fenway park guide
Fenway Park held its first game in 1912, and since the selling of Babe Ruth it has been home to a lot of losing baseball. Alright, calm down Sox fans; I am just joking. The Sox had a nice run in the early 2000's and broke the curse. Because of this, tickets were once almost impossible to buy first hand from the team. More recently, demand has cooled down which makes finding cheap tickets to a Red Sox game much more doable.
fenway parking
Hold your laughter. If you live in Boston you definitely know, and if you are planning a trip there you have probably heard; Parking is scarce. Most people will tell you that riding the "T" is your best bet, and they may be right. I still want to cover a couple of places where you can park if you are going to drive. First of all, If you are going to park at an affordable lot you will probably have to walk about 15 minutes.
For me that is no big deal. In fact, the Red Sox have a partnership with 100 Clarendon Garage which provides 2,000 parking spots for $10 each. For Boston, $10 is like free. If you park at some of the "lots" close to Fenway Park, you can pay on the upwards of $50 - $60 bucks. So for $10 you can park at the official Red Sox garage and be a 15 minute walk to Fenway Park. You do have to present your game ticket at the garage for validation, and must be paid at the Clarendon or Dartmouth lobby. More info on Clarendon parking here. Possibly even a better, affordable option is at the Prudential center which costs about $16 for a game. Information here. This is a considerably shorter walk for only $6 more. People also rave about the security of this lot.
The Ruggles Shuttle, formerly mentioned on this page has been discontinued "until further notice" according to the Sawx website. Public transport is the most common way to get to Fenway. If you must drive, you do have the ability to reserve a parking spot ahead of time. Park Whiz lets you do just that, and can provide some peace of mind if you don't feel like driving around in search of the best place to park. Here are the upcoming games with reserved parking available:
For me that is no big deal. In fact, the Red Sox have a partnership with 100 Clarendon Garage which provides 2,000 parking spots for $10 each. For Boston, $10 is like free. If you park at some of the "lots" close to Fenway Park, you can pay on the upwards of $50 - $60 bucks. So for $10 you can park at the official Red Sox garage and be a 15 minute walk to Fenway Park. You do have to present your game ticket at the garage for validation, and must be paid at the Clarendon or Dartmouth lobby. More info on Clarendon parking here. Possibly even a better, affordable option is at the Prudential center which costs about $16 for a game. Information here. This is a considerably shorter walk for only $6 more. People also rave about the security of this lot.
The Ruggles Shuttle, formerly mentioned on this page has been discontinued "until further notice" according to the Sawx website. Public transport is the most common way to get to Fenway. If you must drive, you do have the ability to reserve a parking spot ahead of time. Park Whiz lets you do just that, and can provide some peace of mind if you don't feel like driving around in search of the best place to park. Here are the upcoming games with reserved parking available:
Taking the T is a well known and widely recommended method for getting to Fenway Park. To get to Fenway, you need to take the green line to the Kenmore stop. Taking the T will cost you a couple of bucks each way, so if you have easy access to a station from where you are staying, most Red Sox fans would agree that it is the most efficient way to get to Fenway. I had my own personal experience with doing a "park and ride" in Boston, where you park at the subway station and then take the train to the game. I have written a thorough post about this, and it is a very affordable and easy way to go.
Check out my guide to parking and riding to Fenway for a dummy like me.
Check out my guide to parking and riding to Fenway for a dummy like me.
sox tickets
For all that it is, Fenway is not that big. The capacity is among the lowest in all of baseball, at below 40,000. Therefore Red Sox tickets are usually hard to come by. This is especially true if they are having a good season, or playing a premier opponent like the hated Yankees. Finding good ticket value is relative, so you can always find good values - some times they are just better than others. Read on and we'll discuss a way to always get tickets below face value.
A great place to buy tickets is from Score Big. Let's face it, most ticket broker sites are the same but this one is actually different. It is kind of like the Priceline of sports tickets. Essentially you can search events in your area, and make an offer on tickets and get an instant answer on whether your bid is accepted.
Here are a couple of screenshots of how it works. You can select a quantity, and then it gives you different tiers. It gives you an approximate discount percentage, and shows on the seat map which sections your tickets could possibly be in.
Next you enter in a price, again it gives you an idea how how likely that is to be accepted. I made the comparison to Priceline, and it is true, you have to put in payment details prior to making an official offer. But if you are going to the game, what a great way to save money on tickets!
Click below to see discounts on the date you are interested in:
A great place to buy tickets is from Score Big. Let's face it, most ticket broker sites are the same but this one is actually different. It is kind of like the Priceline of sports tickets. Essentially you can search events in your area, and make an offer on tickets and get an instant answer on whether your bid is accepted.
Here are a couple of screenshots of how it works. You can select a quantity, and then it gives you different tiers. It gives you an approximate discount percentage, and shows on the seat map which sections your tickets could possibly be in.
Next you enter in a price, again it gives you an idea how how likely that is to be accepted. I made the comparison to Priceline, and it is true, you have to put in payment details prior to making an official offer. But if you are going to the game, what a great way to save money on tickets!
Click below to see discounts on the date you are interested in:
More About Tickets...
Tickets to Opening Day, Yankees games, and any other marquee match-ups are difficult to find. A couple of years ago, any tickets were difficult to find. As of now, you should be able to buy tickets directly from the Red Sox for most games, without paying second hand mark-up. The great news is every January the Red Sox have lottery for tickets to Opening Day, The Green Monster, and the Right Field Pavilion. Because these tickets are obviously the most sought after, they do a drawing out of fairness. So even if you aren't from the Boston area, this is a great opportunity to get tough tickets at face value. If you can't go, trust me; you will be able to sell them for a profit.
If you aren't lucky enough to win the "lottery," you are probably going to end up buying tickets second hand for high demand games. If you are trying to go to Fenway Park on the cheap, you need to keep that in perspective; its going to be tough. You can however, have a great baseball experience without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars.
First of all, The Red Sox usually offer General Admission, AKA Standing Room Only tickets. I will tell you right now that not all "SRO" tickets are created equal. If you just buy the standard SRO tickets, you are wasting your money. Because of the large number that are sold, you can end up standing in a line of people on the lower level, with not much room to maneuver. You are much better off buying SRO tickets on the Pavilion level; and there is a difference. I bought Standing Room tickets on Stubhub in the Right Field Pavilion for $60 each, which was a little more than double face value. In 2008, that was a fair price; but now you should be able to buy these for $25 - $30. The great thing is, there are only about 12 rows of seats on this level, so the bathrooms and concessions are much easier to get to. There also seems to be considerably less pavilion tickets available, because there weren't many people crowded around us, which was nice. Finally, you have the benefit of leaning against a stand up bar where you can set your food and drinks. It was a great view of the action, and a great experience. Standing isn't bad when you can lean on something.
Another newer area where standing room only at Fenway Park is bearable is the Budweiser Roof Deck in right field. This is a newer spot at Fenway Park, and again has a limited number of SRO tickets available and a stand up bar to lean on. You also have some room to maneuver around, and it is just a cool spot. These tickets face for $30, so you can find them when the area isn't used for private parties.
If you are looking to go to a game last minute, check out Stubhub. They let you print your MLB tickets at home, so you can buy late and save a good amount of money. As a seller on Stubhub, you are encouraged to set a declining price so your tickets get cheaper closer to the event, working their way down toward your minimum. This means at 4:00 on most game days, you can find some below face value deals.
If you aren't lucky enough to win the "lottery," you are probably going to end up buying tickets second hand for high demand games. If you are trying to go to Fenway Park on the cheap, you need to keep that in perspective; its going to be tough. You can however, have a great baseball experience without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars.
First of all, The Red Sox usually offer General Admission, AKA Standing Room Only tickets. I will tell you right now that not all "SRO" tickets are created equal. If you just buy the standard SRO tickets, you are wasting your money. Because of the large number that are sold, you can end up standing in a line of people on the lower level, with not much room to maneuver. You are much better off buying SRO tickets on the Pavilion level; and there is a difference. I bought Standing Room tickets on Stubhub in the Right Field Pavilion for $60 each, which was a little more than double face value. In 2008, that was a fair price; but now you should be able to buy these for $25 - $30. The great thing is, there are only about 12 rows of seats on this level, so the bathrooms and concessions are much easier to get to. There also seems to be considerably less pavilion tickets available, because there weren't many people crowded around us, which was nice. Finally, you have the benefit of leaning against a stand up bar where you can set your food and drinks. It was a great view of the action, and a great experience. Standing isn't bad when you can lean on something.
Another newer area where standing room only at Fenway Park is bearable is the Budweiser Roof Deck in right field. This is a newer spot at Fenway Park, and again has a limited number of SRO tickets available and a stand up bar to lean on. You also have some room to maneuver around, and it is just a cool spot. These tickets face for $30, so you can find them when the area isn't used for private parties.
If you are looking to go to a game last minute, check out Stubhub. They let you print your MLB tickets at home, so you can buy late and save a good amount of money. As a seller on Stubhub, you are encouraged to set a declining price so your tickets get cheaper closer to the event, working their way down toward your minimum. This means at 4:00 on most game days, you can find some below face value deals.
What a view! courtesy of Boston Globe
A couple of other things to mention about the seats at Fenway Park; not every seat is a good one. That is one negative to historic stadiums, is you really are not assured good sight lines. Most Sox fans already know this, but if you are a first timer be sure your seats are not obstructed view. There are seats at Fenway where obstructed view is an understatement, but in a character way, its kinda cool. Most of these seats are in the grandstand, which is the lower level where steel beams abound.
The second thing you might want to check before buying your seats; are they made of wood? The grandstand is also infamous for the navy blue wooden seats that have been in place since 1933. I am about 6'1 240, which is bigger than average - but not huge. I could not sit back in the wooden seats at all. So they are extremely narrow and have virtually no leg room, you are now warned. In fact, our tour guide said that one reason they are hesitant to replace the old seats with a newer stadium seat, is that Fenway Park would lose about 4,000 seats. That is incredible. All Grandstand seats, which is sections GS1 - GS33 are made up of the small wooden seats. I guess if you are skinny it might add to the historical feel of your experience; just hope you aren't next to a big dude. In all seriousness, if you are overweight and going to Fenway for the first time - you should buy the pavilion standing room tickets or call and ask about the handicap seating which doesn't have the tight arm rests. Anywhere else you will probably be miserable.
If you want way too much detail on your particular seat at Fenway, check out Kurt's blog post about "Precise Seating".
The second thing you might want to check before buying your seats; are they made of wood? The grandstand is also infamous for the navy blue wooden seats that have been in place since 1933. I am about 6'1 240, which is bigger than average - but not huge. I could not sit back in the wooden seats at all. So they are extremely narrow and have virtually no leg room, you are now warned. In fact, our tour guide said that one reason they are hesitant to replace the old seats with a newer stadium seat, is that Fenway Park would lose about 4,000 seats. That is incredible. All Grandstand seats, which is sections GS1 - GS33 are made up of the small wooden seats. I guess if you are skinny it might add to the historical feel of your experience; just hope you aren't next to a big dude. In all seriousness, if you are overweight and going to Fenway for the first time - you should buy the pavilion standing room tickets or call and ask about the handicap seating which doesn't have the tight arm rests. Anywhere else you will probably be miserable.
If you want way too much detail on your particular seat at Fenway, check out Kurt's blog post about "Precise Seating".
Perhaps the old wooden seats are a little too tight for you. If so, you might find it better to wear them on your wrists. If you are a die hard fan, or perhaps know one, let me tell you about the gift idea on the left. Uncommon Goods sells cufflink sets made out of historic ballpark seats. In this case, you can buy cufflinks made out of the old Fenway Park seats.
Pretty cool - click here to check out the Fenway Park cufflinks
Pretty cool - click here to check out the Fenway Park cufflinks
food at fenway
Many ballparks give you the opportunity to bring your own food or snacks into the stadium to save money - unfortunately that is "technically" not the case at Fenway. The rules state you can bring sealed bottles of water 16 ounces or smaller. However, I heard from a fan that is a season ticket holder, and been to hundreds of games and he said he takes food in virtually every time without an issue. This isn't something he hides in a coat either, he said they just allow you to carry food in. That is great news!
So if you are going to eat a Fenway Frank, you can still save $4 by bringing a bottle of water from the house. You are allowed to bring 2 bottles of water per ticket holder, and there are plenty of people selling them outside for $1 a piece. Another option that I consistently recommend is restaurant.com. Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Fenway Park (02215) to see what restaurants are nearby.
If you are looking for somewhere quick and cheap to eat near Fenway, check out El Pelon Taqueria. This link is to Yelp, where you can see people rave about it, and I tried the fish tacos which were quite tasty. It has a little kick to it but the cucumbers help balance that out. I put a photo below with my Mexican Coke - all for under $10.
Another value option in the park, is that the souvenir soda is refillable. Granted it cost $7.50 upfront, but this size soda is probably about $6 at other ballparks with no refills. I would recommend getting one large pop and sharing with the kids or the wife and then going back and getting a refill. You feel better about that $7.50 if you get 3 drinks over the course of the game. If you want to be unethical, I would imagine that you could hang onto that cup and take it back with you the next time you go to a game and go straight for the free refill. I haven't tested this, and honestly would feel a little bad doing it, but I assume they use the same cups all season.
So if you are going to eat a Fenway Frank, you can still save $4 by bringing a bottle of water from the house. You are allowed to bring 2 bottles of water per ticket holder, and there are plenty of people selling them outside for $1 a piece. Another option that I consistently recommend is restaurant.com. Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Fenway Park (02215) to see what restaurants are nearby.
If you are looking for somewhere quick and cheap to eat near Fenway, check out El Pelon Taqueria. This link is to Yelp, where you can see people rave about it, and I tried the fish tacos which were quite tasty. It has a little kick to it but the cucumbers help balance that out. I put a photo below with my Mexican Coke - all for under $10.
Another value option in the park, is that the souvenir soda is refillable. Granted it cost $7.50 upfront, but this size soda is probably about $6 at other ballparks with no refills. I would recommend getting one large pop and sharing with the kids or the wife and then going back and getting a refill. You feel better about that $7.50 if you get 3 drinks over the course of the game. If you want to be unethical, I would imagine that you could hang onto that cup and take it back with you the next time you go to a game and go straight for the free refill. I haven't tested this, and honestly would feel a little bad doing it, but I assume they use the same cups all season.
lodging near fenway park
B&B in the shadows of Fenway Park
If you are coming to Boston and plan on staying the night, believe it or not it can be costly. When I went to Boston in 2008 for one night, I made the great decision to stay at a Bed & Breakfast about a half a mile from Fenway Park. We paid an extra $15 per day for an off street parking spot, but it was completely worth it. We were parked almost directly under the Citgo sign. We found it very convenient because we could just walk to the park, and we didn't have to mess with public transport or parking. If you are coming from out of town, this may be a great option for you. Here is a link to the place we stayed. It was also pretty cool to stay in a unique historical building, and really get a different experience. The hosts were full of good conversation and recommendations as well. I think we paid $150 per night, which included breakfast and the extra $15 for a private parking spot. Thats a pretty good deal if the main focus of your trip is going to Fenway Park.
In my most recent trip to Boston, I stayed in nearby Concord at the Colonial Inn. I loved this place and it is perfect if you want to take a weekend trip to Boston and go to a game and see some historical stuff as well. The hotel was just over $100 per night and had free parking for guests. This is where I was stationed when I decided to do park and ride to the game. It worked out really well, and this place is super simple to find coming from Boston. This hotel is also walking distance to the "shot heard round the world" historic site. There are a number of other historical sites in Cocord and Lexington, so you could easily spend a full day out there as well. With the money you would save staying outside of town, this was a super value in my opinion
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free stuff at fenway park
- Looking for autographs at Fenway? Autograph Alley hosts a former Boston Red Sox player, coach, or personality before each home game to sign autographs free of charge. You can find Autograph Alley in the Yawkey Way Team Store. More information on this and other cool Fenway tips here.
- Aaaand that's about it.