MLB
Stadium Guide
·
St. Petersburg, Florida
Opened
March 3, 1990
Capacity of
42,735
Best way there
PSTA to 1st Ave S & 16th St
10-minute walk to the gates.
Tickets
Mobile, in the MLB Ballpark app
Arrive by
Gates open 90 min early
Two hours early on weekends.
Bag policy
16" × 16" × 8" max, no backpacks
Soft-sided bags only.
Food & water
Yes: outside food and one sealed water
Water up to 1 liter. Kids' juice boxes are OK too.
Parking
$10–$20
Official Tropicana Field lots.
Nearest airport
Tampa (TPA) · 5 mi
About 12 min by car.
Best value seats
Upper box sections 301–320
Mid-infield.
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is one of the most distinctive stadiums in baseball. It opened in 1990 as the first domed stadium in the Southeast and has been home to the Tampa Bay Rays since 1998. It holds just over 42,700 fans under a fixed dome with a notorious catwalks system that has produced some of the game's more unusual plays over the years. The Rays have consistently fielded competitive teams in a stadium that owners and some fans have long hoped to replace.
Tropicana Field sits in downtown St. Petersburg — across the bay from Tampa, about 25 miles from the airport — in a large surface parking area. Getting there from Tampa typically means crossing one of the bay bridges. St. Pete's downtown has grown into one of the more vibrant small cities in Florida, with a strong restaurant and bar scene along Central Avenue that makes pregame enjoyable. Plans for a new ballpark in St. Pete are progressing, but for now, the Trop remains the venue.
TPA is 5 miles from Tropicana Field, one of the closest airports to any MLB ballpark. Rideshare runs $12–20 and is the quickest option. There's no direct transit. The Rays plan a new waterfront stadium in St. Pete, but Tropicana Field is home for now.
ADA spaces are in the official lots. Accessible drop-off is near the main entrance. Accessibility services: (727) 825-3137 or raysbaseball.com/accessibility.
Plenty of on-site lots. Pre-purchase online for the best rates. Street parking and garages are also within walking distance downtown.
Tailgating happens in the surrounding lots. For a seat instead, Central Ave and Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg have strong pre-game bars and restaurants.
PSTA buses stop within walking distance of Tropicana Field. The SunRunner BRT runs along Central Ave. Most fans drive or take rideshare. Check psta.net for routes and game-day service.
Walkable from the Beach Drive waterfront, Central Ave restaurants and downtown hotels.
Bike parking near the stadium. Downtown St. Petersburg is flat and has a growing bike lane network.
One factory-sealed water bottle up to one liter, plus kids' single-serving juice boxes.
Outside food is allowed in soft-sided containers smaller than 16"x16"x8”.
Soft-sided bags smaller than 16"x16"x8” only. No backpacks.
The dome is fully enclosed, so every seat is indoors. Lower box behind home plate has the closest view and clean sightlines. The Rays dugout is on the first base side.
A solid elevated view of the full field at a low price. The Rays offer some of the most affordable tickets in baseball. Comfort is the same at every level.
Skip the upper level corners for distance and angle. The Trop's four catwalks are a quirk: balls that hit the lower two are in play. They can also partly block sightlines from nearby upper level sections.
One of two fully enclosed domes in MLB (with Rogers Centre), so sun and shade don't matter. That helps with Florida heat and the near-daily June through September thunderstorms.
Hot, humid summers and near-daily thunderstorms don't affect the game. It's air-conditioned inside whether it's 95°F and storming or a perfect spring day.
Section 125, Porch - Just a couple of grilled cheeses. The Short Rib Grilled Cheese is a fan favorite.
Center Field - Sit-down restaurant and bar, open 3 hours before first pitch. Has a virtual batting cage, social media wall, darts and shuffleboard, plus access to Ballpark & Rec.
Porch - Indoor/outdoor bar with PAC-MAN, skeeball, ping pong and Cornhole.
A 35-foot tank of cownose rays sits beyond the right-center field wall. Fans can touch the rays during pregame — one of the most unique features in all of baseball.
The Rays Touch Tank (behind the right-center field wall) holds 10,000 gallons and 30+ live cownose rays that kids can touch free after a brief safety talk. Arrive early. It closes about two hours after first pitch. The Rays Baseball Carnival on Right Field Street has Tip-a-Jug and Ring Toss. The Rookie Challenge area has a batting cage against video pitchers and a speed-pitch. Raymond's Art Studio and Raymond's Living Room are also kid areas.
The dome is fully climate-controlled. Tampa Bay Times Family Fun Day runs every Sunday home game with activities and a postgame base run. Tickets bundle a hot dog, Pepsi and snack. Rays Rookies Kids Club gives a welcome kit, ticket discounts and a free game ticket.
Nursing: Private nursing/pumping room behind home plate at the Orlando Health Fan Care Clinic. Keypad code 33705, sanitized after each use.
Changing tables: Accessible and all-gender restrooms on every level. Most on the 100 Level (Sections 102–104, 114–116, 121–123) and 300 Level (Sections 309–312).
Strollers: Allowed, stored under your seat. If it doesn't fit, check it at Guest Services (Gates 1 or 3, or the 3rd base food hall under the escalator).
Sensory/quiet space: Sensory Room on the suite level, designed with USF's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. Sensory Bags at all Guest Services.
Tip: Tag-a-Kid wristbands (Gate 3 Guest Services) print your section/row/seat for kids who wander.
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