McCrary Park – Asheboro ZooKeepers
- Gregory Koch
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
McCrary Park 138 Southway Rd. Asheboro, NC 27205
Year Opened: 1946
Capacity: 1,400
Zooks Baseball in Asheboro
Nestled in the small city of Asheboro, North Carolina (population just 27,000), you will find McCrary Park, home of the Asheboro Zookeepers, a summer collegiate baseball team in the Coastal Plain League. McCrary Park is a historic stadium that opened in 1946, but it has been renovated many times since then. The most recent renovation included adding a new turf field, which is less prone to rain delays and rainouts than the old grass one.
The Asheboro Zookeepers were founded in 1999 as the Asheboro Copperheads, a nod to a species of snake that is prominent in the local area. In 2022, they changed their name to the Zookeepers as an homage to the North Carolina Zoo, which is located in Asheboro.
Food & Beverage 4
There are two concession windows located behind home plate at McCrary Park, directly in front of you as you come in, although they serve identical menus so go to whichever one has a shorter line. Meal options include Zaxby's chicken sandwiches, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizza slices, nachos, and barbecue sandwiches. Snacks include ice cream, popcorn, peanuts, pretzels, chips, pickles, candy, and cotton candy. Bottled Pepsi products and water are available, as is Cheerwine, a cherry flavored soda that is made in North Carolina and is often served locally along with products from national brands. There is also a bar down the right field line that serves alcohol to fans of age.
Prices are quite reasonable - other than alcohol, the barbecue sandwich is the most expensive thing at just $7. Note that McCrary Park is a cashless facility, so bring credit cards to pay.
Atmosphere 4
McCrary Park is a classic ballpark with a brick facade reminiscent of days gone by. It is a small, intimate stadium that seats just 1,400 fans in a few sections behind home plate. The front rows are reserved chairbacks, with some general admission metal bleachers above them. Every seat will have an excellent view of the action, although you will be watching through a net due to the proximity to the field. A scoreboard in left-centerfield shows the linescore and other basic information. A few of the seats in the grandstand are behind poles and may have a partially obstructed view, but the Zookeepers draw small enough crowds that if you accidentally buy one of these seats, you should be able to move somewhere else and nobody will stop you. Most of these seats are along or near aisles, so if you sit in the middle of the row, you should be fine. The grandstand is covered, and overhead fans blow cool air on spectators, which really helps with comfort on a hot summer night.
The Zookeepers have a mascot, who appropriately is known as The Zookeeper. He is in a zookeeper costume, only with the giant head and costume you would expect of a mascot, rather than the normal body proportions you would expect of a real zookeeper. The usual contests take place on the field or in the stands in between innings. The Zookeepers love playing sound effects during the game. Some of these are the usual ones, like the sound of broken glass after foul balls, but they also are quite fond of playing the old Windows XP sign-off sound after the other team makes an out, as a way of saying "good-bye" to the batter.
Neighborhood 2
McCrary Park is in a residential area just off US Route 220 and Interstates 73 and 74. There is next to nothing within walking distance – or even a short drive – of the field. Most of the action is off US 64, near the North Carolina Zoo, but that is more than five miles from the stadium. The Flying Pig and Black Powder Smokehouse are a little closer, near Fayetteville Street, as are several other businesses, but these are still several miles away.
Fans 3
While Asheboro typically does not sell out, they still draw good crowds to what is a small, community stadium. Asheboro is a small town of just 27,000, but still manages to draw hundreds of fans a game to the local ballpark. The fans are local community members, and while their knowledge of the teams and the game of baseball varies wildly, they are still here to cheer on the local ballclub and have a good time. This is a fine small town crowd, but they'll never draw the same crowd as some bigger teams even within the same league.
Access 4
McCrary Park is located in a residential neighborhood a couple miles off I-73. There is a large lot behind home plate, with additional parking available in the outfield and on the nearby street if necessary. Keep in mind some of the closest spots are within foul ball territory, so park there at your own risk. Most of the lot should be safe to park in, so you need not worry about car damage from baseballs.
Restrooms are available on the concourse behind home plate right by the entrance and are clean and sufficient for the crowds.
Return on Investment 5
Tickets start at $8.48 for seats in the general admission bleachers. Most reserved chairbacks are just $11.63, while VIP seats in the first couple rows are $13.73. In compliance with a federal law that went into effect in 2025, these prices include all fees, which explains the odd amounts. Concessions are quite affordable as well, and parking is free. Overall, an Asheboro Zookeepers game is an outstanding value.
Extras 2
Look for the statue of a young pitcher on the concourse. According to a plaque, this is meant to honor Asheboro's baseball heritage.
Zookeepers merchandise is sold out of a cart on the concourse behind home plate.
Final Thoughts
McCrary Park is an old stadium, but it manages to carefully balance the history of the ballpark with the need to change and improve amenities for modern times. The result is a community experience that allows fans to enjoy a ballgame in a great setting for nine innings on a warm summer night at a very affordable price. Baseball fans in North Carolina will definitely want to make the trip down to Asheboro to check out a Zookeepers game.
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