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Baseball Road Trips: 5 Great Summer Destinations

Make the most of MLB stadium visits with these tips

fans raise their hands at a baseball game
Fans take in a baseball game. Before you go, be sure your phone is charged, since most game tickets are issued on phone-based apps.
Alamy
By

Bill Fink,

 
AARP
Published June 24, 2024

A relaxing outing to catch a Major League Baseball game with friends and family has been a summer tradition for well over 100 years. For those interested in seeing their favorite team on the road or in visiting an iconic stadium, baseball provides great road trip opportunities — not only to watch a game but to visit nearby attractions, exploring a city in a getaway that can appeal to fans and nonfans alike.

Expect to see many other 50-and-older fans at the game, since according to Nielsen’s most recent study, 57 is the median age of baseball viewers.

With 30 teams in Major League Baseball (and many more in the minor leagues), you have lots of options. Here, AARP highlights five noteworthy baseball experiences, from Seattle and San Diego on the West Coast to Chicago in the Midwest, Atlanta in the South, and New York City in the Northeast.

Game day tips

Before heading out to the game, be sure to have your phone charged (and maybe bring an external charger). These days, baseball tickets are almost exclusively issued on phone-based apps, and you don’t want to arrive at the stadium with a dead phone and be denied entry.

Beyond MLB.com, you can also purchase tickets via reliable ticket resellers, such as Stubhub, SeatGeek and Ticketmaster. Just be sure to check the service fees (which can be outrageous) before you buy, and compare prices. For low-demand games, resellers will sometimes price tickets below face value, so it’s worth checking those websites.

When possible, use public transportation to reach games, as stadium parking can be expensive and ballpark traffic can be heavy. Consider arriving early to beat the rush (plus, it’s fun watching pregame batting practice). Many stadiums have dedicated rideshare locations, but keep in mind that with thousands of fans simultaneously ordering rides, phone service can be spotty.

Review the stadium’s bag policy if you want to bring water, snacks or medications to a game. At many ballparks, security rules restrict the size of containers you can bring in and require that you carry them in clear bags. Check game day weather reports and bring sunscreen or layers of clothing to stay comfortable. Many teams have gone cashless for transactions at the park, so don’t forget your charge or credit cards.

If you or someone in your party has special accessibility needs, check the team’s website ahead of time to identify accessible areas, best seating locations and contacts for questions or accommodations.

fans at an Atlanta Braves game
Learn some Atlanta Braves history in Monument Garden, located on the concourse behind home plate at Truist Park.
Getty Images

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves, perennial playoff contenders, play their home games at Truist Park, located about 13 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta. The park anchors the Battery Atlanta, an entertainment destination with a full vacation’s worth of hotels, restaurants, shopping and other activities. Outdoor enthusiasts can even bike, hike or paddle in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area not far from the stadium.

Truist Park’s notable dining choices include the huge smoked beef brisket sandwiches at the Carvery and the Taco Factory’s Big Queso, a pound of grilled marinated chicken with Chihuahua cheese, salsa and cilantro on sourdough bread, topped with spicy queso sauce. Cool yourself with tasty local beer selections from the Terrapin Beer Co.

To avoid the hot Georgia sun, choose seats along the first base line, toward the back of the sections, where you’ll be covered by the overhangs. You also can take a cool game break to tour Braves history in Monument Garden, on the concourse behind home plate.

Stay at the Omni Hotel next to Truist Park to take advantage of the unparalleled location, senior rate deals, and baseball packages that include ballpark tours.

While it’s possible to take public transportation to Truist, you should expect to drive or take a rideshare or taxi. Parking reservations are recommended, as is studying the parking map, because some lots are a long walk from the park. The Braves’ accessible lot has free cart service to games.

fans at Chicago’s Wrigley Field
Chicago’s Wrigley Field has a colorful history dating back to 1914.
Alamy

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs’ Wrigley Field, with its ivy-covered brick walls and a colorful history dating to 1914, is one of the must-visit ballparks in the Major Leagues. Its location near Lake Michigan amid neighborhood restaurants, bars and shops makes it a great spot for a full day or even a complete weekend of Chicago fun.

Chicago summers can be very hot and humid, so you might want to avoid sitting in the bleachers or the lower deck along the right field line if you’re attending one of the Cubs’ many day games.

A Cubs game isn’t complete without noshing on a Chicago-style hotdog, complete with mustard, relish, chopped onion, tomato, pickle spear, peppers and celery salt. Wash it down with a cold beer: a retro-classic Pabst Blue Ribbon; a Budweiser to honor legendary “Cub Fan, Bud Man” Harry Caray; or a Goose Island, a local microbrew.

At the boutique Hotel Zachary adjacent to Wrigley Field, you not only get views of the ballpark, you can book behind-the-scenes stadium tours. For pre- or postgame fun, you can try your luck in the batting cages at the venerable Sluggers bar and grill across the street from Wrigley.

If you’re not staying at a nearby hotel, take the “L” elevated rail to the game to avoid traffic and parking hassles. Keep in mind that train cars can be packed, so come early if you want to avoid the height of the crowds. If you’re driving, accessible parking is available near the stadium with complimentary wheelchair-ready cart rides to the park.

aerial view of Citi Field and a plaque to Babe Ruth in Monument Park
Citi Field, left, the home of the New York Mets, opened in 2009. At Yankee Stadium in New York, a plaque to Babe Ruth sits in Monument Park, which has tributes to other Yankee greats.
(Right) Alamy, (Left) Getty Images

New York: Yankees and Mets

The baseball world has revolved around New York teams for more than a century, from the long-departed Dodgers and Giants to the Yankees’ 27 championships and the oft-changing fortunes of the Mets. While Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and the Mets’ Citi Field in Queens are relatively new — both opened in 2009 — they still have plenty of history to explore. Yankee Stadium tours include visits to the Yankee Museum and Monument Park, with tributes to team greats. Citi Field offers behind-the-scenes tours, though all fans can visit the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum. Highlights for game day eats at the stadiums include Pat LaFrieda’s Original Filet Mignon Steak Sandwich, a fan favorite since 2012 at Citi Field, and Italian food at Yankee Stadium, such as Christian Petroni’s Cheesy Garlic Bread with pepperoni or meatballs.

To most efficiently hit city tourist attractions, your NYC baseball road trip is best with a stay in Manhattan, traveling to games with New Yorkers on the subway. A great base for a family visit to midtown Manhattan is The Central at 5th, a Hilton Club, with its large one-bedroom suites. It’s an easy walk to subway stations, Fifth Avenue shopping, Rockefeller Center (home of the MLB Flagship Store, the ultimate one-stop-shop for baseball fans) and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where 75,000 fans gathered to pay their respects at Yankee great Babe Ruth’s funeral in 1948. 

aerial view of Petco Park where the San Diego Padres play
The San Diego Padres play at Petco Park, which is located downtown amid shopping, lodging and restaurants.
Alamy

San Diego Padres

The Padres may lack the history and championships of their rival to the north in Los Angeles, but their home field of Petco Park, with its downtown location amid lodging, restaurants and shopping, makes a baseball road trip here one of the most visitor-friendly experiences of any major league city.

San Diego has maybe the best weather in all of baseball, with summer high and low temperatures in the comfortable mid-60s to 70s range. Only four games have been rained out in the past 20 years.

Many hotels are within walking distance of Petco Park. The comfortable San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter is not only across the street from the stadium, but its 22nd-story Altitude Sky Lounge boasts views of the park, the city and the bay. San Diego’s famed Gaslamp District, which borders the park, has great dining, drinking and shopping opportunities. 

Petco Park’s dining options include many Mexican-influenced foods, such as the bacon-wrapped Barrio Dogg heaped with condiments, Puesto’s award-winning tacos, and nachos from the Carnitas Snack Shack.

For panoramic views of the field and the San Diego skyline (and to save a few bucks), sit in Petco Park’s third deck — but keep in mind that the first base side is fully exposed to the sun. Shade seekers can find cover in the rear sections of the lower decks and in upper deck seats on the third base side. Accessible seating and parking options can be found on the Petco Park website.

Seattle Mariners fans at a baseball game
The Seattle Mariners’ T-Mobile Park has a retractable roof to protect fans when it rains.
Alamy

Seattle Mariners

Visiting Seattle for a Mariners game can give visitors a great feel for the Pacific Northwest — minus the rain, as T-Mobile Park’s retractable roof protects fans (although there is a gap in the roof that can leave some outfield and upper grandstand seats a little wet).

The ballpark provides a taste of Seattle, and local food and drink vendors include the Tamari Bar for Japanese-style Area 206 curry rice and Sound Bar & Seafood for crab sandwiches and fish-and-chips. Accompany the food with great Seattle IPAs on tap.

The most accessible spot for fans to see a game is from the 200-level Terrace Club. These seats can be reached directly via a sky bridge from the Mariners parking garage across the street — no need to deal with street crowds or stairways. Special deals can be found, including on AARP Day, on July 24.

Go for pre- or postgame food and drink at Steelheads Alley, across the street from the stadium, where they serve top-notch burgers and fresh regional oysters. Negro League baseball memorabilia lines the walls, and the Black-owned Métier Brewing Company is on-site providing beers.

You can stay next door to the stadium at the Silver Cloud Hotel, but a more immersive Seattle location near the waterfront is Hotel 1000. It’s a short walk to the shops of Pioneer Square and the fish-tossing vendors of iconic Pike Place Market. The hotel even has a Top Golf Suite, an entertainment room where you can pitch baseballs in a virtual reality game.

Bill Fink is an award-winning travel writer covering global adventures for BBC, Lonely Planet, Thrillist and many other outlets. Follow him @finktravels.

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