Busch Memorial Stadium Map

Busch Memorial Stadium

Busch Stadium II
April 2005 (above) and September 1977
Former names	Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium (1966–1981) Busch Stadium (1982–2005)
Location	250 Stadium Plaza St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates	38°37′26″N 90°11′33″W / 38.62389°N 90.19250°W / 38.62389; -90.19250Coordinates: 38°37′26″N 90°11′33″W / 38.62389°N 90.19250°W / 38.62389; -90.19250
Owner	St. Louis Cardinals
Operator	St. Louis Cardinals
Capacity	Baseball: 49,676 (1997–2005) 57,676 (1966–1996) Football: 60,000
Field size	Left Field – 330 ft (101 m) Left-Center – 372 ft (113 m) Center Field – 402 ft (123 m) Right-Center – 372 ft (113 m) Right Field – 330 ft (101 m) Backstop – 64 ft (20 m) Original Dimensions (1966) Left Field – 330 ft (101 m) Left-Center – 386 ft (118 m) Center Field – 414 ft (126 m) Right-Center – 386 ft (118 m) Right Field – 330 ft (101 m) Backstop – 64 ft (20 m)
Surface	Natural grass (1996–2005) AstroTurf (1970–1995) Natural grass (1966–1969)
Construction
Broke ground	May 25, 1964; 56 years ago (May 25, 1964)[1][2]
Built	1964–1966
Opened	May 12, 1966; 54 years ago (May 12, 1966)[1]
Closed	October 19, 2005; 15 years ago (October 19, 2005)
Demolished	November 7 – December 8, 2005
Construction cost	US$24 million[1] ($189 million in 2019 dollars[3])
Architect	Sverdrup & Parcel Edward Durell Stone Schwarz & Van Hoefen, Associated
General contractor	Fruin–Colnon/Millstone[4]
Tenants
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) (1966–2005) St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) (1966–1987) St. Louis Stars (NPSL / NASL) (1967–1974) St. Louis Rams (NFL) (1995)

Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium II, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri, that operated for 40 years, from 1966 through 2005.^[5]

The stadium served as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals National League baseball team for its entire operating existence, while also serving as home to the National Football League's Cardinals team for 22 seasons, from 1966 through 1987, as well as the St. Louis Rams during part of the 1995 season. It opened four days after the last baseball game was played at Sportsman's Park (which had also been known since 1953 as Busch Stadium).

The stadium was designed by Sverdrup & Parcel and built by Grün & Bilfinger.^[6] Edward Durell Stone designed the roof, a 96-arch "Crown of Arches".^[7] The Crown echoed the Gateway Arch, which had been completed only a year before Busch Stadium opened. It was one of the first multipurpose "cookie-cutter" facilities built in the United States, popular from the early 1960s through the early 1980s.

Its final event was the sixth game of the 2005 NLCS on October 19.^[8] The stadium was demolished by wrecking ball in late 2005 and part of its former footprint is occupied by its replacement stadium—the new Busch Stadium (a.k.a. Busch Stadium III), located just south.