I’m fortunate enough to get to visit a lot of sporting venues and definitely have my personal favorites. People have different tastes though so I’m not going to give you a list of “best” ballparks. Let’s just say here’s 10 I’d highly recomment checking out (in no particular order):<\/p>\n
1. Citi Field: New York Mets<\/strong>There are ballparks and there are stadiums. Without question, Citi Field is a ballpark and I mean that in the nicest possible way. It’s extremly family-friendy with kind, courteous staff and “Fan Fest” area in center field for the kids. It has a warm feel to it due to the large amount of bricks used throughout.The main entrance is a sunlit rotunda honoring Jackie Robinson (the entrance also bears a complimentary resemblance to Ebbetts Field). The variety and quality of food is way above par to include fan favorites Shake Shack, Blue Smoke and Two 2. Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Baltimore Orioles<\/strong>A perfect combination of the old with the new. Eutaw Street runs just behind the outfield stands and features great foods (bacon on a stick, whole chickens etc…) and markers that show every home run that landed there (incuding the player name and date the shot was hit). There’s also a Babe Ruth Museum (his father used to own a bar that stood where center field is currently located.) The stadium was the first to be built with an eye toward integrating neighborhoods and serving regional cuisine.<\/p>\n 3. Cooperstown, NY<\/strong>Ok. This isn’t technically an actual ballpark but it really is a must-visit for baseball fans. The National Baseball Hall of Fame will bring out the kid in everyone and the town itself is quaint, friendly and brings you back to an earlier, easier time. A great family destination. Sorry for the sidetrack – now back to the ballparks.<\/p>\n 4.Fenway Park: Boston Red Sox<\/strong>This is one of those parks where you can feel the history once you enter. 2012 is Fenway’s 100th season and it remains pretty much the same as is was on opening day. The Green Monster in left field is one of the most unique ballpark attractions in the history of the game.The park also features a hand-operated scoreboard, and the red-painted seat in the right-field bleachers that marks Fenway’s longest measurable homer (hit by Ted Williams 5. Yankee Stadium: New York Yankees<\/strong>Monument Park, the Yankees Museum and the Great Hall are all must-sees.This isn’t a ballpark or a stadium; it’s a colliseum. Massive in size, this 1.5 billion dollar creation isn’t The House That Ruth Built anymore,but no expense was spared in honoring his memory and the memory of many other Yankee greats.The selection of food is large. My personal favorite is the Lobel’s steak sandwich served behind section 133. Not really built to entertain 6. Wrigley Field: Chicago Cubs<\/strong>The Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908 but who cares? The original scoreboard is still hand-operated and the ivy on the outfield wall grows so thick that balls have gotten lost in it. It’s the second oldest ballpark in the counrty and the fan support is great. Every game is a party. A must visit.<\/p>\n 7. PNC Park: Pittsburgh Pirates<\/strong>This is a smaller ballpark but done perfectly. It’s got terrific views of the action as well as the Pittsburgh skyline. Like in San Francisco, fans wait in boats and kayaks for balls exiting the park.The bridges around the ballpark all close to traffic during games so fans can walk over to the game. The local beer is Iron City which is a little rough at first but like most beer, get’s better the more you drink. Best food in the park:Quaker Steak & Lube wings.<\/p>\n 8. Marlins Park: Miami Marlins<\/strong>Hey this place is a party. The newest addition to MLBs family of ballparks has two 450-gallon tanks featuring nearly 100 tropical fish, a pool, animal-print-body-painted dancers and celeb DJs spinning at each game. It also features a kaleidoscopic hallway and a 73-foot marlin and flamingo sculpture that rotates to celebrate home runs. How’s the food? Who cares!<\/p>\n 9. AT&T Park: San Francisco Giants<\/strong>This great park has been around since 2000 and has hosted a World Series win in 2010 and the great home run record chase by Barry Bonds. This park is best recognized by McCovey Cove, where some people sit in boats and kayaks in hopes of fishing out home run balls. Family-friendly, it features a Fan Lot, with its 26-foot-high baseball glove; four twisty slides; and a kid-size replica of the ballpark. If you’re a wine person, they offer some great selections from local vineyards.<\/p>\n 10. Busch Stadium: St. Louis Cardinals<\/strong>Busch Stadium opened for the 2006 season, and it has a wonderful skyline looking beyond the outfield, with the Gateway Arch clearly in view. The stadium itself is pretty awesome too, with a modern, clean feeling to it.This is a franchise with a rich history. Couple that with the other things mentioned here, it’s definitely worth being on your list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’m fortunate enough to get to visit a lot of sporting venues and definitely have my personal favorites. People have different tastes though so I’m not going to give you a list of “best” ballparks. Let’s just say here’s 10…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":177,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n
\nBoots Pizza. Clean, friendy and easy to navigate, Citi Field is a great place to catch a ballgame.<\/p>\n
\nin 1946).If you’re a Yankee fan be prepared though, you’ll without question hear muliple chants of “Yankes Suck” and see shirts being sold outside that share similar sentiments (even if the Yankees aren’t in town).<\/p>\n
\nsmaller kids, but a great place to spend the day watching a game.<\/p>\n