CarMax Park - Richmond Flying Squirrels

Lloyd Brown
7 hours ago
6 min read

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71

CarMax Park 3001 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard Richmond, VA 23230

Richmond Flying Squirrels website

Car Max Park website

Year Opened: 2026

Capacity: 10,000

Flying Squirrels are Taking It to the ‘Max

As the 2026 baseball season gets underway, minor-league baseball in Richmond has a new home for the first time in 40 years. The Flying Squirrels have moved into the brand new $110 million CarMax Park, just across the street from their former home at the Diamond. The naming rights to the new park belong to the auto group with its corporate headquarters in Virginia’s capital city.

The new stadium includes many firsts for Richmond baseball. CarMax Park features a 360-degree concourse, which also means it has seating beyond the outfield walls for the first time in the team’s existence. Catching a home run ball has finally become a reality. The seating bowl is also much closer to the field than at the Diamond, with the Dugout Suites at field level. The field dimensions are RF 325, CF 400, and LF 325.

Food & Beverage 3

The concessions program at CarMax Park offers a much more diverse set of food choices than was available at the Diamond. There are four main concession stands along the concourse, with several more specialized stands mixed in between. In addition, there are several Grab N’ Go self-service stands, which can be a big timesaver.

The main concession stands are known as the Fan Favorite stands. They feature Hot Chicken sandwiches ($12), fried chicken ($12), chicken tenders ($11), hot dogs ($4.50), ballpark nachos ($5.50), the team’s unique Squirrely fries ($5), cracker jacks ($4.50), pretzels ($6.75), peanuts ($4), and candy ($5.25).

Other stands are more food-type specific. They include Squirrelly Bird (chicken), Capitol BBQ (barbeque), RVA Burger (hamburgers), Cho’s (nachos), and the 804 Mart (grab-and-go convenience store food). The quality of the food at these stands is above average for a minor league baseball park.

CarMax Park features Pepsi brand sodas at its concession stands.

Adult beverages are available at each concession stand. There is a minimum of eight taps per stand. Domestic beers are $8.75, with premium brands available for $10.75. There is also a beer garden located in the left field area of the stands

There are TV monitors at each stand, so you will not miss any of the game action.

Atmosphere 4

CarMax Park offers a very welcoming atmosphere, compared to the very cold and outdated atmosphere found at the Diamond. The stadium colors feature the red and blue team colors of the Flying Squirrels. There is a large sign featuring the CarMax Park sign, which is a nice background for selfies. The CarMax Park logo is embossed on the seats along the aisles throughout the park.

CarMax Park has one of the largest videoboards in minor league baseball (3,648 square feet) in right-center field. It does a great job keeping fans updated on important plays on the field, as well as upcoming events at the ballpark.

There are two Squirrel’s Nest team stores at CarMax Park, with one on the main concourse along the first baseline and a second location in center field. This cuts down dramatically on the lines to get into the store, which is a major improvement over the lone store at the Diamond.

One of the popular new features of the new park is the use of Public Art. This includes a mural on the back of the Batter’s Eye in center field featuring baseball card-style images of some of the many great stars that played for the Richmond franchise over the years. Another installation is a “Flying Squirrels are Richmond, VA” wall in the Landing area that is a very popular backdrop for selfies. The children’s area along the outfield concourse features cutouts of team mascots Nutsy and Nutasha.

Neighborhood 3

CarMax Park is in the Scott’s Addition Historic District neighborhood in northeast Richmond. The immediate area surrounding CarMax Park has been rechristened as the Diamond District. The City of Richmond’s Development Authority is partnering with the Flying Squirrels to create a vibrant live/work/play community surrounding the ballpark. CarMax Park will host numerous community-wide events outside of baseball as a part of this agreement. Apartments, affordable housing, restaurants, retail outlets, and public green spaces are all in the long-range plans for the Diamond District.

The immediate area surrounding the stadium is somewhat of a work in progress, with construction equipment on site and some building materials still present.

There are several restaurants within a few blocks of CarMax Park. These include ZZQ of Texas Craft BBQ, Remedy Burger, and the Veil Brewing Company. The Park RVA Entertainment complex is also adjacent to the ballpark. The area is also a hotbed for craft breweries. These include the Vasen Brewing Company, Ardent Craft Ales, and The Veil Brewing Company.

Fans 4

Professional baseball has a long history in the Richmond area, dating back to 1884. The only break in this history came in the two years in between the Richmond Braves' departure to Gwinnett in 2008 and the relocation of the Connecticut Defenders franchise to Richmond in 2010 to become the Flying Squirrels.

As a result of this long history and the traumatic loss of the Braves, Richmond fans are determined to never let that happen again. The Richmond Squirrels have led the Eastern League in average attendance for nine of the last fifteen seasons, and CarMax Park’s increased capacity seems certain to keep that streak intact. The first month has seen the ballpark sell out every home game so far, as interest in checking out the new facility is widespread throughout the Commonwealth.

Access 3

The new home of the Flying Squirrels offers easy access from both I-95 and I-64.

From I-95: Take exit 78 (Boulevard/Route 161), and the ballpark is two blocks south. Follow the signage to your appropriate parking lot.

From I-64: I-64 merges with I-95 just north of the ballpark. Exit onto I-95 south and follow the directions above.

CarMax Park is still using the parking lots from The Diamond, as the old ballpark is just across the street from the new park. General parking is available in the Red, Yellow, Green, and Pink lots, with the Black and Gold lots reserved for ADA parking only.

Rideshares will pick up and deliver fans at the Red lot.

Greater Richmond Transit (GRC) already offers numerous bus stops near the ballpark.

Fans will be happy to see that the main entry gate into the park has only five steps, as opposed to the thirty steps they had to climb at the Diamond. There are ramps available at CarMax Park for ADA entry.

Ballpark gates open 90 minutes before the first pitch.

Return on Investment 4

CarMax Park offers a wide variety of seating plans at several price points. The cheapest seats in the ballpark are on the berm in the outfield at $10.00. Knothole/Youth seating is bleacher-style seating on either side of the Batter’s Eye in the outfield at $12. The most expensive seats are considered “Prime” seats, which means that they are within the three rows closest to the field. Baseline/Dugout Prime seats are $24, while Home Plate

Prime seats are $30. The Yard Club area features Adirondack seats in the outfield and is priced at $60 per pair. Bullpen rail seats (overlooking the bullpens in the outfield) are $26. All other seating is $18-20, depending on which part of the field they overlook.

Concession prices for the ballpark basics (drinks, hot dogs, candy) are very reasonable. The more specialized menu items come at a premium cost.

Parking in the stadium lots is $10 per car.

Extras 5

The Flying Squirrels are the AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. This means CarMax Park is the greatest distance from its parent club’s home park (Oracle Park) at 2,872 miles.

Players will sign autographs up to 30 minutes before the first pitch. Fans should line up along the seats closest to the first baseline.

The Bon Secours Base Camp is a children’s play area located in the area beyond the center field wall of the ballpark.

One of the more entertaining between-innings contests at the Flying Squirrells games is the Mixed Nuts Race. It features competitors with names like the Almond Brothers, Johnny Cashew, Pablo Pistachio, and P. Nutt.

CarMax Park offers several group seating areas with dining options in each area of the ballpark. The Patio is a picnic-style area along the third baseline. The Landing is in the left field corner and comes with a buffet. The Backstop is a covered indoor seating area above the concourse that comes with meal service. The City View Suites offer a wonderful overlook of the ballpark, as well as a view of the downtown Richmond skyline in the distance. The Power Alley Porch is in the outfield area and offers drink rail seating with a buffet.

The Flying Squirrels offer free game programs, filled with the team history, player bios, info on special promotions, and lineup cards.