Photos by Andrei Ojeda and Chris Green, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Oakland Coliseum 7000 Coliseum Way Oakland, CA 94621
Year Opened: 1966
Capacity: 35,067
Baseball's Last Dive Bar
The Oakland Coliseum, along with the city of Oakland, has taken a beating. From the highly publicized
crime rates to the more recent scandal surrounding Oakland's mayor, and soon the loss of their beloved
baseball team, when all is said and done, the city in the East Bay will have lost all three of their major
professional teams, among other wounds, dealt to the city.
The Coliseum has seen happier times. From four World Champion teams and big names such as Reggie
Jackson, Rickey Henderson, Catfish Hunter, Dennis Eckersley, and the Bash Brothers Mark McGwire and
Jose Canseco, Baseball's Last Dive Bar has its share of historical moments still deeply Rooted In Oakland.
Food & Beverage 3
Because of the sparse to almost non-existent crowds, concessions are pretty limited. Choices range from the
traditional Coliseum Dog and specialty dogs, as well as fish and chips and personal-sized pizzas (from Round Table), peanuts, popcorn, candy, and soft serve ice cream. Bottled Coke products as well as bottled water are some of the beverages offered.
Domestic and imported beer are also available throughout as well as at the Shibe Park Tavern and The Treehouse with offerings ranging from Bud Light, Stella Artois, Modelo Especial, Firestone Walker 805, Elysian Space Dust, Lagunitas IPA, Golden Road Mango Cart, Drakes Denogginizer, Holy Toledo Blonde Ale, 21st Amendment Watermelon, Henhouse Stoked Pale Ale, Blue Moon, Drakes Hopocalypse, Racer 5 IPA, and Stone Delicious IPA.
If planning on visiting The Treehouse, Friday Night Happy Hour specials are offered allowing fans to arrive as early as 4:30 with tickets available for $13.70 ($10 including fees as California laws have done away with hidden fees).
Atmosphere 2
Much like the maligned home of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Athletics have done their best with the stadium situation they have. The two bars in the outfield feature indoor seating areas with multiple TVs for viewing. There is also a large community garden to walk through as well.
When walking through some of the main concourses, the walls have been covered with images and historical facts that follow the team’s history over the years. All of this, however, cannot hide the decrepit condition of the facility. The concourse is incredibly cramped and dark, particularly in the outfield with tons of exposed concrete, giving one the feeling they are roaming the halls of a prison rather than a ballpark. However, some walls do highlight the team’s historic moments.
Neighborhood 1
If you are expecting any ballpark village/entertainment vibes around the Coliseum for any pre or post-game activities you will be extremely disappointed. What you will see around the Coliseum are nothing but roads and a parking lot that should offer more than enough parking for the nightly sparse crowds.
Fans arriving by light rail will be traversing along a pedestrian bridge from the BART station to the sight of graffiti-covered walls beside a polluted wash.
Nearby businesses and eateries such as In-N-Out and Denny's have shut down due to the high rate of crime in the surrounding vicinity. The nearby Hilton is scheduled to shut its doors soon, dealing another blow to the Hegenberger Road Corridor.
Fans 2
Approaching the team’s departure from Oaktown, the fans have just simply stayed away. Most nights crowds are below 10,000 and at times even below 5,000. The fans are fed up with all the empty promises of a new stadium and the failure to keep quality players to maintain a contending team. Even the most diehard of them all, the drumbeaters, the crazed fans in the bleachers known for bringing the noise with their constant drum beats at times to the angst of the visiting team, have mostly stayed away. It’s a sad scene. The fans who still do show up are some of the most passionate. These days, many A’s fans are dressed in shirts reading “SELL”. Their message to A’s management, though loud and clear, has fallen upon deaf ears.
Access 4
The stadium is located right off I-880 in Oakland. If utilizing public transit, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) offers light rail service to The Coliseum from various points throughout the Bay Area reaching from San Francisco to San Jose. A Clipper Card, a stored value fare card, is required to ride BART and can be purchased at any BART station. The stored value fare card is also good for most Bay Area transit services.
Return on Investment 3
Tickets to Athletics games start at $15, at their lowest. Advanced planning is certainly not required. You can even walk up to the box office on gameday and purchase an actual physical ticket to add to your ballpark-chasing collection of keepsakes. Because most games draw crowds of less than 10,000, you pretty much purchase the cheapest ticket and move about almost anywhere in the yard. It’s not as if the game day staff, what’s left of it, will be vigilant about checking tickets.
Extras 3
Throughout the stadium, historic display cases and markers are showing the team’s past. There are also multiple statues of players past. You can find a convenient map on the walls throughout the concourse showing all the stadium’s food options.
Great Moments in A's History, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey
Final Thoughts
Fifty-six years of baseball history. Soon to disappear. Who's to blame? There’s enough blame to pass around from A’s ownership to Oakland City Leaders. Once the A’s complete their move to their new temporary home in Sacramento, the city of Oakland will be left with no major professional sports teams, all departing within the last 5 years.
Rooted In Oakland. That was the campaign cry when the A’s were celebrating their 50th anniversary in Oak Town back in 2018. Excitement was high that a new ballpark would be built on the site of Howard Terminal next to Jack London Square. The Rooted In Oakland campaign is now gone with nary a whimper. Fans entering the stadium through the pedestrian bridge from the BART station will now notice a barren exterior that once had banners for both the A’s and Raiders. A’s ownership is doing its best to distance itself from anything Oakland.
2019
2024
It’s no secret the Oakland Coliseum and its surroundings are in shambles. Visiting fans have expressed concerns on various social media sites regarding a visit to the Coliseum. From my perspective, I've never had any issues around the surrounding area. Is it somewhere I'd walk alone at night? Not a chance. My advice? Utilize the BART subway system and save yourself the $30 plus fees in parking. You will always be among the company as you enter and exit the stadium. Aside from maybe checking out various points throughout the stadium, with no glorified ballpark village in the surrounding area, you will not be doing any pre or post-game activities outside the Coliseum.
It will be a while before the wounds for the city of Oakland are healed. However, that should not prevent you from visiting the East Bay, and catching a game or two before Baseball's Last Dive Bar is a mere memory. Though the stadium isn’t much to brag about, it's still filled with a deep history, having hosted 6 World Series, 4 World Champions, and 21 other postseason appearances combined.
Come with the mindset that all you’ll be at the Coliseum for is baseball. No other frills or distractions. No ballpark villages. No in-stadium shopping outlets or kiddie carousels. Just good old fun at the old, yet crumbling yard before she joins the exodus of Oakland Professional Sports.
Howard Terminal. What could have been...