The Charlotte Knights have been working for several years toward a new downtown ballpark. After visiting Knights Stadium, it’s easy for me to see why: Although Knights Stadium is a newer ballpark (opening in 1990), it’s not very nice and not very convenient. Located 14 miles south of Charlotte in Fort Mill, S.C., it seems much farther away; crossing a state line just makes the journey farther than it really is. It is functional in a brutal sort of way: the main concourse is nice and wide, there’s a second deck featuring cheap general-admission seating, and grassy berms down each line are opened when there’s a large crowd at hand.
FAST FACTS
Year Opened: 1990
Capacity: 10,002
Dimensions: 325L, 400C, 325R
Website: charlotteknights.com
Phone: 704/357-8071
League: International League (Class AAA)
Affiliation: Chicago White Sox
Ticket Prices: Field Box, $13; Lower Reserved, $11; General Admission, $7
Parking: A sea of parking awaits you at $2 per car. There’s no free parking within walking distance of the ballpark, however.
Address/Directions: 2280 Deerfield Dr., Fort Mill. From I-77 in South Carolina, take Exit 88 (Gold Hill Road) and follow the signs to the ballpark.
The Charlotte Knights have been working for several years toward a new downtown ballpark. After visiting Knights Stadium, it’s easy for me to see why: Although Knights Stadium is a newer ballpark (opening in 1990), it’s not very nice and not very convenient. Located 14 miles south of Charlotte in Fort Mill, S.C., it seems much farther away; crossing a state line just makes the journey farther than it really is. It is functional in a brutal sort of way: the main concourse is nice and wide, there’s a second deck featuring cheap general-admission seating, and grassy berms down each line are opened when there’s a large crowd at hand.
It’s hard to hold the Knights completely responsible for the atmosphere at Knights Stadium; there’s only so much one can do with so much exposed concrete. The team draws OK and there seems to be enough promotions; during my visit Mrs. South Carolina (shown above) made an appearance (and what would a baseball game in the Carolinas be without an appearance by a beauty queen?), and hundreds of school kids seems happy to be at the ballpark. 
The thing is, there’s not a single decorative element to the ballpark. It’s a sea of concrete: concrete floors, concrete walls and concrete supports. As you might expect, Knights Stadium exudes all the warmth of…concrete. In theory, Knights Stadium could be expanded if Charlotte ever attracted a major-league team (a dubious proposition these days), but it would be a depressing sight to see even more concrete added to the ballpark. The Knights have attempted to lessen the brutal quality of the ballpark by hanging banners honoring former Charlotte baseball greats (going all the way back to Clark Griffith, who owned the original Charlotte Hornets as well as Griffith Park, the former home of minor-league baseball in the Queen City). 
On a hot day, there’s not much relief from the sun. Almost all of the lower-deck seats are open to a scorching sun, as well as most of the second deck. I imagine the patio area down the third-base line is a haven on a cooler evening, but it was a sun field for a matinee game.
The ballpark is also marred by the hand of Alexander Julian, the Charlotte native whose striped designs were trendy in the late 1980s; because of his celebrity as a designer, Charlotte sports teams were falling all over themselves to hire him for some stylistic work. He’s the man who was responsible for the weird pinstripes on the uniforms for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, and his penchant for stripes is borne out here with vertical striped colors on the seats. The stripes make no sense whatsoever, and they are the closest thing to a festive element here, despite being wholly contrived.
There’s nothing really wrong with Knights Stadium. But there’s very little to recommend it, either; Charlotte is a major-league city that deserves a classically inspired ballpark, but Knights Stadium isn’t it. Let’s home the Knights succeed with their plans for a new downtown ballpark. 
Concessions
The main concourse features the majority of concession sales. There’s really not a wide variety of offerings; you can find hamburgers, brats and soda. We’d recommend a Carolina Pride hot dog: they’re plump and juicy and well worth the $3.50 for a jumbo dog (regular dogs are $2). Other concession offerings include shaved ice, cotton candy, ice cream, lemonade and coffee. The beer selection at most stands (at $4.50 for 16 ounces) includes Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite and Icehouse; a separate beer stand down the third-base line features 12-ounce bottles of Red Stripe, Labatt Blue, Heinekin, Amstel Light, Corona, Rolling Rock, Sam Adams and San Adams Light for $4.50. A grill down the third-base line also has Sonny’s BBQ sandwiches.
In addition to the main concession stands, there are also stands for Subway, Dippin’ Dots, Chik-Fil-A and Papa John’s in the grandstand. All in all, there’s a decent variety of foods at a Knights game.
There’s also the Home Run Cafe, located in the upper level of the ballpark above the press box. It features a buffet with ballpark-related items (hot dogs, hamburgers) as well as specialty dishes and a dessert table. 
For the Kids
A merry-go-round and a climbing wall are located down the right-field line.
Parking
Though there are acres and acres of parking surrounding the ballpark, none of it is free. Be prepared to pay $2 for parking.
Before/After the Game
As mentioned, you’re not really close to Charlotte at the ballpark: you’re across the state line in Fort Mill, South Carolina. So there’s little to do near the ballpark before or after the game, and in theory there’s not even a reason to spend any time in Charlotte — and to be honest, I didn’t.
Hotels
There are a number of hotels in Fort Mill, but nothing within walking distance of the ballpark. Therefore, there’s really no advantage to staying there except missing out on Charlotte rush-hour traffic while making your way to a night game. 