Joe Mock| Special to USA TODAY Sports
“Life is an adventure, it’s not a package tour.” – German philosopher Eckhart Tolle
If you enjoy going on “package tours” of historic mansions, foreign cities or fascinating museums, why not take a tour at a Major League Baseball stadium? We won’t tell Tolle, but let’s consider such a guided tour our own little “adventure.”
While it varies by venue, such tours typically lead you through the clubhouse, press box, workout facilities, batting cages under the stands, a dugout … and some will even allow you to walk onto the playing field. If the team has its own museum, those are likely to be included. The Atlanta Braves, for instance, include a curated look at their exceptional Monument Garden at Truist Park when you take one of their tours.
When planning a tour of a Major League ballpark, keep several things in mind:
Pro Tip No. 1: For the most behind-the-scenes experiences, go when the team doesn’t have a home game.
You will often see notices listing features you won’t be able to see when there is a game that day. So even though you are likely to pay the same whether such access is permitted or denied, you’ll get more for your money when the team is on the road, or has an off-day during a homestand.
Pro Tip No. 2 Hurry to visit an older ballpark. You might not get another chance.
Derrick Sloboda of Fort Wayne, Indiana considers himself quite fortunate that he took a tour at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park before it was demolished. The Giants had already moved closer to downtown at what is now called Oracle Park, and the 49ers were about to move south to Santa Clara, so Candlestick was in its final weeks.
“The guide extended the tour by an hour because so many people were saying ‘good bye,’ (so) we had half hour on the field, which was great,” recalls Sloboda.
Keep in mind that the main purpose of taking a guided tour is to create memories, and once that venue is gone, those memories will be even more special to you.
Pro Tip No. 3: Try to overlook the high prices
Typically the money you pay for the tour goes to a charity or “foundation” operated by the team, or one that’s meaningful to the ownership. The prices can be pretty high (VIP Tours at some parks top $500), but you’ll get to visit parts of the facility that fans rarely get to see.
So rather than focusing on what it costs, think about the charity your purchase is supporting. And appreciate that you and your family are getting to experience the places where your favorite players do their work.
It’s hard to put a price tag on that.
Join us now for our ranking of the five MLB parks with the best tours (OK, I’m cheating by including six!), based partially on the experiences of visitors to my BaseballParks.com site.
1. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
While other teams might offer you one or two options of tours, the Dodgers provide 11! These range from the standard walking stadium tour ($30, and kids and seniors are $25), to the pregame tour of landmarks within the ballpark ($45), to the "Take the Field Tour" where you can play catch in the outfield ($175, only on non-game days – bring your glove!) all the way to the $500 VIP Tour that includes getting to greet the players as they take batting practice.
Most of these experiences include a tour of the Vin Scully Press Box, which is Holy Ground to me, because it’s where I actually got to meet Vin about a dozen years ago!
While on a trip to visit relatives in California, Dutch citizen Chris Kabout thoroughly enjoyed his visit to Chavez Ravine. “The tour showed you the press boxes, old locker rooms, showcases with trophies, gold gloves, retired jerseys, the dugout and you were allowed to walk on the dirt,” he recalls.
The Netherlands resident added that the tour’s guide kept things lively by asking the group trivia questions about the Dodgers. And considering the team dates back to 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays, there is a lot of trivia to discuss!
2. Citi Field, New YorkMets
As befits Citi Field’s reputation as a fun place to attend a game, tours of the Mets’ home have a decidedly upbeat and enjoyable atmosphere, complete with a sit-down history lesson in the room where post-game press conferences are held.
Like the Dodgers, the Mets offer multiple tour options – with varying prices. The public tour costs $25 ($20 for kids 12 and under) and will take you to the private suites, two of the season-ticket-holder restaurants, the press box and down on the field.
On days with a home night game, the "Grand Slam Tour" is available for $70, and that’s over and above the cost of your game ticket. This also permits early entry into the park to watch batting practice. If you want to get closer to the players around the batting cage, there’s the $250 All-Star Tour.
They also offer private tours, with the cost depends on how many are in your group. For instance, if you put together a group of ten, the cost is $62.50 per person.
3. Wrigley Field, ChicagoCubs
When Wrigley was being designed 110 years ago, they didn’t make it easy to get from one spot under the stands to another. But that just makes the guided tours of the Friendly Confines all the more interesting.
The charge of $30 is reasonable compared to other parks, and whether it’s a gameday or not, you’ll get to check out the famous bleachers and go down on the field. If the Cubbies aren’t home that day, you’ll also get to go in the visiting clubhouse plus one of the dugouts … and you’ll get up close and personal with the iconic ivy growing on the outfield wall.
4. Yankee Stadium, New York
If you go on a tour here, you won’t be visiting the exact spot where Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig played – or Bernie Williams for that matter – because this version of Yankee Stadium opened in 2009. But you will be able to visit the monuments to Babe and Lou in Monument Park in center field as part of the $35 Classic Tour. It also includes the New York Yankees museum. There’s even a version of the tour that includes lunch at the Hard Rock Café that’s built into the ballpark.
One number you’ll see and hear often during any tour here:27. That’s the number of World Series titles captured by the Bronx Bombers. They won’t let you forget it!
5 (tie). Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals & Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals
While one is a fairly new facility (Busch Stadium, 2006) and one is kind of not-so-new (Kauffman Stadium, 1973), they have more in common than the state of Missouri. Both the Cards and Royals operate exceptional museums that are worthy of your time, and their tour guides are among the nicest and friendliest in the sport.
The Royals have been operating tours for decades, and they have the process down pat. They offer three versions, and you can’t beat the prices: the Classic Tour costs $15; the All-Star tour is $25 (includes the team Hall of Fame); and the MVP Tour costs $35 (includes the broadcast facilities and the dugout suites). Don’t forget to visit KC’s excellent Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, just six miles west of Kauffman.
Across the state in St. Louis, the Cards offer two tours. The 360 Tour is a quick walk around the park and the dugout, showing you the view from various vantage points. It costs $12. The Classic Tour is $22 and includes a visit to the broadcast booths and admission to the Cardinals museum across the street.
Come to think of it, plan an adventure to Missouri so you can visit both Kauffman and Busch. The “package tours” sure are affordable, and you won’t get in trouble with a German philosopher!
About Joe Mock: Joe has examined all 30 Major League parks, all 23 spring training parks and all 119 affiliated Minor League parks – plus plenty of indy league and college facilities. He covers sports facilities for USA TODAY publications and he’s operated BaseballParks.com since 1997. There he’s posted nearly 100 in-depth reviews of pro parks that have opened in the last quarter century. His ballpark expertise has landed him appearances on the Travel Channel and History Channel. You can follow his ballpark escapades on X @baseballparks.
