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The Essentials
So what is it like to attend a Cardinals home game? Well, the entertainment and food options are virtually endless. This is one of those parks where it’s impossible to take it all in at a single game. Plan to come for a weekend!
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In fact, there was one scene that I saw repeatedly prior to the games I attended, so I decided to photograph it. No, it wasn’t Midwesterners decked out in red — although everywhere you looked, that’s what you saw. No, because new Busch has so many features and is so, well, complicated, I saw countless fans staring at the site-plan maps to try to figure out where they were, how to get to their seats, how to locate specific concession stands, etc.
Truly, I was in Day Two of my visit before I felt comfortable navigating new Busch Stadium.
So there is a lot to see and do inside the Cardinals’ new playground, but let’s start our discussion of the game-day experience by looking outside the park at the parking situation. The same garages that served Cardinal fans at the old stadium are still available here. In addition, there are numerous, smaller lots under the Highway 40 overpass and beyond, going south from the stadium. If you plan to hit one of the bars in that area — like Al Hrabosky’s Ballpark Saloon — following the game, that’s all the more reason to park here. Private lots within a block and a half of Gate 2 of the park cost $15. Several that are directly across the street from those lots cost only $10. That’s what I chose.
The same Metrolink station on 8th Street that served the old stadium so well is still there for the new Busch. If you just don’t want to face the traffic before and after the games, this mass-transit approach might make sense for you. I’ve taken it to Cardinal games, and it worked well, but you’ll need patience following games, because you won’t be the only one wanting to catch a Metrolink train.
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Before you enter New Busch for the first time, take the time to stroll all the way around it. You’ll encounter the statues that previously graced the outer walk at old Busch, with the one of Stan Musial holding a place of honor right by the impressive Gate 3 (above right). Along the north perimeter, you’ll be standing in an area that was once inside old Busch Stadium. Again, watch for the green and yellow lines on the sidewalk. Although there’s no sign to tell you what they represent, they show you exactly where the outfield wall was located at the Cards’ previous home.
You’ll find personalized bricks in the sidewalk I (if you have time — like days — on your hands, you could read every one. When you reach 18,000, you’ve seen them all), as well as 100 tiles providing short descriptions of the greatest moments in Cardinal history. The east side of the park includes impressive landscaping. By the way, you won’t be alone walking around the outside of the ballpark prior to a game. Cardinal fans are some of the earliest-arriving in the sport.
Once inside, head over to the Ford Family Plaza beyond center field where performers entertain the crowd. If you have kids, explore the nearby U.S. Cellular Family Pavilion with its speed pitch, tot-lot and batting cages. You’ll also find the enormously popular Build-A-Bear shop between Gates 2 and 3 on the west side of the park. Here youngsters of all ages can construct their own version of a stuffed Fredbird, which is the team’s mascot.
If you’re fortunate enough to have tickets that give you access to either the Redbird Club (below left) or the Bank Of America Club on the Loge Level, that’s where you’ll want to eat your pre-game meal, as the food — both in selection and quality — is outstanding here. You’ll also find the wallpaper in the Redbird Club fascinating, as it features recreations of vintage baseball cards (below right). One interesting side note to this is that almost none of the players shown in these cards are anything other than Caucasian. This was pointed out to me by one of the wait staff there, who happened to be African American. I told her that my guess as to the reason why was that the artwork was of cards of an era when there were no or very few blacks in the Majors, and that I had never seen baseball cards of Negro League players. Still, this strikes me as a less than optimal situation, and the Cards might want to address this (by including Negro League players) at some point.
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Speaking of food, several menu items deserve special attention. First, in the Redbird Club, if you are a fan of mushrooms at all, you simply have to try the Portabello Fries ($6.50). They might be the most unique specialty in the stadium. Also, the Broadway BBQ stand on the main level in right field has outstanding ribs ($9.50) and brisket ($8.00). If your seats are in one of the Terrace (upper) levels, you’ll find a food court in the left field corner and the ubiquitous Hardee’s — which aside from being garish, also serves beer (Budweiser, of course), which bothers me because this is a place where kids are likely to want to eat.
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Overall, the food is pretty expensive, but that’s not shocking in a new stadium … just like the fact that tickets are more expensive here than they were at old Busch. Of course, there’s the ultra-exclusive Cardinals Club, with its 600 seats directly behind the backstop going for $230 per. For the rest of us, the prices for tickets run from $90 or $100 to field boxes right along the field, down to $13 for the reserved seats high above right field. Standing-room tickets also cost $13. Bleachers, by the way, are a fairly reasonable $16, especially when compared to the shocking $27 (and up) at our recently reviewed U.S. Cellular Field.
Programs run a fairly normal (at big-league parks) $5, and $2.50 for a scorecard only, which is a little high. The souvenir stores inside the park are attractive — not to mention quite crowded — and feature the high prices you’d expect. Simple adult T-shirts typically cost $24 and $25, and if you want a shirt with a player’s name and number on it, it will run $26. Your youngster might demand a stop at the aforementioned Build-A-Bear Workshop, where one of the blindingly popular stuffed beauties will set you back at least $22. Of course, you’ll end up with a customized Fredbird of your very own.
So you’ve spent a lot of money on parking, seats, eats and souvenirs, and when you finally settle in to watch the game, is it a nicer experience than at old Busch? I think the answer is a definite yes. Visually, the ballpark that surrounds you is much more attractive and interesting, and you can actually see the world outside the stadium!
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The scoreboards are astounding (above). The main board in right-center field features a large high-resolution video screen in between three monochrome message boards that always show both batting orders, the game status, linescore and often extra info on the batter. To the right of this mammoth board is another high-res video screen that shows out-of-town scores. In fact, high-res ribbon boards abound, and not only can they be coordinated beautifully, I didn’t find them nearly as offensive as at other sports venues.
At night games, you’ll probably also notice that the lighting is improved over Old Busch. The designers used a different approach to the light towers at new Busch, as they are much more “vertical” than the traditional arrangement of the past (see photo below). This is certainly a different look than at most other parks, plus it has the added benefits of making the field brighter and reducing the likelihood of fielders losing balls in the lights.
But there is one situation that detracts a little bit from one’s enjoyment of a visit to New Busch. I encountered a lot of fans smoking around the concourses in spots that were definitely not specified as smoking areas. This didn’t seem to have any impact on the air quality in the seating areas, but it was bothersome that the “no smoking” policy wasn’t enforced very well in the concourses beneath the stands.
Summary
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So attending a game at New Busch is a not-unexpected improvement over games at Old Busch. The new park, while being more expensive to experience, is beautiful both inside and out. I’m a little annoyed that the southern edge of the structure is only 40 feet from buzzing, elevated Highway 40, but at least you can sit in your seat and see the skyline and the lovely and famous Gateway Arch.
With the seating capacity being smaller than at Old Busch, and with a lot of curious Midwesterners pouring into the new park to see what all the fuss is about, tickets are hard to come by. However, it’s definitely worth the trouble and the expense, so plan on including the latest stadium to be called “Busch” on your list of parks that deserve a visit.