RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS
The Diamond
The Diamond is Richmond's baseball home — a 1985 park on the Boulevard that is scheduled to be replaced by a new downtown ballpark in 2026, closing a chapter in Richmond's baseball identity. The Flying Squirrels name is beloved — Richmond has more flying squirrel species per square mile than any comparably sized American city. The Giants pipeline runs through Virginia's capital city.
PHOTO: rvaphotodude · CC BY-SA 2.0
Architecture & History
The Diamond opened in 1985 as a replacement for the aging Parker Field. Located along the Boulevard in Richmond, Virginia, it brought modern amenities to a city with deep baseball traditions dating back over a century.
Though functional rather than architecturally distinctive, The Diamond has served the Flying Squirrels (and previously the Richmond Braves) for decades. The club is expected to move to a new downtown ballpark in the coming years.
Richmond's baseball history stretches to the 1880s. The Diamond sits in a largely residential area near Scott's Addition, one of the city's fastest-growing neighborhoods for dining and craft beverages.
Build specs
- ARCHITECT
- Various
- CAPACITY
- 9,560
- OPENED
- 1985
- SURFACE
- Natural Grass
- COST
- $8M
Statues & Exterior
EXTERIOR FEATURES
Boulevard Gateway
Main entrance
The park's position along The Boulevard connects it to Richmond's museum district and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Scott's Addition Proximity
Adjacent neighborhood
The neighboring Scott's Addition district has become Richmond's craft brewery hub, with over a dozen breweries within walking distance.
Names & History
1985–present
The Diamond
Simple, iconic name since opening.
The Food
Virginia Ham Biscuit
Virginia country ham — salt-cured, aged hard and dry, sliced thin on a butter biscuit — is the defining food of the Virginia Piedmont.
Virginia Ham Biscuit
Biscuit stand — main concourse
Virginia country ham — salt-cured for months, aged hard and dry, sliced thin and served on a butter biscuit.
Joe's Inn Pasta
Joe's stand
Joe's Inn since 1952 brings their pasta program. The Richmond spaghetti-a-la-joe — pasta with cream-and-butter sauce.
Chesapeake Bay Crab Dip
Seafood stands
Cream cheese, crab, Old Bay, baked — the Chesapeake Bay food that appears at every social event from Baltimore to Norfolk.
Sub Rosa Bakery Bread
Bread stands
Sub Rosa, the Richmond wood-fired bakery, brings their naturally leavened bread program. James Beard-nominated.
Squirrels Dog
Hot dog stands
Standard hot dog with Virginia-style yellow mustard and optional pimento cheese.
The Beer
The Diamond has an outstanding Richmond craft program. Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is the flagship.
Hardywood Park Christmas Morning Stout
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery · Richmond, VA
Hardywood Park is Richmond's most nationally acclaimed craft brewery. Their Gingerbread Stout and Christmas Morning Stout have developed national reputations. Virginia Blackberry is their most Virginia-specific year-round option.
The Veil Brewing Co. IPA
The Veil Brewing Co. · Richmond, VA
The Veil is Richmond's most sought-after craft brewery — a hazy IPA specialist with a devoted following and consistent national recognition.
Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale
Stone Brewing · Richmond, VA
Stone Brewing's Richmond production facility makes the brand's Southern production available locally. Arrogant Bastard Ale and Stone IPA are available at The Diamond.
Coors Light
Coors Brewing Co.
Volume beer throughout the Virginia market.
Sun & Weather Guide
northeast — Richmond VA · James River corridor · 150 ft elevation
Richmond evenings — James River corridor
Richmond summer evening games are comfortable May through September. The James River corridor moderates temperatures and evening humidity.
Virginia summer heat — full Southern humidity
Richmond summer afternoon games carry full Virginia humidity — 90°F+ with substantial humidity in July and August. Evening games strongly preferred.
Richmond spring — beautiful April and May
Richmond spring — the dogwoods and redbuds of the James River and Monument Avenue corridor — is one of the East Coast's finest.
Richmond — capital of the Confederacy; rich complex history
Richmond carries extraordinary historical depth — the former Confederate capital, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Arthur Ashe's hometown.
Insider Tips
The One Thing
Order a Virginia ham biscuit and a Hardywood Park beer and sit in the upper deck on a clear Richmond evening. Thin-sliced Virginia country ham on a butter biscuit is the most specific food at The Diamond.
Transitional History
The Diamond is scheduled to close with the 2025 season and be replaced by a new downtown stadium in 2026. Visit it as a matter of record — a 1985-vintage Double-A park on its last run.
Hardywood Park
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is 1.5 miles from The Diamond. Their taproom is worth the visit before or after the game. Their Gingerbread Stout and Christmas Morning Stout are nationally acclaimed.
Parking Reality
The Diamond has large surface parking lots off North Arthur Ashe Boulevard. Richmond is car-oriented and the Boulevard corridor is easy to navigate.
Best Value Seat
Upper deck third base side — Richmond skyline view to the southeast, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia State Capitol visible in the distance. Order the Virginia ham biscuit and acknowledge you are in the last era of this park.
Pilgrim Stops Near Richmond
Weird, wonderful, and worth the detour.
Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab
Where Washington was born, on a Potomac bluff, with his family's grave nearby.
Maymont Estate
A 100-acre Gilded Age estate in Richmond with an Italian garden, Japanese garden, wildlife exhibits, and free admission. Bison, black bears, and otters live here. One of the most underrated parks in the mid-Atlantic.
Fredericksburg Battlefield Virginia
Four battlefields, 85,000 casualties, and the wall that stopped 14 Union charges in one afternoon.
Plan your pilgrimage
Every Park a Pilgrimage.
Plan a baseball road trip through Richmond and beyond.
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