Best Baseball Stadiums to Visit
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Every spring, we look forward to three things: nice weather, baseball, and getting out of the house and far away. Warmer weather an longer days means one thing for sports fans – baseball season is here! America’s pastime is the perfect way to spend a few hours outside on a spring day or a summer evening.
With the end of lockdowns, we considered combining those three by visiting America’s pastime in its natural habitat — ballparks. When choosing a vacation destination, we make a Major League Baseball game at that town’s stadium the focal point of our visit.
But not all baseball parks are created equal. Here are 10 Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums worth traveling to for your fill of sports history, tradition, and overpriced beer. Let’s play ball!
Fenway Park (Boston)
Opened in 1912, Fenway Park in Boston is the oldest ballpark in the United States. Located at 4 Yawkey Way in Bean Town, Fenway is one of the last ballparks to use a hand-operated scoreboard. The 99-year-old baseball landmark features the infamous Green Monster, which is a thirty-seven-foot left field wall that makes it extremely difficult to hit a home run.
Wrigley Field (Chicago)
Hosting its 108th season in 2021, Wrigley Field is America’s second oldest MLB ballpark. Home to the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley is also well known as the park where in 1932 during game three of the World Series Babe Ruth’s famous called shot took place.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore)
Not as old as the previously mentioned parks, the 19-year-old Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles, was Major League Baseball’s first downtown “retro” ballpark. Camden Yards is the ballpark where Cal Ripken, Jr’s record-breaking 2,131st consecutive game was played in 1995.
Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
Opened in 1962, this is the third oldest baseball park. Dodger Stadium also holds the title of biggest ballpark as far as seating capacity. This downtown Los Angeles ballpark has a capacity of 56,000.
Safeco Field (Seattle)
How do you plan ahead when building a ballpark in rainy Seattle? Simple – build a stadium with a retractable roof! That’s exactly what the Mariners did when they opened Safeco Field in 1999. When the forecast doesn’t call for an overcast day, Safeco opens up for amazing views of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound, and Mount Rainier.
Oracle Park (San Francisco)
Located in the heart of lovely San Francisco, this is one of the most beautifully designed ballparks in the United States. Oracle Park provides breathtaking bay views to fans taking in a ball game. It’s interesting to note that this park has had four name changes since it opened in 2000.
Coors Field (Denver)
Did you know it is easier to hit a home run at this downtown Denver stadium than at any other ballpark in the United States? This is due to the altitude of the Mile High City. It has been proven that baseballs fly farther in thin air at high altitudes because there are fewer air molecules that would normally slow the balls down.
Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia)
Oddly enough the City of Brotherly Love is home to some of baseball’s most rowdy and raucous fans. So much so that the Phillies stadium comes equipped with a bi-level bullpen where fanatics can trash talk with the away team up close. Citizens Bank Park also holds the honor of being the first Major League Baseball stadium to go “green” by joining the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program.
Busch Stadium (St. Louis)
Opened in 2006, the Cardinals ballpark is often called “Busch Stadium III” by fans because it is the third ballpark to carry that name. The open-air design of the stadium provides park-goers with views of downtown St. Louis’ skyline.
PNC Park (Pittsburgh)
Opened during the 2001 baseball season, PNC Park is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The $216 million park sits along Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh. PNC was designed to look and feel like a “classic” ballpark, and has the second smallest capacity of any MLB park behind Boston’s Fenway.
The most legitimate claim to being America’s pastime may be debatable, but one thing is certain: Some of our baseball stadiums are national treasures, worth seeing whether you’re a diehard fan or a casual fan who thinks high heat is just an oven setting. Perhaps it’s the ballpark’s heritage, cultural touchstones, or even the house hot dogs. And that’s where this list comes in—the ten MLB stadiums we believe are worth visiting this year.
