Photos by David Hegler, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.00
Kezar Stadium
670 Kezar Dr
San Francisco, CA 94118
Year Opened: 1924 Capacity: 9,000
Welcome to Kezar Stadium
Nestled on the outskirts of Golden Gate Park and in the heart of San Francisco rests an elegant football stadium filled with history. Ever since it first opened its doors in 1925, Kezar Stadium has hosted countless football games and track and field events. Of course, it's best known for being the first home of the 49ers from 1946 through 1971.
After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, it was condemned and demolished, reduced to a high school football stadium with a public track surrounding the gridiron. On one side of the field is a replica of the arch that once greeted fans years ago. On the other side of the field is the last true remnant of the stadium, a long, dark and narrow tunnel. In the past, players were able to walk through it on their way to the game, but it's been closed for years due to asbestos. There are rumors that one day that tunnel will get cleaned and players will be able to go through one of the coolest entrances in all of high school football.
The school that most uses Kezar Stadium these days is the Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory Fightin’ Irish. Founded in 1852, it is the city’s oldest Catholic secondary school as well as its first co-ed Catholic high school. It has an esteemed history in athletics with alumni such as the NFL’s Kevin Gogan and Keith Ismael. The Fightin’ Irish football program further established themselves as a Bay Area power by winning their first ever state championship in 2021.
Food & Beverage 1
With just two taco trucks on hand and the booster club selling cookies on the home side of the stadium, the food options at Kezar Stadium are scarce. However, they won’t stop you from bringing food into the venue. All through the game, one can see small pizza boxes from North Beach Pizza just across the street.
Atmosphere 2
The atmosphere resembles the team. While it’s not usually the most talented bunch, they try hard and sometimes even come away with a victory. While the atmosphere is not particularly lively, the people in charge try their best to give the fans the very best experience possible. Even though the band is small it is surprisingly loud and vibrant, a mirror image of the atmosphere at Kezar Stadium.
Speaking of Kezar Stadium, there are large patches of grass in the end zones where the stands once stood. All through the game, you can see people walking around the myriad of walkways around the green, either playing with a football or making a nice Friday night stroll to take in the scenery.
Neighborhood 3
The stadium is located in the heart of San Francisco, nestled between the expansive and gorgeous Golden Gate Park and a very busy intersection. There are numerous restaurants across the street from Kezar Stadium. These eateries are an eclectic bunch that include CreoleLa, Lava Java, the Kezar Pub and North Beach Pizza.
Kezar Stadium is five miles away from both the Golden State Warriors Chase Center and the Giants Oracle Park. The Stanyan Park Hotel is across the street, but at $162 a night, it’s a bit pricey for a three-star hotel. There are hotels dotting the landscape between Kezar Stadium and both Oracle Park and the Chase Center, some offering cheaper deals.
Fans 2
The stadium has a capacity of over 9,000 yet when we visited, there were probably less than 1,000 people in attendance. Of course, the away team was from San Jose, which is more than an hour away. But the Fightin’ Irish side wasn’t particularly crowded either.
No matter the size, the crowd is into the game, often yelling at the referees for questionable calls, gasping at close calls and cheering on big plays. In other words, it’s a typical night in high school football.
Access 1
Other than the small parking lot next to the stadium, finding a parking spot can be dicey. There is scattered parking on the street, but it's not recommended unless you’re on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. DO NOT park in the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse Garage. While the mile long walk is lovely and the $6.50 an hour isn’t the end of the world, the place is all underground and has so many entrances and exits throughout the Music Concourse that it will make your head spin. Also, most of the entrances close after night games so your head will probably spin even more.
Taking the bus to the game might be the best option as there are seemingly countless bus stops all around Kezar Stadium.
Once you get to the stadium, there is a small screening station where they do bag checks. But you needn’t worry about the line as high school football in the regular season usually doesn’t attract massive crowds in Northern California. Usually.
There are bathrooms on either side of the stadium, under both scoreboards. While both are in good enough shape, the one on the visitor’s side didn’t have any workable sinks to wash your hands, meaning that you will have to trek all the way to the other side of the field to do so.
Return on Investment 3
The $11 spent on GoFans.com is worth it. The nearly $30 spent on parking is not. But this is the type of experience that goes beyond the dollar amount. Even though it doesn’t look much like the old stadium, this place permeates history in every corner. In general, the home team is not the most talented, but they often play against good teams and always play against those opponents with a lot heart and a lot of hustle.
Extras 2
The stadium is filled with seats from past 49ers games at both Kezar Stadium and Candlestick Park. While the old wooden benches are slowly rotting away, the red plastic seats are in terrific condition. In total, the stadium has 5,000 seats from Candlestick Park, which is a little over half of its capacity. With the stadium filled with vintage seats from both Kezar’s golden era as well as Candlestick Park, one has the unique option of either collecting splinters or sitting in a seat with armrests, a true luxury for high school sports.
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