Meritus Park – Hagerstown Flying Boxcars

Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14

Meritus Park

50 W Baltimore Street Hagerstown, MD 21740

Flying Boxcars website

Meritus Park website

Year Opened: 2024

Capacity: 4,000

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Replacing a Classic in Style

Meritus Park had some pretty big shoes to fill in Hagerstown. The city's former ballpark, Municipal Stadium, was built in 1930 for the Hagerstown Hubs. It provided a home to all the subsequent teams in town for nearly a century until the Hagerstown Suns fell to MLB Commissioner Manfred's contraction axe in 2020.  The ballpark would be demolished two years later. 

Plans to bring baseball back to Hagerstown moved quickly, and just four years later, the newly minted team (the "Flying Boxcars," named for the military cargo plane produced locally in the post-war period) and ballpark (named for local healthcare conglomerate Meritus) had their first season in 2024.

While nothing can ever quite replace Historic Municipal Stadium, Meritus Park earns high grades, giving fans a modern and welcoming new home to Hagerstown baseball for the future

Food & Beverage 4

Meritus Park does a great job of offering a selection of reasonably priced food and drink, with the option to get more fancy if you so choose.

The park has a better-than-average food selection, with aeronautically themed concession stands serving up reasonably priced ballpark standards ($3-$12), as well as more expensive seafood and BBQ specialties ($10-$21). There is also a grab-n-go concession by home plate, as well as a cheesesteak cart.

There is a wide selection of booze to choose from. Even the regular concessions have a good selection of beers on tap ($6.50-$16), but the two outfield bars are your mecca for adult beverages. The Meinelschmidt Bar, in left field, features a dizzying array of cocktails, beers both local and international, and canned alcoholic drinks, with TV screens to watch the game; while the Power Alley Pub in right-center has a similar spread, with see-through chain-link outfield fences to keep tabs on the game. Coke products are available for non-imbibers.

I always recommend trying out local brews, so grab one such as the Antietam High Heat Lager ($9) from one of the outfield bars, and I found the adventurous Brisket Burnt End Sausage ($10) from Skylines on the third-base side worth a try.

Atmosphere 5

Meritus Park hits all the right notes as a ballpark, delivering everything you'd want for a visit to a ballgame.

The various entrances empty out onto the main promenade that rings the park above the seating bowl. A second level for the press and luxury boxes rises above home plate, running from first base to third base. And the main video scoreboard sits in the left-field corner.

The seating area stretches from short left field to short right field, and there are additional areas to sit in the two outfield bars, as well as a reservation-only picnic area in center field. The concession stands are evenly spaced around the park, with a center point at the home plate entrance, where picnic and high-back tables let you enjoy your food if you don't want to eat at your seat.

One thing never discussed enough is whether the park is the "right" size. A lot of indie-league parks go whole-hog and build massive ballparks that aren't befitting the realistic crowds you can expect. One thing that Meritus Park has going for it is that this park feels exactly the right size for Hagerstown.

Pilot mascot Stryker leads the on-field fun between innings. There are the standard minor/indie leagues races and contests of dubious skill to fill the time, as well as a couple of unique offerings, such as a race between the two sides of the park to pass inflatable donuts the length of their seating areas and a charming(?) alcohol-themed character race sponsored by a local liquor store, a holdover from the late, lamented Municipal Stadium.

The areas in the last rows around home plate are your best bet for shade for day games, but most of the seats outside of the outfield will be in the shade for evening contests. There's not a bad seat in the house, so choose wherever you'd like.

Neighborhood 3

One's mind doesn't jump to this little burg just over the border into Maryland as a travel destination, but it punches above its weight class.

Some of the best places to eat in town are only a few blocks away from the stadium, including Chic's Seafood, The Broad Axe Bar & Grill, The Rhubarb House (soups a specialty), and Schmankerl Stube (Bavarian).

In addition to being a Civil War buff's Mecca (just up the road from Antietam and less than an hour from Gettysburg), Hagerstown itself has some things to hold your interest as well, including railway and aviation museums, a kids' museum, a fine arts museum, and a history museum of the town's namesake. Right next to the park is the art installation, the Mural of Unusual Size, which is worth a peak before or after the game. Also, the affiliated Frederick Keys ballclub is about a half hour to the east.

The Crown Hotel is right down the street from the park downtown, and new owners seem to have turned around its previous unsavory reputation. A short drive east on Route 40 has a half-dozen hotel options of various price points, as does I-81 a little to the southwest.

Fans 4

In their inaugural year, the Flying Boxcars experienced some of the typical ups and downs of a new franchise: Their attendance was up with the novelty of a new park, and their performance on the field was down, as often befalls a new team. While the team is still struggling for wins, the good news is that the bloom isn't off the flower at the gates.

The Flying Boxcars remain atop the Atlantic League for attendance, averaging more than 75 percent capacity for each game. Considering a sellout means 1/10th of the population of the city is at the game, that's pretty darn good.

The crowd is supportive of their struggling team, but they seem more like a Rockies crowd going to a social event first and a ballgame second. Meritus, like Coors, appears to be the most happening club in town, and I'm sure the owners aren't complaining too much.

Access 4

The new park is located in the heart of downtown, just south of Route 40, and it is a breeze to visit and get around.

Downtown is well-serviced by I-81 and I-70 for drivers. A small bus service can get you to the park from the surrounding area, there's an Amtrak station downtown and regional airports spotting the area, but the closest major airports are Dulles or BWI. 

The main parking for Meritus is the new Hub City Garage, just a block or so from the park, with its own walkway to one of the outfield entrances. It has similar pricing for various parking lots and decks further around downtown.

The park has several entrances, so it is easy to get in and never seems to get too crowded. A main promenade circles the park, so there's not much trouble getting around, although a couple of walkways beyond the outfield are a tight squeeze.

Return on Investment 5

The team makes it affordable to get in the door, which is important for independent clubs catering to families and social butterflies.

Ticket prices are more than fair, running from $16-19 (children under 5 are free). Cheap food options abound ($3 for a basic dog / $5 for a large soda / $6.50 for domestic beer), though the specialty food and drink can get pricey if you choose to go that way.

Parking is pretty much $10 in all lots, unless you use one of the unofficial lots, at your own risk. And they even still give away free game-day programs and scorecards.

Extras 4

For a new park, there are little details that help make Meritus look more lived-in than you'd expect. 

There are the expected modern ballpark amenities with well-stocked team stores and a kids' play area out in right field. Also in right field is a neon statue of the eponymous Fairchild C-119 that lights up during night games. The outfield bars also have bar games for those distracted from the action on the field, and a performance area by the Meinelschmidt Bar sometimes provides pre- and post-game entertainment.

With a tip of the hat to history, the Hall of Fame near home plate celebrates big MLB stars that traveled through Hagerstown in their affiliated past, such as Brice Harper, Mike Mussina, and Juan Soto.

And a special call-out to Erin Shank at State Farm, who somehow managed to buy a scoreboard sponsorship of every... foul... ball. By the third inning, I could recite her ad copy flawlessly with my eyes closed. It’s a little annoying, but this kind of small-town promotion is part of what makes minor and indie ball so unique.

Final Thoughts

Meritus Park could never fully replace Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown's hearts and minds, but it brings baseball into the new century there, with a gem of a modern park that seems tailored for its home.