ST. LOUIS — Busch Stadium is set for a milestone on Thursday night.
According to the Cardinals, the stadium is set to host its 50 millionth fan during Thursday night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Busch Stadium (III) opened on April 10, 2006 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
As of Thursday morning, the Cardinals say the Busch Stadium attendance total stands at 49,977,443. The Cardinals are planning to have more than 33 thousand fans in attendance for Thursday night's game, which would put them over the 50 million mark.
The Cardinals plan to recognize the attendance milestone with an on-field ceremony ahead of Thursday night's game.
According to the Cardinals, the franchise will set a new MLB record for fewest dates needed to draw 50 million in a ballpark, breaking the previous record of 1,259 set by the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park from 2000-2015. The Cardinals will reach the 50 million mark in 1,221 games, excluding games during the pandemic that did not allow fans in attendance.
“50 million fans at Busch Stadium in a little over 16 years is incredible," Bill DeWitt III, Cardinals Team President said in a statement “Not only does it reflect the success we’ve had on the field, but also the consistently great support we get from our fans every year. We are truly grateful for their passion and dedication to Cardinals baseball.”
Busch Stadium will become the 16th active major league ballpark to hit the 50 million fans mark.
According to the Cardinals, the team has averaged 41,996 fans per regular season game since Busch Stadium opened in 2006.