Gold Mine on Airline

Zephyr Field hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 11, 1997, in which tenants New Orleans Zephyrs (later the New Orleans Baby Cakes), defeated the Oklahoma City 89ers 8-3.

The stadium also hosted select games of the Tulane University Green Wave baseball program. The team plays annual games at the ballpark against cross-town rival, the University of New Orleans Privateers, and arch-rival, Louisiana State University Tigers, at the ballpark. During the 2006 and 2007 baseball seasons, Zephyr Field was the primary home of the Green Wave, as Tulane's on-campus facility, Greer Field at Turchin Stadium, was undergoing renovations. The renovations were scheduled to be completed in time for the 2006 season, but Hurricane Katrina significantly damaged Turchin Stadium, forcing a delay in the project. In the hurricane's aftermath, Zephyr Field was utilized by the Louisiana Army National Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a rescue facility. In 2006, the state of Louisiana approved $21 million to recover Zephyr Field from the effects of Katrina. Additional funds from the bill covered recovery costs for the New Orleans Saints' training facility, located behind the ballpark, and the New Orleans Arena.{{cite web |title=About Zephyr Field|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-159784|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=January 23, 2007|access-date=February 20, 2014 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305115025/http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/ballpark/page.jsp?ymd=20070123&content_id=159784&vkey=ballpark_t588&fext=.jsp&sid=t588 |archive-date=2009-03-05}}

The stadium hosted the 1999 Triple-A All-Star Game in which the Pacific Coast League All-Stars defeated the International League All-Stars, 9–5. New Orleans' Daryle Ward was selected as the PCL MVP.{{Cite web|url=http://www.triple-abaseball.com/ASGSummaries3.jsp|title=Triple-A All-Star Game Results (1998–2002)|publisher=Triple-A Baseball|accessdate=July 7, 2017|archive-date=April 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414011253/http://www.triple-abaseball.com/ASGSummaries3.jsp|url-status=usurped}}

On July 3, 2003, the largest crowd in Shrine on Airline history for a Zephyrs game, 11,925, watches the Zephyrs lose 1–0 to the Nashville Sounds.{{cite web |title=New Orleans Zephyrs History |url=https://milb.bamcontent.com/documents/9/5/2/271957952/78_133_History.pdf |publisher=Minor League Baseball |date=January 30, 2007 |access-date=February 20, 2014}}

The Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic college baseball game was held annually at the Shrine on Airline beginning in 2004.{{cite web| title=Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic is poignant LSU tradition|publisher=lsureveille.com|url=http://www.lsureveille.com/daily/opinion-wally-pontiff-jr-classic-is-poignant-lsu-tradition/article_84a96b44-d72d-11e4-89ab-5f64a369af01.html|accessdate=2015-04-03}} The LSU Tigers baseball team played an opponent in the game to honor the former Metairie resident, LSU Baseball player and Oakland A's draftee, Wally Pontiff Jr., who died at the age of 21 from a genetic heart disorder.{{cite news |last1=Chrisman |first1=Spencer |last2=Doucet |first2=Jacques |title=No. 22 LSU meets UL-Lafayette in final Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic |url=https://www.wafb.com/2022/04/19/no-22-lsu-meets-ul-lafayette-final-wally-pontiff-jr-classic/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |work=WAFB |date=April 19, 2022 |language=en}} In 2004, LSU won the first game of the series vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 9-3. The last Classic played at Zephyr Field was played in April 2019, and saw the Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana defeat LSU 6-5. In 2022 it was announced that the 2022 game (to be played in Baton Rouge, and again against Louisiana), will be the final game for the Classic.

The ballpark is featured in several scenes in the 2004 movie Mr. 3000, and one from the 2006 movie called Failure to Launch. Also, part of an episode of Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes was also filmed at the ballpark.

A new playing surface was installed prior to the 2008 season. Its new dimensions are {{convert|330|ft|m}} from home plate to left and right fields, and {{convert|400|ft|m}} to center.{{cite news |title=New Turf to Be Installed at Zephyr Field This Week |first=David |last=Gladow |url=http://blog.nola.com/gladow/2008/02/new_turf_to_be_installed_at_ze.html |newspaper=The Times-Picayune |location=New Orleans |date=February 25, 2008 |accessdate=March 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116102147/http://blog.nola.com/gladow/2008/02/new_turf_to_be_installed_at_ze.html |archive-date=2016-11-16}} The ballpark traditionally has allowed some of the fewest home runs in the Pacific Coast League. The ballpark's grass berm seating area, "the Levee", is located beyond center field and is the highest point in Metairie.

As a soccer venue, Shrine on Airline served as home of the New Orleans Storm soccer team in the late 1990s and hosted the semifinals of the 1998 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.{{cite web |title=1998 Lamar Hunt United States Open Cup|url=http://lhusoc.tripod.com/history/1998/1998e.htm|publisher=Lamar Hunt United States Open Cup|year=1998|accessdate=February 20, 2014}}

Concessions at Shrine on Airline feature traditional ballpark fare as well as several regional offerings, such as fried catfish, muffulettas, po' boy sandwiches, jambalaya, and pigskin nachos.

The New Orleans Zephyrs added an extra $5 million to the 2006 state-funded recovery bill for additional amenities, including 16 luxury suites, a swimming pool, two hot tubs, the Coors Light Party Shack, and the Metairie Bank Home Run Porch.{{cite web |title=Zephyr Field|first=Brian|last=Merzbach|url=http://ballparkreviews.com/template2.php?in_name=Shrine+on+Airline&in_city=Metairie&in_state=Louisiana |work=Ballpark Reviews|year=2008|accessdate=February 20, 2014}}

Image:Zephyr Field - New Orleans, LA.jpg|Main Entrance

Image:Zephyr Field - New Orleans, Louisiana.jpg|Shrine on Airline

Image:Zephyr Field - Grandstand, Leftfield.jpg|Grandstand, Left field

Image:Zephyr Field - Grandstand.jpg|Grandstand, Right field

Image:Zephyr Field New Orleans, LA.jpg| Grandstand

Image:Portland Beavers vs. New Orleans Zephyrs, Zephyr Field, New Orleans.jpg|View behind home plate

Image:President George W. Bush, Zephyr Field, New Orleans.jpg|Then-U.S. President George W. Bush speaking at the Shrine on Airline (then Zephyr Field) in 2001

• Baseball in New Orleans
• List of NCAA Division I baseball venues
• List of music venues

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.shrineonairline.com/ Shrine on Airline]
• [http://ballparkreviews.com/template2.php?in_name=Shrine+on+Airline&in_city=Metairie&in_state=Louisiana Ballpark Reviews]

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{{succession box

| title = Home of the
New Orleans Baby Cakes

| years = 1997 – 2019

| before = Privateer Park

| after = Riverfront Stadium
(as Wichita Wind Surge)

}}

{{succession box

| title = Home of the
New Orleans Gold

| years = 2020 – present

| before = Joe Zimmerman Stadium

| after = current

}}

{{s-end}}

{{New Orleans Gold}}

{{Metairie, Louisiana}}

{{Music venues of Louisiana}}

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Category:High school football venues in Louisiana

Category:Baseball venues in Louisiana

Category:Minor league baseball venues

Category:New Orleans Baby Cakes stadiums

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Category:New Orleans Storm

Category:New Orleans Zephyrs stadiums

Category:Soccer venues in Louisiana

Category:Sports venues in the New Orleans metropolitan area

Category:Tulane Green Wave baseball venues

Category:Music venues in Louisiana

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Category:Buildings and structures in Metairie, Louisiana

Category:Sports in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana