History of Busch Stadium

Essay by hockeygoon96University, Bachelor'sA, May 2004

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St. Louis is home to many wonderful landmarks and attractions that the city has to offer. From scenic Forest Park with the zoo, art museum and Science Center and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial with the Arch to the sporting venues of the Savvis Center and the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis offers a large variety of events and locations to attract tourists. Of these, none quite have the history, excitement, and popularity that Busch Stadium has showcased from the time of its opening until now.

In the late 1950's, August A Busch Jr., owner of Anheuser-Busch, requested that funding be provided, with the approval by the company board of directors, by the brewing company to move the Cardinals in to a new stadium from their current residence back then, Sportsman's Park. During the next few years he met with city officials and downtown developers to discuss the idea of a downtown stadium and other development possibilities in the vicinity of the proposed stadium.

After many years of developing the layout plans and organizing the finances, the official groundbreaking or work to start occurred in 1964. After two quick, hardworking years, the stadium opened on May 12, 1966 for the first St. Louis Cardinals baseball game in the now present-day Busch Memorial Stadium. In their first game, they gave fans a glimpse of many of the great games and seasons to be played in the future, a 12-inning 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.

With a new stadium in place in the heart of downtown St. Louis, the city took advantage of the new landmark and spurred new businesses and attractions in the surrounding area. New hotels, offices and shopping stops were attracted by the stadium along with the much-needed parking garages that still surround the stadium today were also...