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Oriole Park at Camden Yards itinerary by Wise Guides

Camden Yards remains one of the best spots in the Majors to catch a game, and tickets are much easier to come by now. The park is situated downtown a short walk from Baltimore's Inner Harbor and other attractions such as the National Aquarium. It's fantastic but maybe better left for a non-baseball day. ... After you've explored the Inner Harbor (touristy but worth a look), hit The Wharf Rat for one of their micro-brews made on site. But don't stay too long ... because you want to leave time to hit Babe Ruth's Birthplace and Museum nearby. It's a must for any baseball enthusiast and doesn't take long to get through. ... Before heading into the game check out the statute of the Babe on Eutaw Street outside the park, and stroll the busy plaza. ... Once inside, walk around and enjoy what was the original retro park (besides the actual retro parks, of course, most long gone). There have been many imitators since but none that have matched it. ... Be in your seat for the National Anthem and get ready to join fans in bellowing “OH!” during the last stanza. And sing along to John Denver's “Country Boy” during the 7th-inning stretch. Don't ask why, just do it. ... You can get a crab cake at Camden Yards but locals know better. There are too many places on the outside where they'll be much better, so don't bother. Instead, head towards the billowing smoke beyond right-center field and Boog's Barbeque. Have a barbequed pork or beef sandwich, and look for ex-Oriole great Boog Powell hanging around the stand. ... Goes good with a craft beer from the local Clipper City brewery. ... After the game, many fans head over to the Harborplace complex of shops and restaurants and the Power Plant, which is home to the Hard Rock Café and ESPN Zone. Better yet, walk over to the Federal Hill neighborhood and start at Mother's, a local favorite, before moving on to other watering holes. The Ropewalk Tavern is a historic place that opened in 1788 and is worth a visit. ... For dinner, grab a cab and take a short ride to Amicci's in Little Italy, where the food is terrific.

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Baltimore Orioles - User Comments Add your own

Stay close to the stadium -- 2008-08-05

Parking in Baltimore kind of a pain. There are big lots for stadium parking, but you have to walk a while to get to the game. If you're going to Baltimore to see a game, there are a couple hotels right next to the stadium and some that are only a couple blocks away. The Hampton Inn Camden Yards in next to the park, and so it the Mariott at Camden Yards. This site lists the closest hotels, and has info on how to take a tour of the stadium. http://www.baydreaming.com/baltimoreorioles.com

Sandy

RED SOX FAN -- 2007-08-10

I AM A RED SOX FAN WHO LIVES NEAR TRENTON NJ. MY FAMILY AND I ALWAYS GO DOWN TO CAMDEN YARDS TO SEE RED SOX GAMES. OUR LAST GAME WE SAT IN CLUB BOX 244 FOR ABOUT $40 A TICKET. FANTASTIC VIEW...FANTASTIC SEATS...FANTASTIC BATHROOMS...FANTASTIC FOOD...AND BIG PAPI HIT A FOUL BALL RIGHT TO US. WE LOVE CAMDEN YARDS...GREAT PARK....GREAT PEOPLE....EASY DRIVE FROM NJ...AND STREET PARKING FOR FREE AFTER 6:00. ALSO, YOU CAN BRING IN ANYTHING EXCEPT BEER....WHAT A WAY TO SAVE MONEY WITH 4 PEOPLE. AND I LOVE THE WAY YOU GUYS HATE THE YANKEES. GARY THOUIN AND FAMILY

GARY THOUIN

First of the Retros and very nice -- 2007-06-25

I first visited Orioles Park at Camden Yards in 2003. I found the ticket prices to be about average, the downtown area is fun to walk around, hang out, find a restaurant in. Both times I attended a game here (2003, 2005) I parked southeast of the stadium on the street curb. It's not metered and it's legal. It is somewhat of a walk, however. But, I don't mind that. In 2005 I went on a stadium tour ($7.00). This is an interesting thing to do. Getting to the main roads (295, 395) can be a bit confusing after a game, so check out a road map. The 2nd time was not a problem like the turn-around we got ourselves into in 2003. The stadium itself in impressive. It's easy to get around in, and the ushers don't hassle folks going from section to section taking photos. I rate Orioles Park an A and highly recommend anyone intersted in baseball/architecture to visit it.

Ronald Theriot

What can be said about this park that hasnt been said. -- 2006-06-28

Even after 14 years, it is still a very nice ballpark. Too bad the O's havent been as good as they have been in the past, but of course, that means that the good seats are more available, which at one time you had to get when tickets first came on sale.

If you live in Pennsylvania (mainly anywhere in the state not connected by I-95, or a road that would lead to I-95, or you want to drive a little bit out of your way), you almost have no choice but drive through the city. However, there is a light rail option for those who dont like driving though the city. Stations are among exits along I-83.

The fans at the games are generally some of the nicest in baseball (Though they do hate their Yankees), and very knowledgeable.

If you are a true baseball fan, you defently have to make at least one trip to Camden Yards.

Scott

The Ballpark -- 2005-06-29

I went down to Baltimore to see the New York Yankees play in April of 2005. I saw two of the three games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The first game I saw was in the bleachers and it was very hot there at 4:05 ET. The seats were not great but you could see everything the field, the players, and the rest of the stadium. It was much better than Yankee Stadium's and Shea Stadium's bleachers because you could rest your back at Camden Yards not like Shea or Yankee Stadium. The next day I sat at the Lower Box down the 1st base line and it was great!! You could see even more than the bleachers could give.

Kevin Carney

Avoid club boxes -- 2003-03-20

My family has season tickets for the Philadelphia Phillies, and we always try to get to Camden Yards when the Phils make their annual visit there. The last time I was able to attend was in 2001, and for the first time, we were able to get seats in a club box. It seemed weird being in a club box to begin with (usually I am opposed to the corporate types that normally occupy them and do everything but watch the game)but the concourse of the club level was very nice and air conditioned on a very hot day. We always get to the park early, so food lines usually aren't a big deal, and they were still reasonable after the game started. This is much different than our home park, the Vet, where if there is a crowd in excess of about 25,000 you can miss a couple innings just standing in line. The food that I have had there is good, with the BBQ's on Eutaw St. and crab cakes being my favorites. The hot dogs are subpar, but I have been spoiled by Phillies Franks my whole life! When we got to our seats down the left field line, we noticed something strange: The seats were angled towards center field, and not home plate. It was uncomfortable as you had to twist and turn just to see each pitch. It was especially uncomfortable for my wife, who was four months pregnant at the time. It kind of put a damper on things, but a Phillies rally to win the game in the 9th inning overshadowed that. Apparently, we were not the only people who took the trip down 95 that day who had a problem with that. In a 2002 forum for season ticket holders concerning the new stadium scheduled to open in 2004, it was mentioned that all the seats there will face home plate.

Jack Redfern

Pricey -- 2002-10-27

OK, it's a terrific ballpark to wander around but I believe I paid about $15 to sit in the LF bleachers a few years back. Complete ripoff but what do you expect from thse retro ballparks with reduced capacity. Next time I'll go with RF.

The are around the park comes alive and being close to the Inner Harbor is great. Even so I found the park itself no where near as good as critics say it is. Honestly, I had a better "ballpark" experience at "retro" '70s' parks like in KC or Oakland at a third of the cost.

Brian M.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, An Overview -- 2002-08-21

Unless you live in Baltimore or am familiar with the area, I recommend taking the MTA Light Rail or the buses (I read that in 9 months a wheel fell off a [different] bus 17 times in 2002). All have stops just outside the stadium. Light Railers can get off at the Convention Center or Camden Yards stop. If you want to see the little monument park (or the ticket window) take the Convention Center stop. During night games or 1:05 starts, the Eutaw Street gates open 2 hours before the game and 30 minutes before the other gates. Wait above the out-of-town scoreboard, right center field, or the left field power alley for HR balls (one I saw broke a beer bottle on a vendor's cart, Thanx Bobby Kielty or was it Michael Cuddyer). We were in section 61, row K - completely under cover and 10 rows up. I could see the scoreboard completely, but you could watch it on suspended TV's. On Eutaw St., Boog's Bar-b-Que Pit features sandwiches at $7.25 and platters at $8. 30 - 45 minutes before game time, John Welsey 'Boog' Powell arrives and signs between 500 - 700 autographs a day (you don't need to buy food, but it's good food). Take the light rail, let someone else worry about driving, until you get out of downtown Baltimore.

Mike

Every seat a good seat -- 2001-10-20

My last time at The Ballpark at Camden Yards we sat in the *last* row, directly behind home plate. In front of us, beautiful Camden Yards. Behind us, a view of industrial Baltimore. The wind made it colder than heck (the top level is not enclosed in back, so the wind blows right through), but the view was great.

And even in the top row "Eucker Seats", we could still see all the action perfectly. Unlike, say, Shea Stadium where people in the top level seats can touch the airplanes as they go by.

Ben Edelman

I sat upper deck third base on rail behind dugout -- 2001-09-16

I am a baseball fan. Yankees are my team for about 45 yrs. My wife and I went to the Harbor which was really nice. We stayed at the Days Inn at the harbor. I asked the Concierge if he had tickets for the ballgmae and he did. Face price. We went early and were greeted by Boog Powell who signed our tickets. His BBQ pits were outstanding. The people were very friendly. The park was super clean and well supervised. I got to see Cal Ripkin and Paul Moliter and Eddie Murray in the same game. It was in July 96. Twins won 9-5. Fans were great, even after finding out about a Yankee sitting with them. My wife also enjoyed watching the Orioles coming out of the frame work picking off the mothes right out of the sky. I would not hesitate to go to another game when our newborn gets a little older of course.

Dan Hartman

Above it all, wow -- 2001-09-01

OK, we sat in awful seats ('Club' level, deep right field), getting to the parking lots was a mess, and the club is awful. But.... Wow, what a stadium. Good fans (who didn't cause grief to a visting teams fans), great pre-game access to the players, excellent sight lines to the game (even though we couldn't see the out of town scoreboard), and the Kosher Dogs (all the way down in deep left field) were amazingly good. Feel like complaining? Go visit Shea.

Judah

-- 2001-08-21

I have been to dozens of games at Camden Yards and have always been able to get a good seat. The seats along the first base line appear to be the best, though. They give a very good view of the opposing team�s dugout. I find the food prices reasonable. I usually load up my Orioles backpack with chips and soda outside the park, then buy a hot dog for just $1.00 before entering. My backpack is checked, but as long as I am carrying plastic bottles (soda or beer), everything is okay. I don�t buy cotton candy during the game, because I can always get it for 25-50 cents afterwards. So, beer becomes my major food expense.

Camden Yards is great for Orioles fans if they don�t mind sharing the stadium with thousands of fans of other teams, especially when the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, or Phillies are in town. The stadium has such easy access and is so comfortable and breathtaking that the presence of a large number of fans of other teams is inevitable.

First visit to Camden Yards -- 2001-08-14

Just got back from an 8 day, 6 stadium East Coast road trip. Camden Yards is definitely a special place. Bought half-price seats from a scalper, 10 rows behind the plate - you feel really close to the action! Saw a day game and the atmosphere around the park before was really exciting.

I drove, and finding the parking lots was like driving through a maze. According to the guy working at the lot, lots of people complain to him about how hard it is to find the lots. Plusses: The warehouse area is cool - shops, lots of food, and the baseball makers for HRs onto the street. While batting practice was going on, you could walk ANYWHERE in the park, tons of players were signing autographs, tossing baseballs into the bleacher, etc. Friendliest atmosphere I've ever seen at a ballpark. Minuses: OK, I realize John Denver was a huge fan, but Baltimore is stuck in the middle of East Coast Metropolis between NYC and DC. Yet they sing "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the 7th inning stretch?!!? Prices are certainly geared for the upper-middle class fan, but the no-scalp zone makes up for the high concession prices. A solid 4.5 out of 5.

John Branstad

Amazing Ballpark, Great Location, Some Bad Seats -- 2001-08-12

Camden Yards has been imitated since its construction for a reason; it is a fantastic baseball facility. The easy access from I95 and being just blocks from baltimore's Inner Harbor make this a great day trip, weekend trip, or even week-long excursion.

The ballpark itself is gorgeous. The concourse is wide and uncrowded even during sellouts, the concession lines short, and plenty of variety in beer. Lots of micros. The whole place feels like baseball, too, and since it's tiny, most seats are good.

The alley under the warehouse overlooking the outfield is one of the nicest features I have seen in any ballpark. It's open during the day, too, so you can shop, eat, drink all while looking over the field.

The one flaw is some seating is set at a bad angle to watch the home plate action. Left field near the foul pole, for instance, forces fans to turn oddly to watch the balls and strikes.

Highly recommended for ardent baseball fans and families alike

ESJ

-- 2001-08-04

Been to OPACY several times...it's a very nice place to watch a baseball game!!...ranks right up there with Wrigley and PNC of the others that I've seen.

There are some bad seats (angle is not good to watch an entire game)..but overall the environment is Great!!

RC

Yes, there are bad seats -- 2001-07-07

I've been to Camden Yards probably about a dozen times, and usually the seats are great, and the stadium sights and sounds are as good as described by others. Last time out, however, I decided to splurge and got a couple club level seats. They were out near the right field foul pole, but so what? Ha. The seats were positioned so they were facing the scoreboard in center field, so to see the infield I had to turn my head 90 degrees. If that wasn't bad enough, they conventiently had the railing positioned right in my field of vision across home plate and the pitcher (and I'm about average height, 5'11), so I either had to scrunch down and view the action from between the bars or bust my thighs and hover over my seat to get an unobstructed view (all still at a neck-throbbing 90 degree angle). Truly horrible. Just let this be a warning, club level might be nice, but at Camden Yards, make sure you're around the infield or don't bother, it isn't worth it.

Eric

Where to sit -- 2001-07-03

I agree with most of the comments regarding Camden yards - it's a great place to watch a game. However I disagree about there not being a bad seat. I recommend staying away from the left field upper deck. The action seems miles away.

JG

Don't buy tickets in advance -- 2001-06-22

They have a scalp free zone where you can purchase tickets from season ticket holders, ticket brokers and anyone else who bought tickets and can't go to the game. They're not allowed to sell above face value.

There are always great bargains here. Though I have noticed that its a little bit harder to get in this year--simply because the pre season demand wasn't as high.

I've been able to walk up 15 minutes before game time and get tickets above the dugout for half price. If you're willing to gamble, it can't be beat.

Chris

Best Ballpark -- 2001-06-21

Camden Yards is the best. Located right in the middle of Baltimore's beautiful inner harbour. Transportaion and parking are easy, with light rail trains running every ten minutes dropping you off right at the park. Bleacher seats go for $8.00 and there is not a bad seat in the place as I have visited the park 50 + times and have yet to have a bad seat. Food is expensive with 4.75 beer, 3.50 sodas and 4.00 hot dogs, but that should be expected in any park. The best part is the look and feel of the place, it is absouletly breathtaking with the warehouse, ivy in the backdrop of center field and a great view of the Baltimore skyline, there is not much more you could ask for out of a ballpark.

Andy Levitt

all around great time -- 2001-06-16

Sure the birds arn't in the hunt for the american league flag anymore but dont let that stop you from enjoying a great day/evening at the yard. I have been to almost every park on the east coast and will be going to some midwest parks this summer. However, there is none like camden yards for an all around good time. Yankee fans will say that Yankee stadium is the best, but not because of anything else but the history. I say there is plenty of history in a grand central station bathroom but i don't want to see a ball game there, unless I can get air lifted in and out and have a few armed gaurds. Unlike New York Camden Yards is very easy to get to and even if you are a fan of the out of town team you dont have to worrie about getting anything thrown at you if you clap for your team. This is best proven by the thousands of fans who travel from New York and Philly each year. The food prices could be lower but that is true of most parks in the majors, and yes there are a few sections where you will have to turn your head to see the action. I will disagree with the above post. The best seats in the house are the left field lower box, section 80, 82 and 84 offer a great view of the game and I have always been able to see both the out of town board in right and the board in center. To top it all off they are only $18 and i have never gone when I didnt have a home run hit in my same section. If the scoreboards arn't what you are looking for the centerfield bleachers are great but they go fast at less than $10 a pop.

Anthony Champa

The original new retro park -- 2001-06-03

They originally planned to tear down the warehouse...thankfully they kept it. It's the signiture of the ballpark. The sight lines can be improved and the fences were moved back this year, All in all, one of the best of the new "old look" parks.

David Bryant

Where NOT to sit, and food -- 2001-05-17

I'd recommend staying away from seats in the left-center part of the outfield. It's tough to see the in-game or out-of-town scoreboard, and the sun is rough during day games. Every other seat in the house is terrific, though, esp. on the first-base line.

Food - Buy a lemonade and a pretzel outside the stadium - they're cheap and you can bring them in. Then go for a micro-brew and Boog's BBQ right in front of the warehouse.

Have a great time!

Div Bhansali

The Orioles -- 2001-01-18

Until the Orioles can throw Angelos out of power, the "Oriole Way" will be a thing of the past. While the ball park is amazing, what the owners put on the field is nothing short of crap.

Build up that minor league system. Fight for what can be done!

We want the Orioles to WIN!!

Howard Buchman

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