There are 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in the USA and Canada, and many diehard fans attempt to watch a game at every one. Although opinions differ on which stadium is the best.
Bird’s-eye view of Wrigley Field (Photo: Marco Verch via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
The origins of baseball are unclear and undocumented. Historians can point to early stick and ball games in many cultures around the world. The roots of the Americanized game are found in amateur men’s clubs in New York City in the first half of the 19th century. Today, the MLB is the pinnacle of professional baseball, which has reached worldwide popularity. The places where MLB games are played are testaments to history, shrines of sports idolatry, and just a wonderful place to spend an afternoon or evening.
Below, ranked in ascending order (meaning the winner is at the end), are our top ten major league ballparks every fan should visit. We have also taken into consideration fan and expert opinions. Each stadium offers a unique aspect, whether it is heaven for home run hitters or a safe haven for pitchers. We based the rankings on sightlines of the game and park amenities, stadium and team history, the field’s impact on the game, and the area surrounding the stadium. We have even considered the food served at each ballpark, whether it is a cheesesteak in Philly or Chinese dumplings and sushi in Seattle.
PNC Park provides a game with a view of Pittsburgh (Photo: David Fulmer via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
10. PNC Park
In western Pennsylvania, along Pittsburgh’s North Shore, stands a testament to some die-hard fans. PNC Park is home to the much maligned (as of late) Pittsburgh Pirates, a team rich in history and tradition struggling with the salary demands of the current game. The Pirates have not won a division title since 1992, but the record does not deter fans—or opponents’ fans—from making a trip to the stadium as it is a beautiful place to watch a game. With views of the converging Ohio, Monongahela, and Alleghany Rivers it is obvious why this area goes by the name of “three rivers.” And despite their modern record, the team, which at one point was called the Pittsburgh Burghers, have won 5 World Series Championships.
9. T-Mobile Park
In Washington, the residents have built a pitcher friendly stadium for their Seattle Mariners. And while dueling throwers on opposing teams may not be the biggest draw to a baseball game, Seattle has shown there is more than one reason to go to a game, such as the sunset views over the Puget Sound. The Mariners play against the backdrop of the Puget Sound’s Elliott Bay, which encompasses the city’s waterfront. The stadium is in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood and is surrounded by a growing art scene and plenty of alehouses and breweries. T-Mobile Park can host 47,929 fans with views of the game from View Level seats up high to the Patio on the Pen. In 2019, the Mariners organization invested $600 million in maintenance, operations, and upgrades, which will span over 25 years.
Petco Park in sunny San Diego (Photo: Emily Burnett via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
8. Petco Park
Fans delight in seeing the Swinging Friar take to the field in Southern California. The San Diego Padres’ official mascot joined the team in the 1950s and still roots for the team to win their first World Series. The Padres joined the MLB as an expansion team in 1969 but take their name from a Pacific Coast League team from San Diego from the 1930s. The Padres made it to baseball’s premiere championship in 1984 and 1998 and the need for a new stadium was evident. The public funded a $450 million project for a new utilitarian stadium in downtown San Diego, which opened in 2004. Beyond superb sightlines for the game, Petco Park celebrates the sea, the sky, and the natural beauty of southern California and provides stunning views of the San Diego skyline, especially at night.
7. Oracle Park
The Giants were not always California dreamers. The organization actually began as the Gothams and played in the famed Polo Grounds of New York, but since 2000 Oracle Park has been their home on San Francisco Bay. McCovey Cove, named after a Giants great, the left-handed power hitter Willie “Stretch” McCovey, sits right behind the stadium and the water is one of the most prominent features of the park. Home run balls often splash down into the bay. Nestled in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Fran, the picturesque spectacle of a stadium is high on the must-visit list of many MLB fans. The stadium is known for an excellent selection of food, including the Gilroy garlic fries.
The illuminated Liberty Bell at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (Photo: Peter Bond via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
6. Citizens Bank Park
Pennsylvania’s City of Brotherly Love dedicated an entire district to its sports teams. Citizens Bank Park replaced the aging Veterans Stadium in 2004, making a new home for the Philadelphia Phillies who won the World Series four years later. Built to replace the cumbersome, octorand design of the Vet, the new stadium hosts some of the best sight lines of any major league stadium. Kids at the game love The Yard, a 13,000-square-foot interactive baseball experience. No venue in Philly would be complete without pizza, hoagies, and cheesesteaks, of which the stadium has two venues offering the sandwich made with shaved beef and cheese, either wit’ onions or wit’ out.
5. Coors Field
Like Home runs? Well, the baseball travels a lot farther at 5,200 feet (1,585m) above sea level, which is where Coors Field sits in Denver, Colorado. The altitude—not the recreational pastimes—make it the highest stadium in the MLB. Located in downtown Denver, Coors Field opened in 1995 and, currently, the longest home run hit in the park traveled 504 feet (154m). An expansive outfield requires speedy outfielders, so sometimes visiting teams give up a lot of extra base hits. Coors Field is an action park. It is also named after the city’s hometown beer, and there are plenty of brews to be had here.
Welcome to Wrigley Field in Chicago (Photo: Carlos Pacheco via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
4. Wrigley Field
The park made famous by its ivy-covered outfield wall should never be overlooked by fans of the game. The ivy, which was first planted in 1937, was the idea of P. K. Wrigley of the chewing gum family bearing the stadium’s name. Wrigley Field is the only stadium in the MLB allowed to play without padded outfield walls, but the ivy does not prevent injury and sometimes balls even get lost out of play in the growth. The ivy makes for a splendid view, but it is only one part of the unique experience making up a game on Chicago’s North Side stadium built in 1914, which includes a hand-turned score board, rooftop seating, and an iconic, main gate marquee dating to 1934.
3. Dodger Stadium
Attendance is always high at the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, which averages more than 30,000 fans per game. The Dodgers often host California rivals the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. Built with a futuristic design, the park seats most fans with spectacular views of the infield. The park itself is the centerpiece of the Elysian Park neighborhood and was nicknamed Blue Heaven on Earth, based on the team’s colors, by legendary manager Tommy Lasorda. Active since 1962, Dodger Stadium is the third oldest stadium in the MLB and is the largest baseball stadium in the world by seating capacity. Dodger Stadium is only 3 miles from downtown and is easily accessed by public transportation.
Dusk over Camden Yards (Photo: Wendy Harman via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
2. Camden Yards
The signature delicacy in Baltimore is the blue crab, and fans of the Orioles can enjoy the shellfish in one of the most unique ways at Camden Yards, a hot dog topped with box mac n’ cheese and fresh crabmeat sprinkled with traditional crab seasoning. Also known as Oriole Park, the home of the Orioles is only a few blocks from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. It opened on April 6, 1992, as the first of a movement of retro baseball stadiums constructed in the U.S. in the 1990s and early 2000s. One of the draws of Camden Yards is Eutaw Street, which runs between the stadium and the refabricated B&O railway warehouse and houses several shops and restaurants. On and around the street the Orioles organization has installed baseball-shaped bronze plaques marking the spot of past home runs.
The coveted view from the Green Monster in Boston (Photo: Gene Wang via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
1.Fenway Park
There may be no other stadium that is more recognizable than Boston’s Fenway Park. The most distinguishable feature of Fenway Park is the Green Monster, a 37-foot wall in left field built to keep onlookers on Lansdowne St. who did not pay for a ticket from enjoying the sights of the game. The Wall grew in size and reputation after being rebuilt in 1936 and given its green sheen. In 2003, the organization added 269 seats atop the wall, making the view one of the most coveted outfield views in baseball. Opened for play in 1912, Fenway is the oldest active ballpark in the MLB and after a series of renovations now seats 37,755 spectators.