Padres at Petco! What a Treat!

PETCO Park is a great experience, it is not just going to a baseball game it is so much more. The stadium is placed in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego. Crazy I know, that's what I thought the first time I heard and saw that. The stadium is surrounded by popular sights, such as the Coronodo bay and bridge and Balboa Park. This makes for such an enjoyable feeling and sight. It is great to be hanging out in downtown and not feel the hustle and bustle of a working enviornment. Not to metion how laid back it must feel for people who work in downtown to have a stadium and the Coronodo Bay right out there window. PETCO offers a mini park/ like a city park or public park which is opened to the public and also opened 2 ½ hours before the game for people to enjoy. The cost for this is but you can stay for the game, and on days there is not a game there is no cost. The park allows for roaming around and checking things out.With the stadium in the heart of downtown you can enjoy a dinner and some entertainment from outside the stadium and then head to the game at your convenience. Once you are at the game you will feel at home in the modern day architecture or the stadium, very 20th century and arts feeling. Beautiful colors and textures cover the walls that make up the stadium. You almost do not feel as if you have just walked up to a major league stadium.

Quick Tips:

I would suggest coming early for several reasons, parking can be a little bit of a pain due to the fact that it is in downtown, and you will have to walk a little bit depending on where you end up having to park. The park opens 2 ½ hours early, so come and enjoy batting practice and seeing some of the players up close. You might even get a ball or get to meet the players.Try the food, it was really good and the service is great. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The ushers are very nice and will let you walk down for a second and get some pictures.

Best Way To Get Around:

Use your feet. Walk around the whole stadium, explore and experience all that PETCO has to offer and take a tour if you can.

PETCO Park offers a wide variety of food. There are several typical concession stands with food like hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and nachos with drinks and snacks.As well as your typical concession stand foods they offer things like chicken barbecue fish, Subway, steak sandwiches, and other items that might not be so typical. I, of course, have to have a hot dog every time I go to a baseball game. It is just not the same with out one.Of course your food options are not limited to that. PETCO offers a more upscale food menu. In many of the box suites and club level seats are big buffets of food, serving items such as steak, seafood, caviar, and other things. Some of these places are open to the public and all who can afford it are welcomed.If the concessions are not your cup of tea or would prefer to eat out side the park you are in luck, being that the stadium is built in the middle of downtown you can eat on your way to the game in any one of the several restaurants that are in the downtown area.

PETCO Park is spectacular in every way, combining the best sight lines in baseball with breathtaking views of San Diego. Architecturally magnificent, it celebrates the sea, the sky, the natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique spirit of the region. Innovative design features evoke the timeless traditions of baseball in an intimate setting, with state-of-the-art fan amenities to suit every taste and budget.

Concourses are spacious, open and airy. Signature towers and terraces offer panoramic views of the Bay, the downtown skyline, Balboa Park and the mountains on the horizon of America’s Finest City. The stadium allows fans to be lower and closer to the action. The playing field is asymmetrical, with charming features that accentuate traditional baseball values.

The seating bowl is divided into distinctive "neighborhoods." All 42,000 fixed seats are comfortable, with cup-holders and extra leg room. Seats down the lines are angled to the infield. The two upper levels are built on extended cantilevers, with the front of the Terrace Level only 34 feet above the field, creating a sense of intimacy reminiscent of the great old ballparks, but with outstanding sight lines from every seat and no obstructed views.

This stadium is truly a comfortable and welcoming. Compared to Dodger Stadium and all the problems we had with it this one is great and worth the experince.

Parking at this stadium can be a little bit of a problem since the field sits right in the heart of downtown San Diego. We had to park at the convention center which was not too far away but parking is limited so try to get there early. The fact that the park was in downtown was great to me. I like the feel of it and how surrounded by other things such as dinning and activites it was. Not to mention that the Corondo Bridge and bay were the back drop for part of the stadium.

My favorite part of the stadium was the section that was built right into a building that was part of down town. There is a seating section that was an old metal supply building and the stadium is built right into that. It really is cool to see.

The stadium is easy to get around and there is tons to do and see through out the whole park. There are several entrances to the park which makes a great convience to the downtown area and in the outfield there is a grassy area for seating. These tickets are $5 and you just come and sit on the grass.

Overall a great experience, and I highly recommend seeing a game at PETCO if you go to San Diego.

PETCO Park has something very unique about it that makes it different than any other park I have ever been to. PETCO offers a park pass. This pass cost $5 and allows you to get into the game. You do not have a seat but you can come and watch the game and spend the day, or evening in the Padres baseball field and watch a game for a small price.These seats are in the grassy area right in center field. There is a huge jumbo tron so you will not miss any of the action and lots of space to sit and watch the game. You can still see the stadium from these seats but it is hard. However, with this pass you are able to wander around and enjoy other areas of the park as well.There is an entrance very close to this grassy area and also a kids park right by the area. I noticed this area being filled with several kids and families with small children. I think this is a great idea, having a young one myself and taking him to a Ranger game recently I know that it is nearly impossible to sit and watch a game with them. In fact, I think we sat for one inning in our seats and the rest of the time we just walked around. This is great that they would offer this and at a cheap fee so you can still come and see the game and enjoy a night out with the kids.

You haven't seen PETCO Park until you've gone behind-the-scenes on one of the guided tours. The tour is great for getting to know the ins and outs of the stadium. This is a great stadium to take a tour of. Some of the things you can expect to see on one of these tours are one of the exclusive lounges, and luxury suite, and let me tell you they are very cool, the press box which is filled with tons of computers and other electronics, the dugout warm-up track, bull pen, and other features of the park.You will get to view what is called the beach and this is located just off to the right field fence, The Beach sand area is a unique part of the PETCO Park experience, it allows guests to see the major league players up close during batting practice.Another thing they will show you on the tour is the park at the park or the little league field and the grassy area that is opened 2 ½ hours before the game so you can catch batting practice and enjoy the park before the game starts and fills up with people.Also on the tour you will be able to see the amazing views that surround the stadium and also the historic metal supply building that is built right into the stadium and allows people to buy seats for the game.You will also end your tour at the gift shop where you can buy shirts, hats and other gifts to remember you trip and tour. We purchased a little shirt for out soon to be born son.The park offers tours Tuesday - Sunday:
10:30am / 12:30pm / 2:30pm

Prices are
$9- Adult
$5- Children 12 and under.