BUFFALO BISONS
Sahlen Field
The park where the Toronto Blue Jays played home games during the 2020 pandemic season. Sahlen Field opened in 1988 in downtown Buffalo as a genuine three-deck minor league park with a downtown urban setting that most Triple-A parks don't have — and where the Buffalo wind off Lake Erie in April means the first two months of the season are a genuine cold weather test.
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Architecture & History
Sahlen Field was designed by HOK Sport and opened April 14, 1988 as Pilot Field — one of the most ambitious minor league stadiums built in the modern era, with a three-deck structure and 20,000-seat capacity designed with future MLB expansion in mind.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Toronto Blue Jays to find an alternative home park. Sahlen Field served as the Blue Jays' home park for most of the 2020 season.
The park has undergone successive renovations that reduced capacity from the original 21,050 to the current 16,600, improving intimacy and atmosphere.
Build specs
- ARCHITECT
- HOK Sport (Populous)
- CAPACITY
- 16,600 (reduced from 21,050)
- OPENED
- April 14, 1988
- DECKS
- 3 — unusual for AAA
- MLB USE
- Toronto Blue Jays home park — 2020 pandemic season
- LOCATION
- Downtown Buffalo — adjacent to KeyBank Center
Statues & Exterior
EXTERIOR FEATURES
Downtown Buffalo Landmark
Sahlen Field sits at the edge of downtown Buffalo with views of the city skyline. The Cobblestone District and KeyBank Center are within walking distance.
Bisons Heritage Wall
A tribute wall celebrating the Buffalo Bisons' long baseball history dating back to 1879.
Names & History
2018–present
Sahlen Field
Named for Sahlen's Packing Co., the Buffalo sausage manufacturer.
2008–2018
Coca-Cola Field
Previous naming rights.
1988–1995
Pilot Field
Original name.
The Food
Buffalo Wing Plate
Anchor Bar buffalo wings — medium sauce, bone-in, blue cheese dressing. The source.
Buffalo Wing Plate
Anchor Bar stand and multiple locations
Buffalo wings were invented at the Anchor Bar on Main Street, Buffalo in 1964. Anchor Bar operates a concession stand at Sahlen Field. Medium sauce is the traditional specification.
Beef on Weck
Weck stands — main concourse
Beef on weck — slow-roasted beef served on a kummelweck roll with horseradish — is Buffalo's other defining food.
Loganberry Juice
Beverage stands throughout
Loganberry is a Western New York phenomenon — a sweet, deep-purple loganberry-flavoured drink.
Mighty Taco
Mighty Taco stand
Mighty Taco, the Buffalo regional fast food institution since 1973, operates at Sahlen Field.
Sahlen's Hot Dog
Every stand
Sahlen's hot dogs — the Buffalo-based sausage company whose naming rights sponsor the stadium.
The Beer
Community Beer Works Frank
Community Beer Works · Buffalo, NY
CBW's Frank American Lager is the most approachable Buffalo craft option.
Flying Bison Rusty Chain Amber
Flying Bison Brewing Co. · Buffalo, NY
Flying Bison, one of Western New York's first craft breweries.
Labatt Blue
Labatt Brewing · London, ON
Labatt Blue — the Canadian lager with enormous Western New York market penetration due to Buffalo's Ontario proximity.
Bud Light
Anheuser-Busch
Volume beer throughout.
Sun & Weather Guide
Cold and windy — full jacket required
Buffalo's Lake Erie proximity means April and May games are genuinely cold. Wind chills below 40°F are not unusual in April.
Downtown Buffalo summer — comfortable
Buffalo summer evenings from June through August are among the most comfortable in the Northeast.
Upper deck — downtown Buffalo skyline
Sahlen Field's three decks make it visually unusual for a minor league park. The upper deck view of downtown Buffalo is one of the better urban AAA sight lines.
Western NY summer — solid conditions
Buffalo summer day games are comfortable. The three-deck structure provides shade in the later afternoon on the lower concourse.
Classic Buffalo April conditions
Opening Day at Sahlen Field in April is a Buffalo rite of passage. The cold and the crowd commitment co-exist.
Best shade and sight line combo
First base box seats develop shade from the grandstand earlier in afternoon games and have the best sight lines in a three-deck park.
Insider Tips
The One Thing
Order a Buffalo wing plate from the Anchor Bar stand and a beef on weck. The Anchor Bar invented the Buffalo wing in 1964. Eat both.
Loganberry
Ask for a Loganberry drink at any beverage stand. It is sweet, purple, and distinctly Western New York.
Parking Reality
The NFTA Metro Rail stops one block from Sahlen Field. The transit option is the correct choice.
Best Value Seat
Terrace level sections along the first base line — mid-price point, partial cover from the deck above.
Pilgrim Stops Near Buffalo
Weird, wonderful, and worth the detour.
Big Metal Dragon
A fire-breathing steel sculpture rises from a field beside Route 20 near East Bethany. Private property, but clearly visible from the road and absolutely baffling.
Culvert Road — The Road Under the Erie Canal
The only road in the world that passes underneath the Erie Canal. Beep your horn inside the tunnel. It's tradition, and the echo makes it worth it.
Jell-O Gallery Museum
The birthplace of America's most famous dessert. A kitschy time capsule of jiggling ad campaigns and gelatin molds — halfway between Buffalo and Rochester on I-90.
Plan your pilgrimage
Every Park a Pilgrimage.
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