First Bank Park
Strasburg, VA
Review by Gary
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Strasburg, Virginia is a quiet little town off Interstate 81 at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley. It is surrounded by mountains and has the north fork of the Shenandoah River flowing around it. This mighty stream also curls around the town’s vintage ballpark, First Bank Park, home of the Valley Baseball League’s (VBL) Strasburg Express. Since 2011, the Express’s inaugural season, locals and baseball fans have flocked to see summer collegiate baseball here.
The ballpark is part of a baseball/softball complex that is on the grounds of an elementary school. Funded in part by a grant from Major League Baseball, the Express have seen a number of players drafted by MLB clubs with five players having sipped a cup of coffee in The Show. The Express have enjoyed some success in the VBL, having won four championships, in 2015, 2016, 2021 and as recently as 2025.
Getting to First Bank Park from I-81 is easy as the city has numerous directional signage. Unfortunately, there is NO signage as you get closer to the stadium. Were it not for the stadium lights, one might drive along the Shenandoah River for hours wondering if the ballpark exists. Once at the field and parked at the school, a large, covered picnic pavilion area separates the field from the parking and is far enough away from the action for disinterested guests to have non-baseball social events.
The elevated press box resembles a shed purchased from a local big-box hardware store and rests on ten-foot stilts above the backstop. Aluminum bleacher sections are on either side of the dugouts, which are set back about ten feet further from the field of play. Three “papa bear, mama bear, and baby bear” sized bleachers offer seating options, but those choosing the further two beyond each dugout may have their views of homeplate obstructed by the field level covered dugout.
All of the seating vantage points provide scenic views of trees that line the outfield fence with the Shenandoah Mountains are visible off in the distance. A game at First Bank Park is a must-see for fans who enjoy a quiet setting for some summer baseball. Just be sure to pack your road map.
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2026
287
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