| After reading some negative reviews about Lake Elsinore Diamond, I really wasn't expecting much going in. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised, and my visit here was probably my favorite among the parks I saw on my California trip in 2008. The beautiful exterior hits you right away when you arrive. The grounds are immaculately groomed and there are two sculptures, one of a hitter and one of a pitcher, which both light up at night. Upon entering the park, a stunning view of the surrounding hills is the first thing you'll notice – something that is distinctly Californian. The concourse which you enter onto is open to the field and is very spacious. The roof overhead is one of the tallest you'll ever see at a minor league park. Because of the high roof, tall pillars are needed to hold it up, another unique feature of the Diamond. The concourse is kept shiny and very clean, though it is not as lively as it could be. Several concession stands were shut down giving the park a slightly depressed feeling. The seating bowl consists of all maroon fold downs with plenty of legroom and excellent sightlines. Because of the steep pitch of the seats and the fact that there is no center concourse, sightlines are about as good as you can get. Overflow seating can be accommodated on the large grassy berm in the right field corner. Directly above the berm is a picnic area. In the left field corner, there is a large restaurant called the Diamond Club. It is very classy looking and has lots of glass windows for patrons to see the game out of. Concessions at Lake Elsinore Diamond are average at best. The variety is lacking, quality is below average, and prices seemed a bit on the high side. As already mentioned, a few of the concession stands were closed the night I was there, so perhaps the variety is better on busier nights. The team has been having some financial issues in recent years, so perhaps concessions is one area they feel they can make some money. As for the atmosphere, it was much better than I expected. I had heard it would be over the top, but was really not too bad. The team only did a couple between inning contests : race the mascot, bungee pull, and a golf game. There was also a couple of “skits” featuring a dancing gorilla, which apparently is a fan favorite. The Storm have two mascots, one of which is a pink bunny named Jackpot who pops out of the scoreboard whenever the home team scores a run. The only negative aspect about the atmosphere is that the sound is cranked a bit too loud, especially when the Storm are up at the plate. Another unique aspect to this ballpark is the manual scoreboard in right field – a very nice touch that I always appreciate. One other small complaint – parking is $5, which is a bit steep. On the plus side, programs are free. Lake Elsinore Diamond is definitely unique and memorable, which is probably why I enjoyed my visit so much. Some improvements are needed in the area of concessions, but otherwise this is a fine place to see a game.
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