Fenway Park’s a fun place to visit even if you know zilch about baseball (I sashayed in wearing a Miami Heat jersey — wrong sport, for crying out loud!). One thing I discovered was that Boston was home to probably the most loyal fan base of the sport. Locals speak of their home team (and ballpark!) with much pride. Probably the only thing that can match their worship of the Red Sox is their fervent hate of the Yankees.
Although the ballpark might be considerably small when compared to its counterparts from other cities, Fenway Park boasts of a history that looms over almost everyone else’s. During our 50-minute tour, our guide, George, had us knee-deep in baseball legends and folklore — from the struggles to keep the park open, to the Red Sox’s glory days with Babe Ruth, to the “Bambino curse” or the 86-year championship drought, to Fenway Park’s equally famous quirky markers such as the Pesky Pole, the Green Monster and the lone red seat. During the tour, a movie crew was busy setting up in the green; the park has been the setting for a number of baseball flicks like Field of Dreams and Fever Pitch.
The tour gives you license to see the ballpark from a number of interesting vantage points — among them from all the way up in the press room, and also from one of more-recent Green Monster seats.
But definitely, above everything else, it would be the epic tales of Fenway Park that would keep you hooked; I didn’t even realize that we already spent almost a full hour walking around the stadium. For an awesome Boston experience, make sure to fit in a Fenway Park tour in your itinerary.
Pics galore: 2011-11 Fenway Park – Picasa album
Casualty assessment:
Fenway Park Tour admission: USD 12 (adults), USD 11 (seniors), USD 10 (ages 3-15)
.: ishcapades 