BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS
Bowling Green Ballpark
Bowling Green Ballpark is the Rays' High-A affiliate in Bowling Green, Kentucky — the home of the Corvette. The National Corvette Museum and the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, where every Chevrolet Corvette has been built since 1981, define Bowling Green's national identity. The Hot Rods name is a direct reference to this automotive heritage. Kentucky's second-largest city is also Western Kentucky University's home, situated in the Barren River region of south-central Kentucky.
PHOTO: OPMaster · CC BY-SA 3.0
Architecture & History
Bowling Green Ballpark opened in 2009 and anchors downtown Bowling Green's sports district. The 6,000-seat facility serves a community known nationally for the Corvette Museum and Western Kentucky University.
Build specs
- OPENED
- 2009
- CAPACITY
- 6,000
- DIMENSIONS
- LF 309 · CF 395 · RF 309
Statues & Exterior
EXTERIOR FEATURES
Automotive Heritage Theme
Throughout ballpark
The Hot Rods' car-racing identity reflects Bowling Green's role as home to the National Corvette Museum and Chevrolet's primary Corvette production facility.
Names & History
2009–present
Bowling Green Ballpark
A civic naming arrangement — no corporate naming rights deal. The full city name serves as the stadium name.
Also known as
The Food
Kentucky Burgoo
Burgoo — the thick Kentucky stew made with whatever meat is available (traditionally mutton, pork, chicken, and squirrel) plus corn, lima beans, tomatoes, and okra, slow-cooked for hours — is Kentucky's most specific regional dish. It is served at the Kentucky Derby, at church picnics, and at political rallies.
Hot Brown Sandwich
Kentucky stand
The Louisville Hot Brown — an open-faced turkey and bacon sandwich topped with Mornay sauce and broiled until bubbling — invented at the Brown Hotel in 1926.
KY Bourbon BBQ Pork
BBQ stand
Pork BBQ marinated in Kentucky bourbon whiskey and slow-smoked over hickory.
Hot Rods Dog
Hot dog stands
Standard hot dog with Kentucky yellow mustard.
The Beer
Bowling Green Ballpark features Kentucky bourbon-adjacent craft options. Beech Tree Brewing Company is the most local Bowling Green option.
Beech Tree Brewing Company Pale Ale
Beech Tree Brewing Co. · Bowling Green, KY
Beech Tree Brewing, Bowling Green's most established craft brewery.
Against the Grain Brewery 70K Kolsch
Against the Grain Brewery · Louisville, KY
Against the Grain Brewery from Louisville — based inside Louisville Slugger Field.
Yuengling Traditional Lager
D.G. Yuengling & Son · Pottsville, PA
Yuengling is available throughout the Kentucky market.
Sun & Weather Guide
Bowling Green Kentucky summer heat
Bowling Green summer day games reach 88–92°F with southern Kentucky humidity.
Cumberland Plateau air moderates BG evenings
Bowling Green's position near the Cumberland Plateau provides some natural cooling for evening games.
Insider Tips
The One Thing
Bowling Green is the home of the National Corvette Museum and the GM Corvette assembly plant. A game at Bowling Green Ballpark + a Corvette Museum tour is the definitive Bowling Green experience.
Best Seat in the House
First base reserved seats give you the best angle in this well-maintained downtown park.
Getting There
I-65 exit 28 (US-231). The park is in downtown Bowling Green, walkable from the WKU main commercial corridor.
Pilgrim Stops Near Bowling Green
Weird, wonderful, and worth the detour.
Dinosaur World Cave City
Over 150 life-size dinosaur sculptures visible from I-65, rising out of the Kentucky trees near Mammoth Cave. Running since 1977. Kids dig for replica fossils. T-Rex remains undefeated.
Ryman Auditorium
The Mother Church of Country Music, in 1892 revival pews, with the original Opry stage.
Johnny Cash Museum Nashville
The black suits, prison letters, and guitars of the man in black. All of it, in Nashville.
Plan your pilgrimage
Every Park a Pilgrimage.
Plan a baseball road trip through Bowling Green and beyond.
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