Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Address:2000 Gene Autry Way
Anaheim, California

It has had a few name changes, and a major renovation, but Angel Stadium of Anaheim, or "The Big A," has now been home to professional sports in southern California for over 40 years. Best known as the home of baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Angel Stadium (formerly Anaheim Stadium and Edison International Field) used to be the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams while they were still in Los Angeles. It has also hosted an NCAA bowl game, as well as other minor tenants since opening in 1966.

The Angels actually predate the stadium itself, having played at Dodger Stadium from their founding in 1962 until Angel Stadium was ready. In their first few decades at the Big A, they had more heartache than triumph. In 1979, the Rams moved in, and with it came the stadium's expansion from 43,000 to almost 65,000. The Rams left for St. Louis in 1995, after having made the playoffs seven times in Anaheim, though none since 1989. On the baseball side, the Angels famously lost in the 1979, 1982, and 1986 playoffs (where they were a strike away from advancing to the World Series). They then threw away a huge regular-season lead in 1995, before finally getting over the hump in 2002, beating the San Francisco Giants in a dramatic seven-game California series that ended at Angels Stadium. The stadium also hosted baseball's All-Star Game in 1967 and 1989, as well as several of the games in the 2005 World Baseball Classic. Movies featuring the Angels – "The Naked Gun" and "Angels in the Outfield" – have also been filmed at Angels Stadium.

Soon after the Rams moved out in 1995, Disney purchased the Angels and set about reconverting the stadium into a baseball-only venue. By 1997 the stadium (now called Edison International Field) was back to looking like a baseball stadium. It had views of the surrounding mountains, and boasted a fireworks show, a rock pile, and a newly installed fountain beyond the outfield fences. In 2003, with the purchase of the Angels by a group led by Arturo Moreno, the stadium was renamed again with its current moniker. The team has also been called by a number of different names, changing from the Los Angeles Angels to the California Angels when it moved to Anaheim, then to the Anaheim Angels when Disney took over, and now to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, a change initiated by Moreno in 2006.

Now, the stadium is again one of baseball's most attractive venues, with the fireworks shows and surrounding background among the most prominent reasons why, along with the Angels' recent run of success led by stars such as Vlad Guerrero and Garret Anderson.

In addition to the Angels, the stadium also hosts concerts and religious events throughout the year. There is a behind-the-scenes tour available every Tuesday during the offseason, and Tuesday and Wednesday during the baseball season when the Angels are on the road. Angels Stadium can be reached via the Metrolink Orange County Line, as well as with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner service.