The Jewel of the Blue Ridge

Main entrance to Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium, Aug-2011.

The simple 1990s-style seating bowl has served the park well.

A spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains above the Roanoke River is often available.

• Location: James E. Taliaferro Civic Center Complex, Salem, Va.
• Opened: 1995 as Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium
• Additional names: LewisGale Field (2006)
• Home team: Salem Avalanche (1995-2008), Red Sox (2009-present), Carolina League
• Capacity: 6,300 (4,968 permanent seats)

Chronological Tour: Stop 107

Rating: 4 baseballs

A mini-Fenway Park beyond left field.

You can’t knock the architecture of the city-owned park, which for several years also hosted the Division 3 College World Series as well as the Avalanche. But the true selling point is the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond the outfield wall.

Often, the mountains themselves are obscured in a bluish haze. It isn’t fog or smog; it’s a natural phenomenon, which is how the Blue Ridge got its name. But where else can one see “purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain” and a ball game at the same time?

The park saw some improvements when the team became a Boston Red Sox affiliate, including a mini-Fenway Park for kids to play on beyond the left-field grandstand. The grandstand walls, which were unpainted and became extremely hot when the sun beat on them, are now painted blue to match the seats. The stadium itself continues to feature one of the highest all-around outfield walls in the minors, in the vicinity of 20 feet tall.