Description: Zephyr Field - "the Shrine on Airline" - has become the focal point for family entertainment in the Greater New Orleans area. Over four million fans have attended a variety of events at the stadium since it first opened April 11, 1997. Zephyr Field features 10,000 chair-backed seats with cup-holders, plus seating for nearly 1,000 on The Levee in center field. The Zephyrs have drawn more than 320,000 fans in their first nine seasons on Airline after drawing fewer than 200,000 in each of their four seasons at Privateer Park.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Zephyr Field served as a staging area for rescue operations by FEMA and the National Guard. After the stadium sustained multimillion dollar wind damage from the storm, a new scoreboard and sound system were installed in time for the 2006 season, and construction was done to fix the roof, field lights and Coors Light Party Shack in right field. On April 6th, 2006 Zephyr Field opened its gates to an opening day crowd of 11,006 to kick off a season that would see the New Orleans Zephyrs become the first professional sports team to permanently return to New Orleans following Katrina.
Zephyr Field has played host to numerous college baseball games, including the Super Regional between LSU and Tulane in 2001. The park was also the site of the Conference USA Tournament in 2001 and 1998 and the 1999 Sun Belt Conference tournament. Numerous prep games have been played at Zephyr Field including the Class 5A Louisiana High School Athletic Association Baseball Tournament in 2004 and 2005.
Recently, Hollywood has also taken notice of Zephyr Field, as the ballpark is featured in the 2004 film "Mr. 3000" and the 2006 film "Failure To Launch."
The state of Louisiana paid $21 million to build Zephyr Field as part of a capital outlay bill that also included the New Orleans Saints' state-of-the-art practice facility, located behind Zephyr Field on Airline Drive, as well the New Orleans Arena, which is adjacent to the Superdome. The ownership also paid an extra $5 million for amenities, such as 16 VIP luxury suites, a swimming pool, two hot tubs in right field, the Coors Light Party Shack, located in the right-field corner and the Metairie Bank Home Run Porch located behind the left-field wall. |
