5th Avenue & 35th Street, Altoona, PA 16602
Phone: 814-946-8369
Altoona Area School District's Mansion Park Stadium is recognized as one of the finest athletic complexes in Pennsylvania. The stadium, which has a seating capacity of 10,400, is a source of community pride and regularly serves as the site of a variety of events which benefit the economy of the Altoona-Blair County area.
In 1999, a new AstroTurf 12-2000 playing surface was installed and the polyurethane running track was refurbished. The AASD's capital reserve fund was used to pay for the $843,000 project, so no tax increase was necessary.
Mansion Park's first artificial surface was installed in 1989. Omniturf provided a way to maximize the use of the facility throughout the year and at the same time, save taxpayer dollars through reduced maintenance costs.
For 13 seasons, the playing surface has received rave reviews from players and coaches as athletes have experienced controlled footing regardless of the weather conditions. Most importantly, there has been a significant decrease in serious injuries since the artificial turf was installed.
During a typical fall season, more than 60 events take place on the turf. Altoona High varsity and jayvee teams, Keith and Roosevelt junior high schools, and Bishop Guilfoyle High School play home football games at Mansion Park. The stadium is also the site of AAHS boys and girls soccer matches and countless practice sessions. District and interdistrict football and soccer playoffs are held each year at Mansion Park, the home of the PIAA Football Champion-ships from 1992 through 1997. The second annual Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association East West High School All Star Game was played at Mansion Park on June 29.
Numerous high school and junior high school track meets, including the District 6 Class AA and AAA championships and the West Central Coaches Meet, are held at the stadium each spring. The track is also used extensively on a daily basis by hundreds of community residents who enjoy walking and jogging.
Mansion Park has also been the site of a 1992 Pittsburgh Steeler intrasquad scrimmage, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference men's and women's college soccer championships, University of Pittsburgh preseason football practices, the Sheetz/AYSO Soccer Invitational and the 1995 PIAA Soccer Championships.
Music events have also been well-received. Appearances by the Beach Boys, Up With People, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Penn State Blue Band, the Ohio State Pride of the Buckeyes Band and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Marching Band have attracted huge crowds. Drum Corps International competitions were held in 1998 and again in 2000.
Altoona Area High School Commencement is scheduled at the stadium each year. Mansion Park is also the home of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. In June, $285,000 was raised for the Cancer Society's Blair Unit.
