Img 6391 Scaled E1718663195937 — A look from behind home plate at renovated Rickwood Field. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

Over the past six months, Rickwood Field has gone through a massive renovation to prepare for this week’s visit from Major League Baseball.

While the stadium has some noticeable differences, it’s clear there has been a focus on keeping much of the historic charm in the nation’s oldest active professional ballpark.

Keep reading to see more from inside Rickwood Field ahead of this week’s big games in Birmingham.

Safety upgrades

Rickwood Field had to make some changes to keep up with MLB safety standards.

For those who have attended games at Rickwood in the past, one of the first differences you may notice is the dugouts. They now include railings, padding and extra netting for players to sit behind.

Other safety updates include:

Extended netting in foul territory
Padded outfield walls
Improved playing surface

The stadium also now includes American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility including updated ramps and seating.

Outfield wall

Img 7963 Scaled E1718661796819 — A look at Rickwood Field’s outfield wall featuring a new videoboard. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

An iconic part of Rickwood Field has always been the outfield wall, littered with old advertisements and featuring a historic scoreboard.

While the scoreboard remains, the rest of the fence has some significant changes. The most noticeable: a new videoboard in right field.

The videoboard includes:

Screen for live video + replay
Batting lineup
Scoreline
Balls/Strikes/Outs count

The lower portion of the old scoreboard in left field will remain as is while the top part will keep score during the games manually with the old number boards.

The old scoreboard remains at Rickwood Field behind a new MLB-standard fence. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
The outfield fence is still covered with signs. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
A view of the new outfield wall from the roof of the stadium. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
Looking from the first base dugout at Rickwood Field. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

Other features around Rickwood

For this week, there is a new setup outside of Rickwood Field as well including:

Fan Fest area
A tribute to the Negro Leagues
New temporary clubhouses
Updated locker rooms
The Willie Mays Pavilion

Rickwood Field also got updates to its gift shop and museum just inside the front entrance of the stadium.

The fan entrance just outside of Rickwood Field. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
Story boards created for people to learn about the history of the Negro Leagues. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
Several players were featured including Birmingham’s own Willie Mays. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
The updated Willie Mays Pavilion in left field. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
The concessions area in the fan fest outside Rickwood.(Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
An updated locker room at Rickwood Field.(Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)
The museum section at the front entrance of Rickwood Field. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)