Photos by Richard Smith and Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Wellspan Park 5 Brooks Robinson Way York, PA 17403
Year Opened: 2007
Capacity: 5,200
Revolution in the White Rose City
York, Pennsylvania was the first capital of the United States. The title claim comes from the assertion that the Articles of Confederation was the first legal document to refer to the colonies as “the United States of America,” and York happened to be the capital when it was adopted.
York is known as the White Rose City while nearby Lancaster is known as the Red Rose City city about the Wars of the Roses. For many years a baseball rivalry existed between the two cities with the York White Roses and Lancaster Red Roses. The York White Roses existed from 1894–1969, although technically they were known as the York Pirates the final year in town. League membership moved around between the Eastern League, Piedmont League, Interstate League, New York-Penn League, Tri-State League, Pennsylvania State League, and Keystone Association.
The former home of the White Roses, now known as Bob Hoffman Stadium, is still located in town and is in use as a softball field. The original concrete walls of the stadium still exist. An upward-sloping hill was, and is, a unique distinction of the stadium. Of course, softball uses fences of a shorter distance and so the hill is no issue for the modern players. It must have been quite a thing to witness and play in the day.
In 2007, the Revolution came to town as part of the independent Atlantic League.
Food & Beverage 5
Check out the “Hungry Fan Map” on the main concourse for more information.
There is a good selection of options at the stadium, more than some stadiums double their size. There are numerous permanent stands, as well as more temporary setups around the concourse. Fat Boys Pizza and Hoagary have two separate stands next to each other with quite a few options that we can most recommend.
Macho Nacho serves large nachos in a full-sized helmet. Or you can opt for some chicken fingers and fries, also served in a helmet. Ripleigh's Creamery has great ice cream, with another helmet option, of course.
Atmosphere 4
Fans enter the stadium through Brooks Robinson Plaza. The Orioles great played for the White Roses and was a part of the Revolution's operations until he died in 2023.
The grandstand is a basic bowl set up and offers a great view from pretty much any seat.
A fun place to sit is in the lawn section beyond center field. In that location, there is also one row of seating both in front of the lawn and in front of the playground area.
A nice addition to the stadium is the “Arch Nemesis” wall in left field. Basically, it is a green monster type wall. There is a hand-operated scoreboard in the wall. Fans can walk behind the wall and see the scoreboard operator in action.
There is a walkway that extends around the entire field and offers some great views.
The team has a man clad in revolutionary garb, who fires off a small, real cannon at the start of the game and when the Revolution takes the lead. Be prepared, as it is VERY loud.
The team mascot is named “Downtown.”
Neighborhood 4
The baseball stadium is just north of the downtown area.
Downtown York is not far away and there are some great bars and restaurants here. Stop in at White Rose Bar and Grill or Holy Hound Taproom for a bite and drink pre or postgame. Holy Hound has 30 beers on tap.
Route 30 is a place to find almost every chain restaurant and hotel brand in existence. Recommendations here would be Cheddar’s and Mission BBQ.
The Harley-Davidson Motor Company has a large facility in York. Check their website for the occasional tour.
Fans 3
York is about the middle of the pack in attendance within the league.
The fans that sit right behind the plate are knowledgeable. Once you get out to the fringe parts of the park you may see the more casual fan. Wellspan Park seems to make both types of fans feel right at home.
Access 3
Route 30 and I-83 are the big roads in the area. The stadium sits not far off of these roads in the north of downtown York.
Parking is $5 cash at nearby Smalls Athletic Field. Other lots are for pass-holders only.
Most people will enter through the main gates at Brooks Robinson Plaza
Return on Investment 4
Ticket prices at Wellspan Park are fair, ranging from $9 (lawn) to $15. There is also a nice variety of season and package plans.
There is a parking charge of $5 but that price is low and reasonable.
Extras 5
It is great to see the manual scoreboard in operation. So make sure to use the walkway and go behind to see the operator at work. It is a fun little thing the Revolution added to the park to add character.
Also, make sure to spend some time before the game and check out the Brooks Robinson statue. The statue in the plaza shows a young Brooks in his York White Roses uniform. The entire Brooks Robinson Plaza is a nice little feature as well as serving as a great pregame meeting spot.
The loud cannon is a nice little feature. Just be prepared because that cannon is loud.
The ballpark has a nicely designed play area and a carousel in center field.
Wellspan Park is home to the tallest outfield wall in all of baseball. At 37 feet, 8 inches, the left field wall is called the “Arch Nemesis,” and is 8 inches taller than the famed Green Monster at Fenway Park.
There are four retired numbers on the façade of the press box at Wellspan Park. Brooks Robinson (5), Jackie Robinson (42), Andy Etchebarren (8) and Corey Thurman (35) are the honorees.
Final Thoughts
The York Revolution and Wellspan Park offer a nicely designed stadium with some really interesting features that are sure to please both the serious and casual baseball fans.