A quarter-century ago, a plot of railyard land near Baltimore's Inner Harbor and just steps from the birthplace of Babe Ruth would become the canvas for a masterpiece of a ballpark that has indelibly influenced the state of the art.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards made its official debut on April 6, 1992, and 25 years later it has proven to be a transformative structure in Major League Baseball. With its old-fashioned nuances and modern comforts tucked into a downtown setting with views galore, Baltimore's gem paved the way for a wave of urban ballparks, replacing cookie-cutter multipurpose facilities with intimate, baseball-centric venues that enhanced the cities they call home.