Busch Stadium is a 45,000-seat outdoor sporting venue in downtown St. Louis, MO. The home of the St. Louis Cardinals, it is one of the city's most visited venues, drawing crowds of roughly 3.5 million people each year.
Busch Stadium Parking
Large parking lots are situated adjacent to the stadium (at 700 Clark, across from the Stan Musial statue) and at Ballpark Village. Numerous garages are located nearby also, with the Stadium West garage being the closest (a block away). Parking costs $20 or more at the prime garages/lots and $10-$15 at the many smaller outlying lots, which can be found 2-5 blocks away in most directions.
Hotels Near Busch Stadium
The Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark sits across the street from the stadium and frequently features special rates on their website for guests with Cardinals tickets. Other reasonably-priced options within a mile of the stadium include Drury Plaza, the Hyatt Regency, and the Omni Majestic. For a more luxurious experience, check out the Millennium.
Seating at Busch Stadium
Bad views are nonexistent at Busch, even in the nosebleeds. The view from the cheap seats -– the center field bleachers –- is terrific. Club level seats -– the "green seats" -– are closest to the action and include in-seat food and beverage service (for $200 or so, minimum). The US Cellular Family Pavilion is ideal for families with kids and features a slew of baseball-related games and activities for youths.
Food at Busch Stadium
In addition to standard baseball fare (peanuts, cracker jacks, hot dogs, etc.) Busch Stadium serves culinary delights including a bacon bar, waffle sandwiches, deserts topped with fried Oreos, kosher dogs, and even a gluten-free zone. The Extreme Bacon Sandwich at the All About the Bacon cart on the Main Concourse and the Turkey Club Sandwich from The Carvery (behind gate 2) are unbeatable.
Beer at Busch Stadium
Anheuser-Busch products are most prevalent here. Prices are roughly $9 for a 20-ounce draft and closer to $8 for a 16-ounce bottle. There are no shortage of beer stands and vendors; lines move quickly and anything longer than a 10-minute wait is rare. If you prefer craft beers, head towards section 135, where you'll find a bar with a 20-draft selection of local crafts and imports.
Parking Alternatives at Busch Stadium
The Metrolink train stops directly outside of the stadium, and a round-trip ticket for adults costs only about $5. Many bars in both downtown St. Louis and Soulard offer shuttle service to and from the games for around $5 as well. Most hotels in the city offer their guests complimentary shuttle service to the stadium.
What to Bring to Busch Stadium
St. Louis is brutally hot in August and September, so don't forget to bring sunscreen.
If you're not too keen about paying inflated ballpark prices for snacks, you're in luck: Visitors are allowed to bring their own food and drink into all 81 Cardinal home games. Outside alcohol is not allowed.
Insider Tip for Visitors to Busch Stadium
At 9:00 a.m. on game days, fans can purchase up to two ticket vouchers for just over $11 apiece at the 8th Street ticket window. Pick up your ticket 15 minutes prior to the game and find out where it is: you could be holding Club Level tickets, Standing Room Only tickets, or anything in between. Only 550 of these lottery-style tickets are available, so line up early (8:00 a.m. or earlier).
Author's Bio: Marcus Whelchel lives, works, and writes in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife, daughter, and an endless stream of odd thoughts. Like the rest of St. Louis, he is Cardinal-crazy. Unlike most of St. Louis, he is also just crazy.