Fenway Park is close to the top of many lists when it comes to Major League Baseball. Two such lists are the best baseball experiences and the most expensive stadiums. The Red Sox have had hundreds of sell-outs in a row which means that if you buy tickets, you are probably going to pay a hefty mark-up on them. The surrounding area can also do a number on your budget, but it doesn't have to. Let's look at 6 ways you can save some serious cash on your visit to Fenway Park.
1. Park at the Claredon Garage.
This 2,000 spot garage is the Red Sox official parking, but it is about a 10 - 15 minute walk from the stadium. The great thing is, its only $9 to park here. If you are familiar with the area you know that $9 is almost like parking for free. If you drive up near the stadium and find a parking lot you can pay as much as $50. Google Map the 100 Claredon Garage.
2. Take the Ruggles Shuttle on Weekends
The Ruggles Shuttle is located at Northeastern University. Basically you park at the Renaissance Parking garage is at 835 Columbus Ave, Boston MA. On weekends (after 6pm on Friday) you will be charged $6 to park, and then you can take a free shuttle to Fenway Park and be dropped off at Gate B. The shuttle is handicap accessible, and you do have to show your game ticket to get on for free.
The shuttles leave every 10 minutes, starting 90 minutes before the game and take you back until 1 hour after the game. An affordable option that doesn't involve much walking.
3. Ride the "T"
Most locals do this anyway, but if you are from out of town and are staying near a train station, take the green line to the Kenmore stop. Usually you pay a couple of bucks each way to ride.
4. Buy Standing Room Only Tickets
I saw you roll your eyes when you read #4... now stop and hear me out. All Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are not created equal. As I mentioned earlier, the Red Sox are always sold out and buying SRO tickets are often your cheapest way into the stadium. If you just buy the standard SRO tickets, you are wasting your money. Because of the large number that are sold, you can end up standing in a line of people on the lower level, with not much room to maneuver. One thing about an old stadium is that they always have narrow concourses, which leaves less room to stand.
You are much better off buying SRO tickets on the Pavilion level; and there is a huge difference. I bought Standing Room tickets on Stubhub in the Right Field Pavilion for $60 each, which was a little more than double face value. The great thing is, there are only about 12 rows of seats on this level, so the bathrooms and concessions are much easier to get to. There also seems to be considerably less pavilion tickets available, because there weren't many people crowded around us, which was nice. Finally, you have the benefit of leaning against a stand up bar where you can set your food and drinks. It was a great view of the action, and a great experience for $60.
5. Play the Lottery
Every January the Red Sox have lottery for tickets to Opening Day, The Green Monster, and the Right Field Party Area. Because these tickets are obviously the most sought after, they do a drawing out of fairness. So even if you aren't from the Boston area, this is a great opportunity to get tough tickets at face value. If you can't make it to the game you will have no problem selling them. Make a mark on your calendar to check the Sox website towards the end of January and sign up for free. Buying tickets straight from the team saves you money because you aren't paying any mark up on the price.
6. Bring your own Water
Fenway Park has expensive concession stands just like every other ballpark. Unfortunately they don's let you bring your own food into the stadium like many others do. However you are allowed to bring your own sealed bottles of water 16 oz or less. While that may not sound like much in the way of saving money, it adds up. If you take a family of 4 to a game and you bring your own bottles of water to wash down the food you buy, you are saving about $15 - $20 in ballpark prices.
Lets Summarize:
- Park and walk, Park and Ride, or just ride the T = <$10
- Buy Pavilion SRO or win the Lottery = about $60 per seat
- Bring your own water = save $5 per person on drinks
This certainly doesn't equate to one of the cheapest ballpark experiences in baseball, in fact it is just the opposite. However if you compare this to what you could spend on a night at Fenway - its a steal. If you are still a little distraught as to what your night at Fenway Park is going to cost, try to remember that you are going to enjoy a piece of American history. A trip to Fenway Park is a unique baseball experience that is worth the price... at least once.
For more information on saving money at a Sox game, visit my Fenway Park guide1. Park at the Claredon Garage.
This 2,000 spot garage is the Red Sox official parking, but it is about a 10 - 15 minute walk from the stadium. The great thing is, its only $9 to park here. If you are familiar with the area you know that $9 is almost like parking for free. If you drive up near the stadium and find a parking lot you can pay as much as $50. Google Map the 100 Claredon Garage.
2. Take the Ruggles Shuttle on Weekends
The Ruggles Shuttle is located at Northeastern University. Basically you park at the Renaissance Parking garage is at 835 Columbus Ave, Boston MA. On weekends (after 6pm on Friday) you will be charged $6 to park, and then you can take a free shuttle to Fenway Park and be dropped off at Gate B. The shuttle is handicap accessible, and you do have to show your game ticket to get on for free.
The shuttles leave every 10 minutes, starting 90 minutes before the game and take you back until 1 hour after the game. An affordable option that doesn't involve much walking.
3. Ride the "T"
Most locals do this anyway, but if you are from out of town and are staying near a train station, take the green line to the Kenmore stop. Usually you pay a couple of bucks each way to ride.
4. Buy Standing Room Only Tickets
I saw you roll your eyes when you read #4... now stop and hear me out. All Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are not created equal. As I mentioned earlier, the Red Sox are always sold out and buying SRO tickets are often your cheapest way into the stadium. If you just buy the standard SRO tickets, you are wasting your money. Because of the large number that are sold, you can end up standing in a line of people on the lower level, with not much room to maneuver. One thing about an old stadium is that they always have narrow concourses, which leaves less room to stand.
You are much better off buying SRO tickets on the Pavilion level; and there is a huge difference. I bought Standing Room tickets on Stubhub in the Right Field Pavilion for $60 each, which was a little more than double face value. The great thing is, there are only about 12 rows of seats on this level, so the bathrooms and concessions are much easier to get to. There also seems to be considerably less pavilion tickets available, because there weren't many people crowded around us, which was nice. Finally, you have the benefit of leaning against a stand up bar where you can set your food and drinks. It was a great view of the action, and a great experience for $60.
5. Play the Lottery
Every January the Red Sox have lottery for tickets to Opening Day, The Green Monster, and the Right Field Party Area. Because these tickets are obviously the most sought after, they do a drawing out of fairness. So even if you aren't from the Boston area, this is a great opportunity to get tough tickets at face value. If you can't make it to the game you will have no problem selling them. Make a mark on your calendar to check the Sox website towards the end of January and sign up for free. Buying tickets straight from the team saves you money because you aren't paying any mark up on the price.
6. Bring your own Water
Fenway Park has expensive concession stands just like every other ballpark. Unfortunately they don's let you bring your own food into the stadium like many others do. However you are allowed to bring your own sealed bottles of water 16 oz or less. While that may not sound like much in the way of saving money, it adds up. If you take a family of 4 to a game and you bring your own bottles of water to wash down the food you buy, you are saving about $15 - $20 in ballpark prices.
Lets Summarize:
- Park and walk, Park and Ride, or just ride the T = <$10
- Buy Pavilion SRO or win the Lottery = about $60 per seat
- Bring your own water = save $5 per person on drinks
This certainly doesn't equate to one of the cheapest ballpark experiences in baseball, in fact it is just the opposite. However if you compare this to what you could spend on a night at Fenway - its a steal. If you are still a little distraught as to what your night at Fenway Park is going to cost, try to remember that you are going to enjoy a piece of American history. A trip to Fenway Park is a unique baseball experience that is worth the price... at least once.
Ballparksavvy.com provides free guides that save fans both time and money at Major League Ballparks.
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