Catching A Ball Game With Breathtaking Views Of San Diego

As we try to add more ball parks in the mix as we work our way towards visiting every MLB park in North America, we checked another box with Petco Park, home of the Padres. Bringing together breathtaking views of San Diego and neat architecture that is both historical and modern, it is a beautiful park to catch a ball game. The ballpark is right downtown, set near the coast and is a short walk from a variety of tasty looking restaurants and many hotels.

We loved that the field is a converted warehouse that dates back to 1909. The warehouse is home to the Padres’s team store, party suites, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar with bleacher seating that hangs over left field.The warehouse was home of Western Metal Supply Co., once a large supplier of metal goods in Southern California. It was preserved as a historical site in 1978, and when it was incorporated into the structure of Petco Field, the foundation of the warehouse was kept, as was the name on the building, with the entire inside getting a total internal renovation. It really adds a lot of charm to the grounds of Petco Field.

Learning this history made us a little bummed that we didn’t have time to take in a stadium tour like we did at Dodger Stadium, but we felt that arriving early at the game and taking in the great, friendly atmosphere gave us a great experience – even without the tour.

We were happy to have empty seats beside us, giving us that little extra space with everything we have to carry with us with kids in tow. Traveling with kids can be like a tornado at times when you’re worried how much you have to bring to keep them entertained. Considering it was a bit of a long time to sit, our toddler and baby both did impressively well, made next to no fuss, and even got to enjoy an ice cream.

There were options for fans at every price range: a private box for those with more expensive tastes or you could even watch the game from the lawn at the “park within a park,” directly behind centerfield for the low price of just $5. We chose upper level seats, giving us a decent view for a good price at $22/ticket.

We had a bit of a walk from where we found parking, since the stadium is downtown, but it wasn’t too much of a hindrance; just expect to pay event parking fees for the spot and still having a bit of a walk.

Late night games can also get a bit cold, so make sure you bring a sweater and a blanket.

How many MLB ballparks have you been to? What was your favourite?