As “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” a visit to Fenway Park is a must-do for baseball fans while in Boston. We’ve put together these tips to help you get the most out of a day at Fenway:
Check the seating options
Fenway Park is the oldest Major League ballpark in the country (est. 1912) so you’ll find that the seats are smaller and the setup of some sections is a bit different than most parks that are more modern. The most problematic seating area is the Outfield Grandstand (sections 5-8), because this area faces away from home plate.
This may not sound all that bad, but the reality is if you sit in these seats you’re going to have to turn your head towards home plate to really be able to see the game, and after doing so for a couple of hours it can make your neck sore. If you’re in town and you want to go to a game and that’s all that’s available, or if you’re on a tight budget and this section just happens to be what works, I would still go for it, but do so knowing that the seats face away from the action so you’re not disappointed when you arrive.
Some other considerations when you’re buying tickets for a game at Fenway are that there is an area in the Outfield Grandstand (sections 32 and 33) that are alcohol-free– this is probably great for people with kids who aren’t much into drinking, but if you want to have a beer at the game make sure you’re not buying these seats.
Outside of these areas, most seats in Fenway offer a great view of the game. You may want to look out for standing room only areas and check for the basic things like obstructed views as you would anytime you’re purchasing tickets for an event, but since Fenway is such a small park you’ll have a nice view from nearly every other seat.
Arrive early
We always try to arrive early for games at Fenway for a couple of reasons. It makes taking the T a little bit less hectic (more on that later), and it allows you to take in the whole atmosphere of attending a game at Fenway. Getting there early will allow you to spend time browsing the Red Sox Team Store and take a look at all of the food vendors around the park. If you want to spend some time having a full table service meal or at one of the bars around the park you’ll want to get there earlier for that as well. If you arrive about two hours early you’ll also be able to see the batting practice and this time can be your best bet for scoring autographs from the players.
Learn about the park’s history
As the “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” (and the oldest park) there is plenty of history that you can see while visiting the park. You can see the park’s oldest ticket booths by the Jersey Street (formerly Yawkey Way) entrance, and there are artifacts and exhibit cases from various times throughout the park’s history all around the concourses.
If you’re looking for a more detailed dive into the park’s history you can take also take a tour of the park. Tours of the park are offered year-round, so if you are visiting Boston outside of baseball season this is the best way to see the park.
Take the T
Taking the T is the only way we go to Fenway. You can park in a garage (for upwards of $50) or try your luck finding a spot along a nearby street, but I think this is more of a hassle and expense than it’s worth. I know the T isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re not used to taking public transportation, but it’s so much easier and only costs a couple of dollars to take the T right over and not have to worry about traffic, parking, or spending more than the cost of your ticket just to park the car.
To take the T to Fenway you’ll want to take the Green Line to the Kenmore station. The Green Line has different trains that run on it, and you can take any of them except for the E train. Once you get to Kenmore walking to Fenway only takes a couple of minutes and you’ll know exactly where to go as there will be signs all around the station and you’ll probably be able to tell just by the way the crowd is going.
If you’re not a fan of public transportation, or you’re new to Boston and want to be on the safe side the first time you take the Green Line I would leave extra early. About one or two hours before the game is when the trains are going to be the most crowded, so if that sounds overwhelming leaving earlier can help. (Conversely if you’re used to taking public transportation during rush hour to commute to work you should be fine.) Assuming you stay for the whole game, taking your time leaving can also help avoid some of the crowds before you hop back on the train with everyone else.
Eat classic game day snacks
There are so many different vendors in and around Fenway so I would really try to be selective in what you’re eating to get things that are some of the more interesting snacks. There are vendors all along Jersey Street where you can find everything from Italian sausages to lobster rolls and fried clams, and a lot more.
Inside the park you’ll obviously have Fenway Franks and standard ballpark snacks like pretzels and popcorn, but you’ll also have a wide variety of options that change seasonally (like lobster nachos and lobster poutine!) I would definitely arrive early so you have a chance to walk around and see all of your options before the game starts so you don’t waste time trying to figure out what to eat during the game.
Have you been to a game at Fenway before? Let us know what your favorite part of catching a game is in the comments!
