Home of the San Francisco Forty Niners and the San Francisco Giants baseball team, 3Com is the only stadium in the country to have hosted six NFC Championship Games, three Western Division Championships, 12 NFC West Conference Games, two World Series, and two All-star games.

The history behind the naming of Candlestick Park, before the present name 3Com, was quite colorful. Candlestick Point and the cove in its embrace were named long ago after the indigenous candlestick bird. A member of the curlew family, the candlestick is a wading bird with long, thin legs and a body about the size of a chicken, according to nationally known ornithologist Henry L. Betten. At one time thousands of these birds inhabited the Bay Area, but they were nearly hunted to extinction by the 1950s due toothe enormous demand for their delicate and delicious meat.

3Com originally was constructed by Charles Harney, General Contractor in 1958. The first game at Candlestick Point was played on April 12, 1960, between the Giants and St. Louis. The then near capacity crowd of 42,269 watched the Giants beat the Cardinals 3 - 2. In November 1969 the stadium, which spans 14.5 acres on an 83-acre site, was expanded by General Contractor William and Burrows to seat 62,000 during football games and 59,000 during baseball games, becoming one of the first modern multipurpose stadiums. In order to keep its facilities and services up to date, 3Com undergoes annual renovations each spring. The next renovation phase will increase seating capacity to 71,000. Phones for the hearing impaired have been installed, all restrooms are now wheelchair accessible, and the concourses were recently enlarged.

The Stadium has six escalators, three passenger elevators, and one freight elevator. At one time its escalators were considered the longest in the country. There are four locker rooms, two first-aid stations, 2,000 locks, and 44 concession stands. Parking capacity is an ample 8,000 cars, 300 buses, 200 limousines, and 300 motorhomes.

Brilliant lighting for night events is supplied by nine 140 to 240 foot towers, providing more than 350 foot-candles of light on the arena surface. It is considered to be the best-lighted stadium in the United States, literally turning night into day and exceeding the requirements of color television cameras. A new, state-of-the-art Sony video display board was installed in January 1994.

In addition to hosting baseball and football games, 3Com Park holds ride and drive events in the parking lot, Mickey Thompson Off-Road Races, and rock concerts. In fact, the Beatles performed their last U.S. concert there on August 29, 1966. The Rolling Stones and Monsters of Rock concerts, in 1981 and 1987, respectively, each drew crowds of 85,000, and Pope John Paul II's 1987 visit attracted 86,000 people.

"As much as the San Francisco 49ers' tradition is defined by great stars - from Y.A. Tittle to Joe Montana to Steve Young and Jerry Rice - its home stadium is surrounded by an incomparable aura. Candlestick Park is a menacing structure that can give you the chills.

Start with the breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay on the stadium's side. Add the aroma of the popular tailgate parties. Witness hotdog wrappers swirling in the unpredictable wind. Bundle up for typically brisk and damp conditions, and brace for a sea of 49ers - red outerwear in the stands. These are some of the things that make the "the Stick" perhaps the NFL's most flavorful venue. Like the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf, 3Com Park is a true slice of San Francisco.

Unless you're tailgating, you have no reason to eat before entering the Stick, and it's always wise to bring a jacket, even if its 70 degrees and sunny when you depart for the stadium.

All things considered, it's a unique experience - and the quality of football is pretty good, too. Of course, getting a ticket to this tast of the city can be difficult, but if you haven't been to a 49ers game at Candlestick, the experience could be worth the price you have to pay."