Oldsmobile Park has a similar design to many of the ballparks I've been to, but even with that, the place is anything but common.  Here are some things that cause Oldsmobile Park to stand out:

Size: At a capacity of 11,000 (including the seating available on two grass hills in the outfield), the park is one of the biggest in all of minor league baseball, even though the team it hosts is only Single-A.  That capacity is actually big enough to host AAA ball, though one of the team employees told me that they would have to upgrade the lighting before they would be able to make such  jump.

Theme: Normally, I'm not a big fan of Corporate naming.  But, in this case, Oldsmobile literally helped to put Lansing on the map.  And, they did a fine job of incorporating the automobile theme into the ballpark.  Concession stands have names with automobile related themes.  There is a mural that runs through the walls of the concourse providing pictures and information that parallel the history of minor league baseball with the history of automobiles.  This was a very nice touch, and one I have seen nowhere else. 

Location: Because of its location in the city, the park has an urban feel.  One of the unique touches are the large green walls beyond the outfield corners.  The field is about twenty to thirty feet below street level, and the walls are simply where the park borders the streets.  At the top of the wall, onlookers can get a free glimpse into the park from the street.  It's hard for me to describe, but this really adds to the atmosphere and helps to make the place more unique, despite its common design.  Another unique feature is the smoke stack in the skyline behind the main grandstand.  In honor of the team, the factory to which that smokestack belongs constructed a giant lug nut on top of the smokestack.  You can see a picture of it below (for a close-up view, click here). 

As far as atmosphere, a game here has many of the same trappings as other new parks (lots of promotions, games, music, sound effects, giveaways, etc.).  Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your opinion of the commercialization of baseball.  But, overall, this is a well designed and very beautiful ballpark. 

The World's Largest Lug Nut