of the old screen, and was the second-largest HD screen in the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
at the time, after the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
' PETCO Park screen (61 ft. high and 124 ft. wide). On March 21, 2023, a new "PhanaVision" was unveiled. Made by Daktronics, the 4K HDR video board is 77% larger, measuring 152 by 86 feet.


Accolades

The food at Citizens Bank Park was named the Best Ballpark Food in a survey of
Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a division of the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks Group. The channel airs both televi ...
viewers in the first annual ''Food Network Awards'', which first aired on the network on April 22, 2007. In 2007,
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
rated Citizens Bank Park as America's most vegetarian-friendly ballpark; the stadium was given the same honor in five of the next seven years as well.


Photo gallery

File:Philadelphia Phillies versus New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park 9-29-2017.jpg, The Phillies take on the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on September 29, 2017. File:Cbpark.jpg, Outfield view from Ashburn Alley File:Citizensbankparkside.jpg, Home plate side of CBP on Pattison Avenue File:Singer on the scoreboard.JPG, Scoreboard with singer File:CitizensBankPark BaltimoreMD.JPG, The view from I-95 File:Ct900.jpg, Entrance to the Ballpark File:Skylinephilly.jpg, A view of the skyline from inside File:Cbpark1.jpg, The front of the park as seen from a parking lot at Lincoln Financial Field File:CBP Scoreboard.JPG, The scoreboard in left field as viewed from right field File:Citizens Bank Park Temporary Seating (2012 NHL Winter Classic).jpg, Temporary center field bleachers added for the 2012 NHL Winter Classic File:Citizens Bank Park hosting Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS.jpg, Citizens Bank Park hosting Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS File:Citizens Bank Park 2022 World Series Game 3.jpg, Citizens Bank Park hosting Game 3 of the
2022 World Series The 2022 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2022 Major League Baseball season, 2022 season. The 118th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL ...
File:Cbp2023.jpg, Citizens Bank Park during a 2023 regular season matchup against the Rockies


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball stadiums There are 30 stadiums in use by Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. The oldest ballpark is Fenway Park in Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox, which opened in 1912. The newest stadium is Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home of the Texas Rang ...
* List of Major League Baseball spring-training stadiums *
Jefferson Street Grounds Jefferson Street Grounds was a Baseball park, baseball field located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was also known as Jefferson Park and Athletics Park. It was home to three different professional baseball teams, competing in three different sp ...
(Philadelphia) (site of first game in history of Major League Baseball) *
Lists of stadiums The following are lists of stadiums throughout the world. Note that horse racing and motorsport venues are not included at some pages, because those are not stadiums but sports venues. Combined lists *List of stadiums by capacity * List of c ...


References


External links


Citizens Bank Park
, MLB.com
Citizens Bank: Citizens Bank Park
* {{Authority control 2004 establishments in Pennsylvania Broad Street (Philadelphia) 2004 in Philadelphia Major League Baseball venues Philadelphia Phillies stadiums Populous (company) buildings Rugby league in Pennsylvania Rugby league stadiums in the United States South Philadelphia Sports venues completed in 2004