Mickey Mantle statue, Bricktown Ballpark, Oklahoma City, Guía del visitante y qué hacer cerca

The Mickey Mantle statue stands outside Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, at the corner of Mickey Mantle Drive and East California Avenue. It is a bronze tribute to the Oklahoma-born Yankees slugger, put up when the ballpark opened in 1998. It marks the spot where the city honors one of baseball's greatest players, and it makes an easy first stop in the Bricktown district.

The story behind it

Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, in 1931 and grew up in Commerce. He was trained from childhood to hit from both sides of the plate. He spent all 18 of his seasons, from 1951 to 1968, with the New York Yankees. In that time he hit 536 home runs, won three MVP awards, took the Triple Crown in 1956 and set a record with 18 World Series home runs.

His story has a harder side, and the statue only shows the hero. A knee injury in the 1951 World Series troubled him for the rest of his career, and he struggled with alcohol for years. In his final years he got sober and warned others about heavy drinking. He died of liver cancer in Dallas in 1995. The statue went up a few years later, in the town closest to his Oklahoma roots among the big cities.

What to look for

• The bronze figure itself, which stands on a granite base and is sized to be seen from across the street.
• The street signs for Mickey Mantle Drive, which show how closely the ballpark and the player's name are tied together.
• The ballpark behind the statue, a good place to see how the stadium sits among the district's older brick buildings.
• The mix of old warehouse brick and modern stadium walls around the corner, which explains how Bricktown has changed.

Tips for your visit

• The statue stands outdoors beside the street, so you can see it from outside the ballpark. Check current opening hours and event schedules if you want to go into the stadium.
• Ten to fifteen minutes is enough for the statue. Allow longer if you want to explore Bricktown afterward.
• Dusk is a good time to visit. The light is softer, the crowds on game nights add atmosphere, and it suits the thought of the man behind the legend.
• The Bricktown Canal and the district's restaurants and bars are a short walk away, so it is easy to combine with a meal.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Oklahoma City is a good way to take in this corner of Bricktown. You reach the statue on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Lucky Treasure Hunt: The Golden Shamrock in Oklahoma City suits you if you like a treasure hunt feel. You walk between stops at your own pace, hear about each place as you get there and solve a puzzle in front of what you are seeing. One ticket covers the whole group.

Oklahoma City Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. turns the walk into a detective outing. The statue is one stop along a self-guided route, the app tells you about it when you arrive, and a puzzle makes you look closely at the surroundings. One ticket covers the whole group.