| Salem Memorial Stadium replaced old Municipal Field in 1995, which had served its purpose well for many years but was no longer suitable for affiliated minor league baseball. Because Memorial Stadium was built prior to the big building boon in the late 1990's and early 2000's, it does not follow any specific template. Its location in an open area next to the city's civic center and football stadium allow for an unobstructed view of the Blue Ridge Mountains over the right field fence. Seating (which is all fold down chairs) is made up of three levels : box seats, reserved, and general admission. Sightlines are fine from most seats, though the field is a bit distant from many of the GA seats. You'll want to sit on the third base side to get the best view of the mountains. The main concourse which runs behind the seating area is mostly not in view of the playing field. For this reason, the team has put the bulk of their concession stands in the open area of the concourse behind home plate, which is in view of the field. Concessions are well varied - unique items include Buffalo burgers and BBQ sandwiches. The prices are quite reasonable and quality is above average. A nice team store is located in a building adjacent to the ballpark, but is accessible from the concourse on the third base side. Overall, the park has a very open and airy feel to it. Even the concourses are not completely enclosed. The atmosphere is very typical of most minor league parks, especially in the south. Sound effects were kept to a minimum and the standard on field contests were done between innings - race the mascot, dizzy bat race, sumo wrestling, etc. The team also has two married mascots (Mugsy and Misty), but they were not too active the night I was there. While the structure of the ballpark is not the best, the scenic location and laid back atmosphere make this a fine venue to take in a ballgame.
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