Fifth Third Park – Hub City Spartanburgers
Photos by Michael Rusignuolo and David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Fifth Third Park 300 W. Henry Street Spartanburg, SC 29306
Year Opened: 2025
Capacity: 5,000
Spartan Only in Name
Spartanburg's long baseball history has had some interruptions, but for most of its history, it was housed in Duncan Park, which opened in 1926 and remains one of the oldest extant ballparks in the country. In its inaugural year, it hosted the minor-league Spartans, who were joined two years later by the Negro League Sluggers.
The Peaches replaced the Spartans post-war, but both remaining teams had failed by the late 50s and were eventually replaced by the MiLB Phillies from the 60s through the mid-90s. College baseball and collegiate wooden bat leagues filled the gap in the early aughts, but nearly nothing above high school ball was played for over a decade in the Hub City, when Diamond Holdings bought and moved the DownEast Wood Ducks there from North Carolina in 2025.
In preparation for the arrival of the Texas-affiliated franchise in the High-A South Atlantic League, a new 3,500-seat park was built, with Fifth Third Field opening its doors in 2025 for the team's first home opener. (And if the name gives you deja vu, you're not imagining it: Fifth Third Bank currently has naming rights for at least seven sports venues across the country.)
The new Fifth Third Field provides an exceptional new home for the Spartanburgers, shining especially brightly with its concession options and attention to the little things.
Food & Beverage 5
Fifth Third Park really punches above its minor league weight with the sheer amount of food and drink options.
Say what you will about the Spartanburgers and Fifth Third Field: Their concession options are nearly MLB-level. The inevitable tie-in is the Spartanburger stand. You can get basic burgers, the Spartanburger (with cheddar, bacon, and onion jam), or monstrosities like the Big Chuck Grand Slam (four patties with jam and smoked Gouda).
And, of course, you can add on the Fixin's Bar, a giant burger stand with 100 rotating condiments that is so popular, they offer full-season subscriptions. There's also a Firebox Corner (pizza, BBQ, and turkey legs), Bojangles Chicken Crossing, Diamond Dawgs, Ballpark Faves, not to mention the grab-and-go markets and other smaller snack concessions.
Beers, wine, and mixed drinks are available at most concessions, in addition to the Cabooze Bar (which dishes $10 cocktails at home plate) and various specialty stands for local craft breweries. Budweiser is the house beer brand (along with copious craft choices), and Coca-Cola is the soft drink family of choice.
With so many options, it was hard to choose, but there was a Chip & Flip Chuck Combo (two cheeseburgers and fries in a giant plastic helmet) that was too good to pass up, especially with the Fixin's Bar added on ($32 + $5). Ashville brewery Wicked Weed had a booth that night, so I got their Pernicious IPA ($10).
Atmosphere 4
While the new park is still under construction in some areas and won't win any innovation awards, it gets good grades for its better-than-average execution.
The park uses the standard MiLB layout, with a concourse leading from left and right field, with the main seating extending down from it. Perhaps due to the ongoing construction beyond center field, you currently can't do a full circuit of the park.
There are specialty group seating areas in the outfield corners with Chasers Corner in left, and the Dr. Pepper Terrace in right, and a small picnic berm runs from left into center field. A second level of specialty clubs and boxes rises behind the infield, and the park's large scoreboard sits in right-center against the backdrop of downtown Spartanburg in left field and (unfortunately) the ongoing construction in right.
Chuck (the burger) is the new team's mascot, and helps run the various between-innings events, as well as circulating among the fans before and after the game. The regular slate of contests and quizzes is predictably burger-themed.
Especially for day games, shade can be a must in the South Carolina heat--and it's so important, they show the shade on the online seating chart. Sections 110-115 have the best shade options, along with great field views.
Neighborhood 4
Perhaps unexpectedly, Spartanburg is a full-on college town, with four colleges and a business school within the city limits, leading to a much crunchier locale than you might expect in South Carolina.
Spartanburg is packed with restaurants. Just outside the park are the Main Street Pub and Cribb's Kitchen, a local Southern dining standout. A short walk down Main Street gets you to the pedestrianized area, which hosts dozens of eateries, including favorites Peddler Steak House, Rigsby's Classic Rock Cafe, Sophia's (Italian), and Lucy Anne's.
There are also a lot of choices for activities in the area, including nature preserves and parks, the Hollywild Animal Park, and a BMW factory tour; while downtown, there are art museums and galleries, the Hub City Railroad Museum, the Children's Museum of the Upstate, and countless little local shops along Main Street. Duncan Park Stadium, the former baseball home of Spartanburg, is also located a short drive from the current park.
There aren't as many hotels as you might expect in a college town, with the three large downtown properties all owned by Marriott. The fanciest, the AC Hotel, is just beyond the outfield wall, and all three are within easy walking distance to the park. Three smaller motels are down US-29/Main Street in either direction, but you need to go north or west out of town on the interstates for more options.
Fans 4
In their first year in Spartanburg, the team raised their previous attendance per game by over 2,000 in their new home. The 2026 season seems to be keeping up those numbers, placing them in the top third of the popular South Atlantic League for attendance yet again.
Even on a summer weekend with dire predictions for rain, the crowd was pretty packed, and when the forecasted rain did arrive late in the game, the crowd stayed around, which is as strong an indicator of dedicated fandom as anything else.
Access 4
Spartanburg is located just southeast of the junction of I-26 and I-85, with I-585 passing through the east of downtown. The park itself is just off the main drags, US-29/Main Street and Church Street. Traffic to the park doesn't seem to be a big issue.
Spartanburg also has a surprisingly robust SPARTA bus system, and routes 1, 7, and 8 will get you to the park ($1.25 one way). Greyhound and FlixBus have a terminal to the north of town, and there is a small regional airport south of downtown.
The main parking lot is a multi-level facility built into the left field gate. It costs $10 per game. There are other VIP lots on the first-base side of the park, but those are usually only available to suite and season ticket holders, or for $11.80 if space isn't sold out.
There are three entrances to the park, at the left and right field corners, and home plate. If you are driving to the game, the left field entrance is the most convenient and is also right by the ticket office. If the lines are too long, you can take the short walk down to home plate. A broad promenade runs from the left to right field entrances. It is easy to get around, but you can't make a circuit of the park.
Return on Investment 4
While the food options can get a little pricey, the Spartanburgers otherwise provide an affordable night out for families and baseball fans.
General Admission tickets start at $7, and seats in the regular sections run from about $ 13 to $ 30 each. Unlike most minor league parks, the club seats are available for purchase for individual games (about $85), which offer perks such as air-conditioned lounges, in-seat food service, and special menu items.
Food pricing is where the Spartanburgers stumble a little. Many of their specialty items easily top $10, $20, and even $30, but there are plenty of options under $10, and alcohol and drink prices are very reasonable (beers start at just $6). Parking is a standard $10-12 dollars.
Extras 5
The amount of extras that are stuffed into the park really indicates an ownership that cares about providing their fans a little something more. The experience starts outside of the park, with a kiddie railroad by the left field entrance that runs before the game.
A kids' play area is on the promenade by third base, and there are not one, but two spacious team stores by home plate and the left field entrance, where there is also a "Hub City" sign. A DJ stand by home plate is the base for the musical MC, near a lounge for season ticket holders under a baseball-themed chandelier and next to distance signs for all the Rangers-affiliated clubs. There's also a history exhibit with a dedication plaque and seats from Philadelphia’s Shibe Park (that were used in local Duncan Park), and a history of the town located by the club-level entrance.
Boy and girl giant bobbleheads line the main concourse, which is also a riot of brightly colored murals promoting the team, the local area, and the concessions. It is a great touch that really sets the park apart. There is still construction going on beyond center field, so when everything is finished, there may be even more little gems.
Final Thoughts
You won't regret a visit to Fifth Third Park, which provides nearly everything you're looking for in a fun evening of minor league baseball.
