Best City Trips for a Proper MLB Experience
The popularity of Major League Baseball was just proved in June by the two-match London series. A significant number of fans from the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies traveled across the Atlantic to watch their heroes fight an entertaining double header as over 100,000 spectators watched on.
The MLB experience has just shown its global popularity again and there are so many reasons to visit the ballpark or Field of Dreams as Kevin Costner once did so famously on celluloid. It’s more than a sport. It’s the family atmosphere, has a deep connection to history and every American city involved has a story to tell.
1) Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
The Baltimore Orioles may not have won the World Series for four decades, but their stadium experience is one of the best. Paul McCartney, the Pope and Billy Joel have all held events at Oriole Park and the stadium has a kind of old-style design that brings back memories of the swinging 60s of baseball. This vintage is intimate and brings a real true feel to the heritage of the game
High-definition video screens can be enjoyed as well as the Oriole Legends park and a museum, including the famous ‘Babe Ruth.’ There’s even an Aquarium for those that need something unsporty.
Fans can also enjoy the classic Baltimore and ballpark favorites like pit beef sandwiches, gourmet hot dogs and the crab cake.
2) Fenway Park, Boston
The Boston Red Sox have nine World Series titles to their name but they also possess the oldest MLB ballpark in use at Fenway Park. This brings a huge amount of tradition that people will travel miles to see. Once inside the ground, fans can still view one of the few manual scoreboards in left field still being operated by a staff of three. Its famous red seat, a chair painted red in a crowd of green bleachers, marks Ted Williams’ famous home run in 1946
Options on food include famous Fenway Franks, foot-long dogs, popcorn, cracker jacks, peanuts, pretzels, and fries. For green fingers, the on-site organic garden on the roof of the Red Sox offices is quite the thing. The other piece of famous green is the Green Monster, a huge left field wall that served as the inspiration for the mascot of the team.
3) Oracle Park: San Francisco, California
The home of the San Francisco Giants underwent a major reconstruction in 2020 which has brought visitors and fans into a futuristic spectator experience. Just to prove that old stock can have new light, a giant Coca-Cola bottle lights up throughout the match.
The architecture and stadium design means that a fan can see a home run belted into Mission Bay on the waterfront. There is also an artistic streak to the experience on the concourses with a seal statue that shows the logo of a Pacific Coast League team that once played in the city.
There’s a large Giants Wall of Fame and with the recent signing of Blake Snell from the Padres there’s always room for another pitching legend too.
4) Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Phillies have had a roaring season and those MLB lines on a World Series title look sound. The Phillieshave retained the same name for the longest time in all of professional sport. Their stadium at Citizens Bank Park reflects the modern era of technology as well as looking back into their great heritage.
There’s an illuminated set of lights on the Liberty Bell when the home team hits one out of the park and there’s also a 13,000-square-foot interactive kids’ baseball experience located in right field in Ashburn Alley. There’s even a climbing wall where participants can make their way up Philadelphia’s landmark buildings in harnesses
The walk-around, open-air concourses offer an unblocked view of the field and the famous Philly skyline.
Globe Life Field: Arlington, Texas
The Texas Rangers play at Globe Life Field, the youngest ballpark in MLB. Having opened in 2020, the stadium has a huge five-and-a-half acre retractable roof which keeps out the rainfall and cools the temperature. To provide a natural semi-transparent light, the building has glass panels installed for views inside and outside.
The stadium is located in Arlington, Texas, right next to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, the old Rangers stadium, and the Texas Live! entertainment complex, perfect for families. Everything is bigger in Texas, so visitors can enjoy the beer in a bat-style glass as well as humdinger size hot dogs.
The sheer notion of “being there” for the MLB doesn’t just stop at the baseball. The trip is marked by a whole range of food, color, interactive experiences and all the other history that goes with the host city. The game is universal but the stadiums have their own flavor.