Lake Elsinore Diamond - Lake Elsinore Storm
Updated: Aug 20
Photos by Andrew Kulyk and Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Lake Elsinore Diamond
500 Diamond Dr
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Year Opened: 1994 Capacity: 6,066
A Storm By The Lake
Prior to the Lake Elsinore Storm becoming the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres in 2001, the California Angels were the parent organization from 1981 to 2000, taking up residence in Palm Springs until the opening of The Diamond in 1994.
Now in its 33rd season, The Diamond still attracts fans throughout the Riverside and Inland Empire region. One of The Diamond’s biggest draws is the surrounding views beyond the outfield walls of the Temescal Mountains and its surrounding hills.
Food & Beverage 4
You will find some ample options here starting with your usual ballpark fare of hot dogs, jumbo dogs, smash burgers, chicken tenders, nachos, and personal cheese or pepperoni pizza. Mexican options are your standard tacos and burritos with meat choices of chicken, steak, or pork. Agua frescas and micheladas are some of the Mexican beverages available.
Coke products, Coors products, and other domestic brews such as 805 and Golden Road are available for thirsty fans. Specialty Frappuccino drinks including horchata, chocolate-banana, and toasted marshmallow are also available for those cool summer nights.
Cold Stone Creamery is the ice cream provider with several options including Oreo Overload and Strawberry Blonde. Other sweet treats include chocolate chip cookies, frozen chocolate bananas, and funnel fries.
Atmosphere 4
There’s a fun atmosphere to be found at The Diamond. Children can be seen playing in the designated play area along the right field side, shagging foul flies on the grass berm to rolling down the berm. Most seats are in a rather uniform seating bowl, with spacious seats and plenty of legroom.
Thunder is the large green mutt of a mascot. He is a member of the “Canis Thunderus” family and has no problem getting the Storm fans on their feet. Though he’s there to entertain the home fans, that lovable mutt is also very welcoming to fans of the visiting team as well.
Neighborhood 4
One of the nicest things about the neighborhood around The Diamond is the natural scenery, ranging from the Elsinore Mountains to Lake Elsinore, the largest natural lake in Southern California, located just a few minutes from The Diamond for the water sports enthusiasts..
If you’re looking for a bite around the yard, the longtime SoCal favorite In-N-Out is nearby.
One of the more highly recommended restaurants here is Jack’s BBQ Shack, located about 3 miles from The Diamond. Located along the lake, Jack’s BBQ Shack serves up some tasty ribs in a very casual setting with very reasonable prices.
Fans 3
With the recent success of the parent club in San Diego, it’s easy to see why you will see a mix of apparel being worn in the stands of both the Storm and the Padres. As the Single-A affiliate of the Padres over the last 20-plus years, the Storm and the Padres have established a loyal fan following throughout Riverside County and beyond.
Access 3
Lake Elsinore is centrally located between San Diego and Los Angeles. The Diamond can be accessed either via the 15 freeway or Route 74. Though The Diamond is not far from the 15 freeway, depending on where you will be driving from, you may want to allow yourself extra time to arrive. Southern California traffic, especially if coming from Los Angeles, is unpredictable.
Upon entering The Diamond from the parking lot, fans walk through a tree-lined walkway toward the grand entrance behind home plate. Greeting the fans as they enter The Diamond is a brick tower, giving The Diamond a signature touch. As you approach the home plate entrance, you will notice a monument paying tribute to those who have served.
Once inside the stadium, fans walk through a very spacious concourse, perhaps the widest of all the Single-A yards in Southern California. The concourse is so wide that should you attend a day game and choose to seek refuge from the summer heat, you could spend an inning or two strolling the concourse, which provides plenty of shade and shelter from the sweltering heat without losing view of the on-field action or impeding pedestrian flow.
Return on Investment 4
With prices ranging from $8 to as much as $20 for four-top table seating, a day out at The Diamond is a very affordable day in the park.
High Top seating, located behind home plate, offers bar stool-type seating along with a countertop to place your food and drinks as well.
Should you want to take home a souvenir, the team store located just behind the first base side of the concourse offers a pretty vast selection. Apparel with the team’s iconic logo consistently ranks among the top sellers throughout all of minor league baseball.
Extras 4
As you enter the Diamond, in the concourse above the team store on the first base side is a list of former Angels and Padres prospects who passed through Lake Elsinore on their way to The Show. The list provides players' names from 1994-2014.
If you look out toward right field, you will see that the outfield wall is 36 feet high. Yup, the exact height of the Green Monster in Fenway Park, paying homage to the original, adorned with advertisements aplenty.
On the right field side of The Diamond is a children’s playground just outside the physical concourse. In addition, a huge grass berm is there for budget-conscious fans who prefer to view the game there atop your favorite beach towel or picnic blanket. Should you plan to view your game here, you may want to beware of kids not only rolling down the hill in every direction, but you must also be aware of the young ones running about that berm snagging foul balls.
Lastly, we can’t forget the gorgeous views of the Temescal Mountains and the surrounding hills.
Final Thoughts
In its 33 seasons of operation, The Diamond has been the home to numerous future Angels, Padres, and other big leaguers. The organization proudly embraces its partnership with the big-league Friars, as evidenced by some of its apparel paying homage to the parent club.
