September 1, 2008
Blair County Ballpark (Capacity: 7,210)
Altoona, PA
Altoona Curve vs Reading Phillies
Final Score: 8 – 2
* Blair County Ballpark has been renamed PNG Field
** The stadium was revisited on May 1, 2026
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After a trip to Pittsburgh, we rode down scenic US-22 for the two-hour ride eastward for a visit to Altoona’s ballpark. This small city in Central Pennsylvania is the state’s 12th largest with a population of 44,000 and it sits at the base of the Allegheny Mountains. Altoona became “Railroad City” as it was at the center of the industry, specifically the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). They may still be known for that, but it’s also the headquarters for Sheetz and Boyer (think the Mallo Cup), while also becoming a leading area for health care in the state. In 1999, a baseball team was born and the Curve was a perfect nickname given the double entendre (the nearby railroad landmark and the baseball pitch). Altoona made for a natural affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates as the team debuted in the Double-A Eastern League. Despite the frequent struggles of the parent Pirates, the Curve have not been too bad on the field. They had consecutive playoff runs from 2003 – 2006 and from 2015 – 2018 and they’ve won Eastern League championships twice. I made a return visit in 2026 to renamed PNG Field and the venue remains one of my favorites in Minor League Baseball.
Prestige Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Location
Directly behind the stadium is Lakemont Park, a place that has quite a bit of history. It is home to the oldest wooden roller-coaster in the world: Leap-the-Dips. Unfortunately, they stopped running it in 2024, along with the Skyliner, a coaster that frames the outfield of the stadium. Low popularity and maintenance costs have turned Lakemont Park into less of an attraction pre-game as the few things left are mini-golf and a playground. On the other side of Park Avenue is a residential neighborhood as the rest of Lakemont is rather quiet and there is a lack of nearby dining establishments. In terms of exploring the rest of Altoona, a sample of the Railroading history is an enjoyable highlight and that can be done 10 minutes to the north, downtown at the Railroaders Memorial Museum. I also made sure to try me some Altoona-Style Pizza. This article made me think, mayyyybe it’ll be ok…but no, American Cheese covering the square slices was not my thing. Finally, you’re seeing the Curve baseball team, so you might as well see the real thing. The engineering marvel is better to see from a distance, but the up-close appeal of the Horseshoe Curve is when it goes from quiet and serene to booming as a train traverses the famed track.
Location Ranking: 5.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Getting to the Lakemont section of Altoona is very simple thanks to I-99. The interstate provides direct access to Altoona and can be reached from I-76 to the south or I-80 to the north. Located just past the off-ramp from Exit 32 is the ballpark. Parking is also plentiful and easy to find with a VIP lot in front of the park and a large parking garage beyond the outfield. That initial season ticket / suite holder lot can be used if space is available for just a dollar more. Departing the garage after the game was easy and if you want to make a left turn back onto Park Ave, use Level 3 (entrance at the stoplight).
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 8 out of 8
Exterior
Most will enter from the outfield, where iron gates and brick columns frame an open-air entrance into the stadium. Those that venture to see what it looks like behind home plate will see a classic red-brick layout. It resembles a railroad roundhouse as a nod to the railroad industry, though it’s not exactly round and kind of difficult to visualize from the outside. Several large openings allow an outside view into the concourse. Two large player silhouettes are on the windows of this area, along with a blue flame for Peoples Natural Gas (lame).
Exterior Ranking: 7 out of 10
Concourse
Rare in the minor leagues is a ballpark with two concourses and that design is even more unheard of in Double-A ball. Yet, that is the case here in Altoona and the double concourse is terrific. The corner left field entrance features an open plaza of sorts that either leads to the street-level, brick outlined upper concourse or down the stairs to the lower one. Upstairs is you really get the feel of rail roundhouse with a lot of brick and large arched windows. The area looks good and features banners, along with a sponsored toddler play area. Downstairs, a field-level concourse is more typical as this area includes game views throughout. Plenty of tables also offer up spots to sit, eat and watch. Heat lamps add another welcome on chilly days. A walkway extends around to right field, where group set-ups and bleacher seats can be found. The only concourse issue is the deteriorating condition of the overhead beams and piping, which in multiple spots led to wet spots and caution signs.
Concourse Ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Food
OK, you can’t promote something like the “Curve Burger” and give me this plain thing with barely melted cheese on it. I was sorely disappointed in the $14 item as the angus beef and decent size doesn’t justify the plainness of it all. I also gave specialty fries a shot as these “Al-Tuna Fries” were a step up and included melted Monterey Jack cheese and Old Bay. The rest of the options featured good variety with the additions including Cheesesteaks, Pulled Pork Pierogis, Chicken Wraps and a Fish Fry. Beer was good too with the highlight being a whole section devoted to Levity Brewing Company (from Altoona), where their 8 options included a Kolsch Ale (“Baseball Skies”) and a sour ale called “Tang Slider”
Food Ranking: 6 out of 8
Interior
Ballpark design in the Northeast became somewhat stale during the boom in the 1990s when so many were created equally. That is why it is very refreshing to see something a little different in Blair County. The seating bowl is set-up with two decks and many of those seats are in the upper-level, where leg room is quite sufficient. The second deck is split by a walkway with about four or five rows separated from the higher tier. Sightlines are still pretty good despite the divider. We could have used a roof or slight overhang on the hot afternoon during our first visit as many stayed in the shade of the lower concourse to watch the game. Dark green seats (fading in color) are nicely angled in and the bowl ends just beyond the infield. Luxury suites (21 of them) and the press box sit above a white wall at the top of the stadium. Further along the right side are bleachers and a picnic area, along with a kids play section. On the left side, everything fits neatly into the park as a field-level picnic area is followed by a pavilion in the corner near the foul pole and then small bleachers in the outfield. It’s not a bad spot if your kids are rolling down the hill behind you. Accentuating an already great stadium is a view that is equal to match as the background Allegheny Mountains roll in the distance. Likely the defining feature of Blair County Ballpark is the roller coaster visible directly in right field. This is the “Sidewinder”, a classic wooden coaster. Unfortunately, it lies dormant and in 2026, it appears to be deteriorating.
Interior Ranking: 12 out of 14
Scoreboard
Out in left-center is a wide video screen outlined by faux brick and a few ads / analog clock at the top. The scoreboard somehow is angled in a position that points it towards the 3rd base side, but not at the detriment of other seats looking from the park. Just in case, there is a secondary video board by the right field pole and this includes some bonus stats to go along with the basic needed information. Back to the main screen, the presentation is fine, it just is missing replays.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3.5 out of 4
Displays
The concourse is decorated eloquently and I was a fan of the large banners hanging down from the ceiling in the upper concourse. They were used for team achievements including playoff appearances and division titles. Other side banners provided some good info on the franchise, including the starting lineup for the Curve on every opening day. Downstairs, there’s a somewhat hidden section that includes a glass case of memorabilia and a wall featuring widescale photo of every Eastern League Ballpark. Altoona, you know just how to reach my heart. While using one of the walkways, one of the better “Road to the Show” walls provides a fair amount of detail. Lastly, there is one retired number and that “16” is for Adam Hyzdu, a two-time MVP for the Curve.
Displays Ranking: 4 out of 6
Cost
Parking is $4 and tickets in 2026 were comparable to other Eastern League teams as they cost $12, $14 or $18. For our first visit, it was one of the lowest in the league at just $7 for the upper level. In terms of concession costs, they were fine outside of the aforementioned Curve Burger. A regular Cheeseburger was $8, a Beer was $7 – $10 and a Combo Meal including Meat, Fries and a Drink was around $14.
Cost Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Fan Support
Altoona is in the middle of the pack when it comes to attendance as the last few years have ranked 6th or 7th in the league. The Curve did draw a respectable number to their lone playoff home game in 2025 (the first time they were in the postseason in a while) and camera views showed a respectable crowd. My return for an early May game on Friday Night was not a good representation as there was a constant threat of rain, it was cold (around 50) and the game started at 5:00 much earlier than initially slated because it became part of a doubleheader.
Fan Support Ranking: 5 out of 8
Atmosphere
The first game I went to was a season finale on a Labor Day that started at Noon. It was a muted, generally quiet affair which wasn’t surprising. I didn’t have any luck on the return because the above circumstance kept attendance very, very low. Not much could be expect and that was generally the case. They at least cheered decently when the Curve completed their comeback win.
Atmosphere Ranking: 6 out of 14
Other Stuff
Not only is the team nickname cleverly done, but so is the team logo, which incorporates strong elements of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which had a huge presence in Altoona…..For a great view of the ballpark, head to the top of the parking garage, where a beautiful panoramic of the stadium can be taken in…..It was a unique entrance by Curve players on the first game I attended, thanks to the “Field of Dreams Day” promotion. Players entered the ballpark from the outfield as they walked through makeshift cornfields. Add in “The Final Home Run” theme song and nostalgic home team jerseys, the stage couldn’t be more set up for a ballgame…..The full corporate name of the stadium: Peoples Natural Gas Field. They abbreviated it to PNG Field, but I argue Fart Field would be better…..Each April, the ballpark hosts the Curve Classic, an eight-team tournament featuring eight area high schools. It’s a great event and mutually beneficial as there is no cost for schools to participate, while a ticket fundraising for the Curve incentivizes schools. No longer is the Gumby like mascot featured at the ballpark. Instead, Loco and Al Tuna are the main characters.
Game (Initial Visit)
Reading answered Altoona’s two runs in the first inning, by scoring twice in the second. The Curve then blew the game open in the fourth inning. Several singles and a few walks, brought home four and Altoona never looked back as they won the season finale between the two teams last in their division. Shelby Ford went 3 for 4 with two RBIs.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
