The 13 Baseball Stadiums You Need to Visit This Summer

Image via Complex Original

Originally built in 1912, Fenway Park is an absolute relic in this day and age. In some ways, it's easy to see this: some of the seats in the right field grandstand face the outfield instead of home plate, it's incredibly cramped, and it is one of the smallest parks in baseball in terms of capacity. However, as the Red Sox marketing folks love to point out, it is a living museum and, despite some of its drawbacks, is well worth a visit. Moreover, the Red Sox ownership group has spent millions upon millions of dollars upgrading the park over the last decade—they have added seats on the Green Monster, opened a couple of large concessions concourses, and installed better seats. The experience that you'll have here is the best the game has to offer.

While it may not be the original “House That Ruth Built,” the new Yankee Stadium takes the central parts of its predecessor and puts them into a far more comfortable environment. You can still stroll through Monument Park or gaze upon the famous outfield facades, but now you can do so from a comfortable seat without having to worry about chunks of concrete falling on your head. Plus, a front-row seat to the A-Rod show is better than any circus you'll catch under a tent.

It's not every day that you can walk into a Major League stadium, head to the outfield, and step into a 1920s speakeasy. But that's exactly what the San Francisco Giants built in AT&T Park, which was already one of baseball’s most iconic stadiums with its waterfront views, raucous crowd, and three championships in five years. The Gotham Club, tucked inside the right-field fence, as well as two other satellite locations in the stadium, boasts a full bar, historic memorabilia, a bowling alley, and, if you so choose, great views of the field.

The first in the new generation of modern stadiums, Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore opened in 1992 but continues to be one of the greatest parks in the entire game. The rejuvenated Orioles faithful create an incredible atmosphere, and the stadium has all of the modern amenities you could ask for. In right field, former Oriole Boog Powell hangs out at his barbecue stand during every single game, happy to take a picture with or tell a story to any fan who wants to say hello. That is something you will not get in any of the other 29 stadiums—this much can be guaranteed.

The Seattle Mariners play in a stadium that continues to be one of baseball’s finest. Safeco Field is located close to downtown, right next to the CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders. Once you're inside the stadium, you're treated to a whole slew of modern amenities, including a retractable roof that will keep you dry if some of the notorious Seattle rain decides to pay visit. The stadium also offers a wider range of food options than virtually any other stadium, with everything from deep-fried cheese curds to salmon burgers on the menu.

Since it opened in 2001, PNC Park has been considered one of the best stadiums in baseball. And now that it has a quality team to pair with it, the Pirates’ riverfront home is a must-see for any baseball fan. Not only is it aesthetically unique, but it also offers beautiful views of downtown and a ton of non-baseball-related activities dotted throughout the stadium. Also, perhaps most importantly, the “Pirate Girls” periodically stand on top of the dugout and shoot hot dogs into the crowd out of a cannon. Seriously.

They don’t do frills at Wrigley Field, and that’s OK. The Ivy, cheap beer, and bare-bones seating are part of the park’s charm. It’s a spot every true baseball fan has to hit at least once in his or her lifetime, and there’s no more quintessential Wrigley kind of event than a day game during the summer. The only caveat is that you should probably wait to make this spiritual pilgrimage until the construction of the bleachers is complete sometime in June. Nobody wants to wait in line for the bathroom for half an hour.

In addition to housing one of the National League’s best teams, Nationals Park also boasts a feature that you won’t find anywhere else: valet bicycle parking. And if you are up in the cheap seats you’ll get a prime view of the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, so you can tell people you saw all of the sights in D.C. without having to bother with the huge tourist crowds. And of course, as D.C. is famous for (among other, more obvious things), there is a row of cherry trees planted just past the left field bleachers. The lesson is as follows: come for the baseball, stay for the flowers.

While the Mets didn’t have to do much to surpass the fan-friendliness of Shea Stadium, they really went over the top with Citi Field. The stadium contains several nods to New York’s decorated baseball history (green seats like they had at the Polo Grounds, facades built to look like Ebbets Field, the front gate honoring Jackie Robinson), but also holds on to Mets traditions like the famous Home Run Apple. The product on the field the last few years hasn’t been great, but with the team on the rise and a park that ranks among baseball’s best, the Mets are certainly a team to watch.

Arizona is hot in the summer. You know a great way to cool down when it’s hot? A pool. But what if you want to go to a baseball game too? The Diamondbacks’ Chase Field is the only place that’s going to hit everything on your checklist thanks to the signature right-centerfield pool deck that has become the enduring image of the 2001 World Series champions’ home field. It also boasts the first-ever retractable roof, so even if you can’t score a pool seat, you’ll still be able to keep cool during the scorching summer heat.

San Diego is one of America’s most beautiful places, and Petco Park is one of the most unique modern stadiums in the game. While most everybody has “zigged” and gone for the retro look in their parks, the Padres “zagged” with a more modern look featuring ample exposed steel all over the stadium. While the team itself had some lean years, the Padres went against the grain this summer, going all-in and trading for veterans to immediately thrust themselves into the pennant race. It’s also a great place to take in a game on the cheap; the “Park at the Park” just beyond the outfield fence offers $5 seating on the grass for any game.

To be kind, the Metrodome was not a particularly nice-looking stadium. Enter Target Field, which opened in 2010 and played host to last season’s All-Star game. The brand new stadium offers many of the usual amenities, and hitting it in the summer ensures that you’ll miss some of the brutally chilly Minnesota spring games. If it gets cold at night, all you need to do is head up to the left field roof deck, where you can warm up next to the only bonfire in professional sports, which sounds totally safe…right?

While it hasn’t always been easy on the field for the Marlins, their new ballpark is one of baseball’s most spectacular. In addition to the absolutely astonishing Technicolor home run sculpture in center field, the park has a night club/swimming pool, bobblehead museum, and aquarium all built into it. Between that and every Giancarlo Stanton at-bat, you’d be hard-pressed not to have an amazing experience in Miami’s new park. And don’t worry about the heat and rain characteristic of Florida summers; the stadium has a retractable roof that works great when they remember to turn it on.