Oracle Park
San Francisco has always been a top tourist destination for travelers. Most tourists are familiar with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island and Golden Gate Park. These landmarks make San Francisco a true sightseeing paradise. But, San Francisco has plenty more to offer, especially when it comes to the local sports teams. For the past couple of decades, Oracle Park has been home to one of the oldest and most storied franchises in baseball. The San Francisco Giants are rich in history and have a fair share of hall of famers that have proudly worn the uniform. Any sports team enriched with tradition deserves a ballpark that can truly live up to its glorious history.
Opening in April of 2000, Oracle Park has gone through a few name changes, but since its inception, the stadium has always been one of the top ballparks in the United States. With its maximum seating capacity of just under 42,000 and standing room of 1,500, it may not be the largest baseball stadium, but it’s without a doubt one of the most picturesque. The park stands on the rim of San Francisco Bay, which allows for some of the most breathtaking views when looking beyond the outfield. 
One of the more recognizable features inside the park is the right-field wall, which stands 24 feet high. For those individuals not well versed in local baseball history, you may think this was an arbitrary number chosen during the design of the stadium. But for those that know the team’s history, the 24-foot wall height was chosen in honor of hall of fame player, Willie Mays, who wore number 24 for the Giants during his playing days.
Beyond the stadium in right field, there is a section of the bay, known as McCovey Cove, named after another hall of fame player, Willie McCovey, who once played for the Giants. This part of the bay is synonymous with long home runs that sometimes clear the entire stadium and splash into the bay. There is actually an electric counter mounted on the right-field wall that represents the number of balls that have ever been hit into the bay. One of the most interesting traditions during a game is for fans to sit in boats or kayaks in the bay and pray a ball is hit into the water. If and when this does happen, there is a mad frenzy of boaters scrambling to snag the baseball as it floats in the water. This can lead to some interesting competition outside of the baseball field.
Not to be outdone, there are some prominent features in the left field of the stadium. There is an 80 foot Coca-Cola bottle with playground slides twisting within the structure for kids or some adventurous adults to enjoy. Directly to the right of the bottle is an oversized representation of the 1927 old time four-fingered baseball glove. This particular glove is made of fiberglass and steel, which towers above the standing room section in the left field.
This larger-than-life glove sculpture is a perfect representation of the Giant’s long history and adds to the charm of this park. To the left of the Coca-Cola bottle is “Little Giants Park”, which is a 50 by 50-foot replica of Oracle Park. designed for young children. It includes all the features of Oracle Park, such as the infield, outfield and bases. Children can hit whiffle balls and run the bases like their baseball heroes on the real diamond.
No stadium is complete without delicious food options and Oracle Park more than delivers when it comes to cuisine selections. For those health-conscious individuals, feel free to roam the “Garden” that contains two bistros, Hearth Table and Garden Table. Both of these fine eateries offer fresh produce for your meals as well as salads, sandwiches, antipasto bar and healthy smoothies and juices. There are also gluten-free and all vegetarian food options.
On the other end of the spectrum, if calorie intake is not your concern, there are plenty of options to choose from, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, fried, grilled or jerk chicken, cheesesteaks, pizza, fish and chips, pulled pork sliders, beef chili nachos, ice cream, and an assortment of craft beers on tap. For those who have more exotic taste buds, you can feast on a Dungeness crab sandwich, piled high between two buttery sourdough buns. Or warm your body on those cool game nights with a hot clam chowder bread bowl. The food selections are endless and there should be no problems finding something delicious for even the most finicky eaters in the family.
With its breathtaking views, delicious foods, interactive exhibits and cheering fans, a visit to Oracle Park is not just to witness a baseball game, but more of a total experience for the entire family to enjoy. Feel free to purchase a ticket to the game and experience the true wonders of this iconic ballpark.