Inside Houston Astros’ $252,000,000 Minute Maid Park, MLB's only ballpark that features a moving train on top to honor its roots

Over the past decade, Minute Maid Park in Houston has been the site of some of the most memorable and significant moments in baseball. Coupled with its very unique layout, this makes the park among the most well-known in the league.

Nicknamed "The Juice Box," Minute Maid Park has been standing proudly in downtown Houston, Texas, since 2000. It took about two and a half years to construct, and cost $252 million to make. When the esteemed park opened, it was merely the second stadium in MLB to feature a fully retractable roof.

"8/31/99 A view from Highway 59 of Minute Maid Park under construction." - Mike Acosta

Until the construction of the new field, the Houston Astros played their home games at the Houston AstroDome. However, the decision was made in the late 1990s to construct a new, historically relevant park for baseball in downtown Houston.

As part of the ambitious plan, Houston's former Union Station was incorporated into the construction. A national historic site, the stadium repurposed the old Union Station's concourse into restaurants, office space and clubhouse space. Additionally, fans can still see a model train replica atop the left field wall, which pays tribute to the old vocation of the site.

"JOSE ABREU JUST HIT THE TRAIN TRACKS AT MINUTE MAID PARK" - Fanatics Sportsbook

Originally, energy firm Enron bought the naming rights to the park for $100 million over 30 years. However, after a corporate scandal led to Enron being liquidated in the early 2000s, Coca Cola subsidiary Minute Maid was given naming rights instead.

Over its lifespan, Minute Maid Park has hosted some very important games. In 2005, it was the site of the first World Series ever played in Texas, with the Astros taking on the Chicago White Sox. In 2022, the Astros finally hoisted the World Series trophy at home after beating the Philadelphia Phillies.

Minute Maid Park combines history with contemporary excellence

For over two decades, fans in Houston have had the chance to watch their team at one of MLB's most unique yards. Although the Astros were seen as a fairly poor team for most of the time that the stadium has stood, it has not stopped fans from coming out in droves to cheer on their guys.

Now, as the team has gotten better, more and more fans see the park as a temple of elite baseball performance. For how long it will remain that way is yet to be seen.