History
Opened in May 1966 as Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium, the stadium was designed by Sverdrup & Parcel, with Edward Durell Stone credited for the roof. It served both of the city's Cardinals franchises: the baseball team for its entire life and the NFL team through 1987.
The Cardinals won World Series titles in 1967 and 1982 with the stadium as home. It also hosted the 1966 All-Star Game, a Beatles concert that August, and Mark McGwire's 1998 home run chase. The playing surface switched from grass to AstroTurf in 1970 and back to grass in 1996.
The club built a new Busch Stadium immediately to the south. After the final game in the October 2005 NLCS, wrecking crews took the old stadium down within weeks. Part of its footprint became the new park's outfield, and the rest eventually became Ballpark Village.
Why it matters: It was St. Louis's dual-sport stadium for two decades and the scene of two Cardinals championships and the 1998 home run record.
Timeline
- May 12, 1966
The Cardinals opened their new downtown stadium.
- August 21, 1966Beatles concert[1]
The Beatles performed at the stadium in its first season, which also included the All-Star Game.
- 1967Cardinals win World Series[1]
The Cardinals won the 1967 World Series; they won again in 1982.
- January 1982Renamed Busch Stadium[1]
The 'Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium' name was shortened to Busch Stadium.
- 1998McGwire's 62nd and 70th home runs[1]
Mark McGwire hit his record-breaking 62nd and season-ending 70th home runs here.
- October 19, 2005
The Cardinals lost Game 6 of the NLCS to Houston in the last game at the stadium.
- November 7, 2005
The stadium was taken down by wrecking ball rather than implosion, finishing on December 8, 2005.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Part of the footprint lies under the outfield of the current Busch Stadium; the remainder is Ballpark Village (groundbreaking 2013-02-08)[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| St. Louis Cardinals | National League · 1966–2005 |
|---|---|
| St. Louis Stars | NPSL / NASL · 1967–1977 · tenant |
| St. Louis Rams | NFL · 1995 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | Busch Stadium |
|---|---|
| Other names | Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium (1966–1981); Busch Stadium II; Busch Stadium |
| Location | 250 Stadium Plaza, downtown St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri[1] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Baseball, Football, Soccer |
| Level | MLB, NFL, NASL |
| Opened | May 12, 1966[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | October 19, 2005[1,2] |
| Demolished | November 7, 2005 – December 8, 2005[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 57,676[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 49,676[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia infobox: 57,676 baseball (1966-1996), 49,676 (1997-2005), 60,000 football; its year-by-year table differs. Ballparks of Baseball lists 50,345. |
| Architect | Sverdrup & Parcel; Edward Durell Stone (roof); Schwarz & Van Hoefen, Associated[1,2] |
| Construction cost | $24 million (Wikipedia); $20 million (Ballparks of Baseball)[1] |
| Surface | Grass 1966-1969; AstroTurf 1970-1995; grass 1996-2005[1] |
| Owner / operator | St. Louis Cardinals[1,2] |
| Closure | Replaced by the adjacent new Busch Stadium, which opened in April 2006. |
Documented details
- The stadium was demolished with wrecking balls rather than by implosion because the new ballpark was being built right next to it.[1]
Connected venues
- Replaced by: Sportsman's Park · Current Busch Stadium (2006) built adjacent; overlaps part of the old footprint1909–1966
- Replacement for: Sportsman's Park · The Cardinals moved in May 1966. Busch Memorial Stadium is itself defunct and is listed as a research candidate, not a successor record.1909–1966
Sources
- Busch Memorial Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, surface, teams
- Busch Stadium II, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, demolished, opened, owner operator
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Naming: Wikipedia says the name became Busch Stadium in January 1982; Ballparks of Baseball says Busch Memorial Stadium 1966-1995.
- Cost: $24 million (Wikipedia) vs $20 million (Ballparks of Baseball). Capacity figures also differ between sources and within Wikipedia.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.