Facts and Figures

Nationals Park is located in Southeast Washington, south of the Capitol, along the fast-developing Capitol Riverfront adjacent to the Navy Yard. The new park not only redefines modern sports facility architecture but also serves as the catalyst and cornerstone of a new mixed-use Capitol Riverfront in our nation's capital.

Design: The exterior facade of the 41,546 seat venue features an innovative design of steel, glass and pre-cast concrete to create a facility that uniquely reflects the architecture of Washington, DC. The concourses and seating decks are configured to create a variety of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own identity and viewing experience. As fans traverse the Ballpark's vertical circulation ramps throughout the various levels of the facility, they will witness panoramic views of the riverfront, Navy Yard, the surrounding city and landmarks such as the Capitol and the Washington Monument.

Cutting-Edge Game Presentation and Fan Experience: Nationals Park will be equipped with state-of-the-art video and audio technology, including a 4,500 square foot high-definition scoreboard, as well as over 600 linear feet of LED ribbon board along the inner bowl fascia. In addition, the new ballpark will feature a variety of entertainment and fan-interactive alternatives to ensure a compelling and engaging game entertainment experience.

Green Design: The new Nationals Park achieved its goal to become the first major stadium in the United Stated accredited as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Structure. In fact, the ballpark's design and construction exceeded the target of a "certified" Green Building, and actually received the United States Green Building Council's even more environmentally-friendly "Silver Status".

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Open Date: March 30, 2008

Cost: More than $611 million

Design By: The joint venture team of HOK/Devrouax-Purnell Architects designed the stadium

Field Dimensions:

• Left Field: 336 Feet
• Left-Center Field: 377 Feet
• Center Field: 402 Feet
• Right-Center Field: 370 Feet
• Right Field: 335 Feet

Playing Surface:

• The field is a three-way blend of Kentucky Bluegrass. Varieties are Princeton 105, Brilliant and Midnight Star.
• The infield dirt comes from Maryland and is topped off with Turface that is a shade of deep red.
• The warning track is a clean, crushed aggregate stone that comes from Culpepper, Virginia.
• The rootzone for the turf consists of 93-percent sand and seven-percent soil. It also contains Profile, a granular product installed to help retain nutrients and hold water in dry conditions.
• Drainage lines are installed in pea gravel and are made of six inch polyethylene pipe and run every 12 feet. These smaller pipes drain into 24 inch pipes before entering the site's sand filtration system.

Interesting Ballpark Facts:

• Layers of fill and old bricks were found 12-14 feet below grade, indicating the probability of roads and habitation at this level in the 1800s, until trash/fill was dumped to the existing level.
• A total of 340,948 cubic yards (approximately 34,095 truck loads) of soil was excavated. Approximately 4,500 cubic yards of dirt was removed each day, or about 450 truckloads per day.
• Inspiration for the look of the ballpark is taken from the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, by architect I.M. Pei.
• More than half the crowd will walk straight off of the street into their seats, without ever climbing elevators, escalators, ramps or stairs because the field is 24 feet below street level and the main concourse is at the same height as the sidewalk.
• HOK Sport borrowed an odd right-angled jog into the right-center field fence from the now demolished Griffith Stadium, the former home of the Washington Senators.
• The ballpark has approximately 3,500 pieces of steel in the bowl structure, equaling 7,800 tons.