Highwoods is an excellent place to stay for several reasons. First, it is centrally located near many of
the area’s top attractions. This includes the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, the Ayr
Mount Historic Site, and the Blackwood Farm Park. Highwoods is also near a number of stadiums
and arenas, providing ample opportunities for fans to catch a game or event.
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
The $16-million Durham Bulls Athletic Park is located in downtown Durham and is connected to the
Durham Freeway. The brick ballpark opened in 1995 and upgraded to a 10,000-seat capacity in 1998,
when the Bulls joined the Triple-A International League.
The seats at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park have extra leg room, seat backs, and more than 95% of
the seats are installed with cup holders. Every seat in the stadium has a great view of the ballpark
yet feel intimate. The ballpark reflects many features of older parks and the notable characteristics
of architecture in Durham. The Blue Monster, as it’s called in Durham, stands in the left field near
the home plate and comprises the same traditional manual scoreboard as Fenway Park’s Green
Monster. The Snorting Bull, the stadium’s most distinguishing feature, stands above the Blue
Monster. It was modeled after the bull used in the 1988 movie, Bull Durham.
Koskinen Stadium
Located at Duke University, Koskinen Stadium is near the Cameron Indoor basketball stadium. It is
the base for Duke’s lacrosse and soccer teams. It features three entrances allowing easy access to
different sections of the field. The seats are metal benches (pro tip: bring seat cushions!). The arena
is named after university donors John and Patricia Koskinen.
O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
Located at 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC, O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium is a college football
stadium. Opened in 1975, the arena has a capacity of 10,000. It serves as the home base of the
North Carolina Central University Eagles.
Durham Athletic Park
Durham Athletic Park, not to be confused with the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, used to be a minor
league baseball stadium. The base of the Durham Bulls between 1926 and 1994, it is the present
home of the Durham School of the Arts Bulldogs and the North Carolina Central Eagles. The arena is
situated north of the Durham downtown, bounded by Corporation, Washington, Geer and Foster
Streets.
Thanks to the movie Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon and the
Bulls, Durham Athletic Park became one of the most well-known minor league ballparks in US
history. The movie was mostly filmed at the stadium at the end of 1987’s Carolina League season.
The movie’s popularity boosted people’s interest in minor league ball and the Bulls. However, the
stadium was too small to handle the Bulls’ Triple-A ambitions and the increase in crowd size. In 1995,
the Bulls moved to Durham Bulls Athletic Park in downtown Durham.