Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium - Wilmington Sharks

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43

Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium 2149 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, NC 28412

Wilmington Sharks website

Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium website

Year Opened: 1935

Capacity: 1,200

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Welcome to the Shark Tank

Now in its 90th year, Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium has been home to the Coastal Plain League’s Wilmington Sharks for over one-third of that time; the wood-bat collegiate summer league was founded in 1997, and the Sharks have played here ever since.

The venue is also home to a local high school baseball team, and sits next to a football stadium that similarly hosts high school games. The baseball facility holds 1200 fans across one main grandstand, a secondary grandstand, and a handful of suites that can be rented out by groups or by local businesses.

Food & Beverage   3

The concessions at Legion Stadium are a bit of a mixed bag – on one hand there is not much variety, for example there is no boxed nor packaged candy, and there are no diet sodas, only regular. The prices are also on the high side, in that the cheapest items start at $5 (hot dogs, bottled water, cookies, etc.); the only item cheaper than $5 is the fountain sodas, which are $4.

But on the other hand, the beer is extremely cheap – 20 to 24 oz cans start at only $5, including the most popular choice, Landshark, for obvious reasons.  I would also recommend trying the Hoop Tea (hard iced tea in a rainbow-esque can) for $6; probably one of the best tasting alcohol drinks this writer has ever had.

There is only one main stand at Legion Stadium, and this is the only place that sells food, including hot dogs, burgers, nachos, walking tacos, popcorn, peanuts, etc., as well as bottled water, Gatorade, and soda – the main stand does not sell alcohol. For that you will have to visit one of the satellite stands, most of which only sell alcohol; the lone except is the Italian ice stand next to the team gear store.

Atmosphere   3

The Sharks don’t necessarily pull in a lot of fans, but they do offer a myriad of seating options, and they have all the bells and whistles one might expect from a minor league baseball club, despite the fact this team might technically be one level below that. First up is the costumed shark mascot, who roams the stands taking photos with fans, while next up is “Shark Dog”, a golden retriever wearing a shark fin and eye black. In addition are the contests and games you have come to expect at sporting events like this, such as a putting contest, dizzy bat race, water balloon toss, etc. Also music to get the fans fired up, as well as a few marketing promos, such as the sound of glass breaking every time a ball is hit out of the park, brought to you by a local glass repair company.

In terms of seating options, there is one main grandstand behind home plate, as well as a smaller satellite one down the third base line. The main stand has bucket-style chairbacks in the lower half and bleachers above, while the smaller grandstand is all bleachers. In addition, there are picnic tables down the first and third base line, as well as several sets of box/club seats on the first base side – each of these “suites” features high-top stools, and can seat ten to twelve fans. There are also a couple of tabletops attached to the brickwork right behind home plate, with chairs, which can accommodate a handful of fans; these are probably considered the best seats in the house.

Neighborhood   4

Wilmington is a great please to visit – the ballpark is more inland near the intercoastal waterway, but the beach is not far away, with attractions such as Fort Fisher and the North Carolina Aquarium. Much closer to Legion Stadium, however, is the Battleship North Carolina, one of the most popular attractions in the area. There is also a great concert venue nearby, Live Oak Bank Pavilion, if you want to try and catch a show while in town. And of course there are plenty of great restaurants nearby; check out Pilot House for seafood, Dough House for pizza, or Irish pub The Harp, which has trivia and karaoke.

Whether you are in town for just the day, or for a whole weekend, those attractions, and many others in the area, will be plenty to keep you occupied before or after the baseball game.

Fans   3

The Sharks don’t bring a ton of fans, but you will see a lot of Sharks gear being worn, and the fans cheer (or razz the umpire) at all the appropriate moments. You will see fans all over the park utilizing all the different seating areas, and of course plenty of kids running to chase down foul balls.

Access   4

Getting in and out of a Sharks game is no trouble at all at Legion Stadium. There is free parking right next to the ballpark, and there is plenty of room to move around the concourse. Lines are also very short and move swiftly at all the concession stands. Pro tip – use the windows at the far side of the main concessions stand, the one facing away from the entrance, for faster service; a lot of fans don’t know there is a second set of windows on that side.

The sole set of bathrooms seems to be behind the main grandstand; I didn’t see any other bathroom options, so if you are sitting in one of the other seating areas you likely will have to take a brief walk.

 

Return on Investment   4

Tickets start at $13 and go up to $17 – $13 is general admission and gets you into either the satellite grandstand or lets you use the aforementioned picnic tables, but you can probably sneak into the main stands with this ticket, since the ballpark isn’t usually full. Otherwise, $15 (reserved) gives you a bleacher seat in the top half of the main stands, while $17 (box) gets you a bucket-style seat in the lower half.

Personally I like to move around and watch from different places, so I would choose the $15 seats just to give you that option, as the bleachers are perfectly comfortable, and the $17 seats are probably a little too close to the action, so you can’t see as well.

Extras   3

The team gear stand doesn’t have a lot of different sizes, and the prices are on the high side, but they do have a few options for those wanting a souvenir, for example $3 for a set of Sharks stickers or $10 for a souvenir baseball.  I thought “Shark Dog” was a nice touch, but I was sorely disappointed they did not play “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the 7th inning stretch on my last visit. On the plus side they do have two cornhole sets, so fans can enjoy tossing the bean bags.

Final Thoughts

Watching the Sharks play at Legion Stadium is a solid choice for daytime, or evening, entertainment in Wilmington.  The venue is well done and offers a lot of vantage points to watch from, as well as includes all the accoutrements fans have come to expect from sports at this level. Wilmington is also a great place to visit, so I would encourage you to make at least a weekend of your visit.  Go, Sharks!