READING FIGHTIN PHILS
FirstEnergy Stadium
FirstEnergy Stadium is the oldest active Double-A park in the Eastern League — the original grandstand opened in 1951, and the park has hosted professional baseball continuously since. Reading is a Pennsylvania Dutch and industrial city in the Schuylkill River valley, 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The Fightin Phils are one of the Eastern League's most attendance-successful franchises.
PHOTO: BigCheddah · CC BY-SA 4.0
Architecture & History
FirstEnergy Stadium opened in 1951 as Municipal Memorial Stadium, making it one of the oldest active minor league ballparks in America. The Reading Fightin Phils have called it home through decades of baseball history in eastern Pennsylvania.
Originally built as a multi-purpose facility, the stadium has undergone numerous renovations to modernize while preserving its mid-century character. The intimate seating bowl and classic sightlines remain hallmarks of the experience.
Situated on Centre Avenue atop Mount Penn's lower slopes, the park offers views of Reading's surrounding hills. Its longevity reflects the deep roots of baseball culture in Pennsylvania's Berks County.
Build specs
- ARCHITECT
- Various (renovations)
- CAPACITY
- 9,000
- OPENED
- 1951
- SURFACE
- Natural Grass
- COST
- $4M (original)
Statues & Exterior
EXTERIOR FEATURES
Pagoda View
Throughout
The iconic Reading Pagoda atop Mount Penn is visible from various points in the stadium, a symbol of the city since 1908.
Crazy Hot Dog Vendor
Stands
A legendary in-game entertainment act where the hot dog vendor performs acrobatic throws and catches with customer orders.
Names & History
1951–1998
Municipal Memorial Stadium
Original name honoring war veterans.
1999–2001
GPU Stadium
Brief naming rights deal.
2001–present
FirstEnergy Stadium
Current naming rights.
Also known as
The Food
PA Dutch Soft Pretzel
Reading sits in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. The soft pretzel here is hand-twisted, hearth-baked, and categorically superior.
PA Dutch Soft Pretzel
Pretzel stands — throughout
Reading sits in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. Hand-twisted, hearth-baked, categorically superior. With Berks County mustard or Cheez Whiz.
Scrapple
Morning game / breakfast stands
Cornmeal, pork scraps, herbs, fried in a cast iron pan — the Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast meat. For weekend morning games.
Philly Cheesesteak (Berks County Style)
Cheesesteak stand — main concourse
60 miles from Philadelphia, with local beef and Berks County dairy. Thinly sliced ribeye, American cheese, grilled onions on an Amoroso roll.
Whoopie Pie
Bakery stands
Pennsylvania Dutch whoopie pie — chocolate cake rounds with cream filling — from a Lancaster County bakery supplier.
Fightin Phils Dog
Hot dog stands
Standard hot dog with Philadelphia-style yellow mustard and optional Berks County sport peppers.
The Beer
FirstEnergy Stadium has a strong Pennsylvania Dutch country and Philadelphia craft presence. Sly Fox Brewing is the most local option.
Sly Fox Brewing Pikeland Pils
Sly Fox Brewing Co. · Pottstown, PA
Sly Fox, from Pottstown (10 miles south), is the most local craft brewery to FirstEnergy Stadium. Pikeland Pils — a crisp German-style pilsner — and Gang Aft Agley Scottish Ale are their best options.
Yards Brewing Philadelphia Pale Ale
Yards Brewing Co. · Philadelphia, PA
Yards Brewing, the Philadelphia craft institution, represents the parent city in the concession program. Philadelphia Pale Ale and Brawler Pugilist Style Mild Ale are available.
Yuengling Lager
D.G. Yuengling & Son · Pottsville, PA
Yuengling from Pottsville, 40 miles north — America's oldest brewery since 1829 — is available throughout. In a Pennsylvania context, Yuengling is not a throwback; it is the default.
Bud Light
Anheuser-Busch
Volume beer throughout the Schuylkill Valley market.
Sun & Weather Guide
northeast — Reading PA · Schuylkill River valley · 280 ft elevation
Schuylkill River valley — comfortable summer evenings
FirstEnergy Stadium evening games in the Schuylkill River valley are comfortable from May through September.
Pennsylvania summer heat — standard humid summer
Reading summer afternoons are hot with Pennsylvania humidity. The 1951 grandstand provides shade on the covered sections; outfield bleachers are fully exposed.
PA Dutch country seasons — pack layers in April
Reading spring games require layers. The Schuylkill River valley is cold in April and cool through May. September games are excellent — Pennsylvania autumn at a historic park.
1951 original grandstand — minor league history
FirstEnergy Stadium's 1951 original grandstand sections have the feel of authentic minor league baseball history. The oldest active Double-A park in the Eastern League.
Insider Tips
The One Thing
Order a PA Dutch soft pretzel with Berks County mustard and Yuengling Lager and sit in the original 1951 grandstand. The pretzel is from the tradition that invented the American soft pretzel. Yuengling has been brewed since 1829.
The 1951 Sections
Find seats in the original 1951 grandstand sections — the patina of genuine mid-century minor league baseball is present here in a way no modern construction can replicate.
PA Dutch Country
Lancaster County farm markets and Amish produce stands are 15-20 minutes south. If visiting on a weekend, the pre-game time in Dutch country — pretzel bakeries, farmers markets, smoked meats — is worth building into the itinerary.
Parking Reality
FirstEnergy Stadium has large parking lots adjacent to the stadium off Centre Avenue. Reading is car-oriented and parking is not a problem.
Best Value Seat
Original 1951 grandstand lower sections — the most historic seat in Double-A, excellent sight lines from an intimate park built before the modern stadium era, and the best value ticket price in the Eastern League.
Pilgrim Stops Near Reading
Weird, wonderful, and worth the detour.
Campbell Soup Museum
Andy Warhol's soup can at the university next to the actual Campbell's factory.
Plan your pilgrimage
Every Park a Pilgrimage.
Plan a baseball road trip through Reading and beyond.
Start Planning →