When the movie "Bull Durham" came out in 1988, it depicted the minor league ballpark scene fairly accurately.  At that time, most minor league ballparks were either plain and utilitarian or old and somewhat decrepit.  The old Durham Athletic Park, where the baseball shots of "Bull Durham" were shot, is a charming place (especially for ballpark hobbyists like me), but it is admittedly rather old.  

But, in the 1995, the city of Durham followed the trend towards newer and more stylish ballparks when it built Durham Bulls Athletic Park. And if they had to build a new ballpark in Durham, they sure did build a good one. For one thing, the location is very good.  Unlike some parks that are built in the suburbs or on the fringes of cities, this one has a great sense of place, because it was built right in the city, adjacent to an old tobacco warehouse and within view of the modest but very visible Durham skyline.

Twin stairways at the very impressive brick entranceway lead the way for fans to the main concourse, which houses a wide variety of concession stands that each have televisions carrying a closed circuit television broadcast of the game for fans who do not like to miss the game when buying food.  Two portals from the concourse lead into the main seating area, where there is a walking concourse which is handy for those fans who like to take a stroll while watching the game.  There is also a roof covering the upper level of the seating bowl for most of the infield portion of the seats.  Down the right field line, there is a picnic area, and a catwalk that takes you to the outfield area which features more seating, a grass hill, and a kids area with games. 

There are also some nods to Bulls history.  There is a giant bull above the wall in the left field corner, just like the bull that used to oversee the field in the old park.  While this one also snorts steam whenever the Bulls hit a home run, it is not actually the same one from the old park.  That original sign is on display in the main concourse, however.  Another nice touch is the hand operated scoreboard in left field.

As new parks go, this is one of the better ones.  But, fans in Durham can consider themselves fortunate.  Most of the time when a new ballpark is constructed in a town, the old one is demolished.  But, due to the history of the place, the old Durham Athletic Park has been kept open and now hosts a team from Coastal Plain League, which is collegiate-level summer baseball.  So, Durham is lucky enough to have the best of both worlds.  

A shot of the seating bowl the day after the game I attended