Seating at Fenway Park

So we know that this is the real reason you’ve made your way to this guide: you have no idea how to pick a seat at Fenway, and you don’t have anyone to ask. Well, asking for help is a great idea, because Fenway Park is one of the most confusing ballparks in the US when it comes to figuring out seating. There are poles, and other obstructions, and seats that face the wrong way, and a confusing seating chart with confusing section names, and, oh yeah… often tickets aren’t cheap. So getting this wrong can not only ruin your gameday experience, but also hurt your wallet.

But it doesn’t have to be so difficult, and we’re going to break down every seating zone at Fenway that you can buy a single game ticket for and explain what it is and whether you should sit there.

Table of Contents

• Dugout and Home Plate Dugout Boxes (Sections D13-20, D29-38, H40-50, D52-61, D72-79)
• Field Boxes (Sections F9-F82)
• Loge Boxes (Sections B98-B164)
• Right Field Boxes (Sections B1-B8, B87-97)
• Grandstand (Sections G1-G33)
• Bleachers (Sections BL34-BL43 and BL36U-BL38U)
• Green Monster Seats (Sections M1-M10, plus SRO)
• Pavilion Seats
  • Home Plate Pavilion Club (HPP1-HPP5)
  • Pavilion Club (PC1-PC13 first base, PC2-PC14 third base)
  • Pavilion Boxes (PB1-PB13 first base, PB2-PB14 third base)
  • Pavilion Reserved (Sections PR15, PR16, PR18, PR20)
• Dell Technologies Club (DTC1-DTC6)
• Right Field Roof Boxes (R23-R41)
• Sam Adams Deck
• Standing Room
• Group and private areas
  • Jim Beam Dugout (in front of Sections D13-17)
  • Hornitos Cantina (behind G5-G7)
  • Suites
  • Lansdowne Pavilion
  • Terraces A & B
  • 502 Perch
  • 521 Overlook

TSI’s Favorite Seats

TSI’s Least Favorite Seats

Grandstand

Obstructed View

These are the seats that give Fenway a bad name, and for many grandstand seats, the sightlines are perfectly fine. But for the ones obstructed by one of the 26 two-foot wide poles, you’ll have a terrible experience if you sit behind one.

Fenway Seating Overview

Back in the late 1990s, it appeared that Fenway would be demolished and rebuilt elsewhere in the faux-classic style that is popular around the big leagues. But the new ownership rescued the park and rather than tearing it down, figured out ways to wring more money out of unused portions of the park. So when you’re looking for tickets, you’ll have the opportunity to buy seats on the Green Monster, or in the right-field Sam Adams Deck. There is a swath of fairly new seats on top of the grandstand, too, divided into three different “Pavilion” sections.

There are traditionalists that bellyache about the new addition, but the fact is, Fenway would not have survived the wrecking ball if not for the way the place has been revamped.

So take your pick. Go traditional with the Field/Loge/Grandstand/Bleacher options, the sections that ring the field in the usual way. Or try something new in the upper parts of the park, whether high up in the right field corner or very high up on top of the Green Monster. Let’s get into the pros and cons of each of your choices.

Dugout and Home Plate Dugout Boxes

(Sections D13-20, D29-38, H39-50, D51-61, D72-79)

These are the seats that are, in most cases, the first two rows right along the field wall, close enough that you’ll be tempted to just walk right onto the field (we advise you not do so). In sections D13-D20, they are right behind the Jim Beam Dugout seats (but those seats are sunken, like an actual dugout, so the views from the Dugout Club Boxes are completely unobstructed). But in sections D29-38, H39-H50, D51-D61, and D72-79, the Dugout Boxes and Home Plate Dugout Boxes are the first two rows of seats at field level. So if you want to be right there, then this is the place for you. There are TV’s mounted onto the wall in front of Row 1 so you can see replays, which is a benefit that nobody else other than suiteholders have at Fenway.

Even though the Red Sox differentiate between Home Plate Dugout Boxes and Dugout Boxes, we see no real difference between them, other than their proximity to home plate. So don’t hesitate to grab a seat in one of the D sections rather than the H sections.

But, be warned: these seats are all right behind the netting, and the closer you are to the netting, the more you notice the netting. And just to be clear, even with their hefty price tag, there’s no other benefits included with these seats other than the amazing view. But it’s hard to argue with sitting in the closest seats in the house at Fenway if you can afford them.

Field Boxes (Sections F9-F82)

After the Dugout and Home Plate Dugout Boxes, the next closest seats to the field are the Field Box seats, and those are also fantastic — not cheap, but not outlandish. The area around home plate (Sec. F39-F50) will cost more, but they’ll give you a top-notch view. Sit along the first-base line (Sec. F9-F38) if you want some sun and you want to root, root, root for the home team. The third base line (F51-F70) is typically in the shade, and you’ll get a good look at the visitors.

The far boxes in right field and left field reflect the pros and cons of each of those sections. The four boxes from Sections F9-F12 do not have as bad an angle to the mound and plate as the boxes farther into the right-field corner, but they do face left field and will require some head-craning. But the triangle of left field boxes from F71-F82, though, feature plenty of shade and a really cool vantage point to watch the game. Those are the ones we’d recommend. 

TSI TIP: Be careful of high number seats in section F82, which are right up against the wall. It’s amazing if you want to be able to see right over the wall onto the field, but the legroom there is horrible (your knees will likely be in your chest). Cross check your potential ticket purchase with the Red Sox virtual venue before deciding.

Loge Boxes (Sections B98-B165)

The Loge Boxes extend from about midway up the right-field foul line (B98) all the way to the tiny triangle of 40 seats almost against the Green Monster in left field, B165. The pluses and minuses of the Loge Boxes generally mirror those of the Field Boxes in the corresponding areas — they’re good seats, just one further block back.

In B98-B100, the loge boxes furthest into right field, the head-tilting is not as bad as it is a few sections out, but it is still a bit of an issue, just as with the field boxes in front of them. The closer you get to the infield, the less of an issue this becomes, so try to buy the closest seats to home plate that your budget will allow for.

While the first-base loge boxes (B101-B124) are usually in the sun, the home-plate loge boxes (B125-B136) are shaded and give you the best view of the pitcher. The third-base boxes (B137-B155) are in the shade and near the visiting dugout. As with the field boxes, there are cool seats with great views as you go into the left-field section, from B157-B165 (and unlike the seats in right field, these seats are angled so that you’re facing the right way).

TSI TIP: There is a MAJOR caveat about the loge box seats: if you are along either baseline or behind the plate, the first two rows are very, very annoying because there is a busy walkway immediately in front of you, which means people will be constantly passing. Even Row 3 will get on your nerves. The closer to home plate you are, the busier the walkway is. Our advice when sitting in the loge boxes is to look for tickets starting at Row 4, unless you really want the people-watching (there will be plenty of).

Right Field Boxes (Sections B1-B8, B87-B97)

We’ll take these together because, as we have covered, the issue with both sets of seats is the same. As you watch the game, you will find your chin resting on your left shoulder for much of the day.

The seats are not recommended, but they do not need to be written off completely. If you can get seats in the first few rows of the Field Box seats in right field, you’ll have a good opportunity to become buddies with the right fielders on both teams. For example, sitting in the three first-row seats in Sec. B7 (Row 1, seats 20-22), gives fans a view right down the first-base line, not to mention a shot at ground-ball fouls. Same goes for the first four seats in B6 (Row C, seats 13-16). Your neck is gonna hurt, but it should be worth it.

And if you’re a fan of bullpen-watching, Sec. B1 is for you. It will be relatively easy on the vertebrae, because it’s the only Right Field Box section that has a direct sightline to the plate. The downside is that it is as far removed from the action on the field as the bleachers. But if you can sit in the first eight rows of Sec. B1 and try to get Seat 1 (or thereabouts), you will essentially be looking right into the bullpen, close enough to hear the relievers’ conversations and the pop of catchers’ mitts during warmups.

Grandstand (Sec. G1-G33)

The poles are an issue. That’s no secret about the Fenway grandstand. But there are other things to watch out for. In the summer, on especially hot days, the heat can be an issue, too — the grandstand roof seems to trap the warm air and, the farther back your seats, the more uncomfortable the air. And while sitting farther back lessens the obstruction level from the poles, it also pushes you deeper under the roof, which can give you the impression of watching the game from inside an airport hangar.

The seats themselves can be rough. They’re hard on the backside, made of wood with a tiny one-inch armrest (shared with the patron next to you) and a measly 15 inches wide, which might not have been a problem when the field was built in 1912 but has become an issue with the expansion of American waistlines.

Each section is a little different, but a rule of thumb on Fenway grandstands: sit in the first six rows if you want to maintain contact with fresh air and blue sky. But always consult the Red Sox 3D virtual venue before buying Grandstand tickets to make sure your tickets are obstruction free. And if the seats you’re going to buy don’t identify the specific seat numbers, then don’t buy them – it’s not worth the risk, even if the odds of your view being clear are good.

TSI TIP: If you’re going to a busy game and need to get grandstand seats near the back, beware the dreaded double-pole seats. Dealing with the 26 poles at the front of each section (the poles, essentially, mark the barrier between grandstand seats and loge boxes) is hard enough, but in the rear of Sec. 15-16 and 26-28, you can be dealing with two poles, one in front and one near the back. Be extra careful when purchasing seats in these sections.

Bleachers

Of all the seating areas in Fenway Park, the bleachers are the least quirky. The Red Sox show 13 sections (Lower 34-43 and Upper 36-38), but as far as we are concerned, it’s just Bleachers 34-43. Why do the Red Sox break them up? Because they charge a tiny bit less for the upper bleachers than the lower bleachers. But the difference in price is so minimal that it’s not worth worrying about (we’ve seen the difference be as little as $1 per ticket). The seats are all exactly the same. 

As one would expect, the bleacher seats are relatively far from the action and you’ll be well exposed to the sun on bright days. But the pros are obvious: comparatively affordable, no poles, and no craning of the neck.

Oh, one more really important note: unlike a lot of other ballparks where bleacher seats are general admission, at Fenway they are assigned seats. So yes, you can pick your seat, and yes, it does matter.

Here are some good notes and pointers for the bleachers:

The low-numbered seats along the wall in Sec BL40 offer a view from straight out of Fenway’s famed center field triangle, and along the center field wall. 

If you really want quirky, the seats way up in back rows of Sec BL37 and BL38 — in the shade of the scoreboard — are not great for watching the intricacies of the game, but they’re ideal for simply taking in the Fenway scene, with Landsdowne Street below you and Boston’s skyline behind you in the distance.

 Our opinion: If you’re going to sit far away from home plate on the lower level, better to opt for the bleachers than the Right Field boxes. A distant seat is one thing, but a distant seat with neck pain is another.

TSI TIP: the seats in the front row of each bleacher section aren’t actually right up on the wall. There’s a walkway in front of these seats. That walkway doesn’t get any more foot traffic than if it was just a regular row, but don’t expect that you’ll be looking right down at the field from these seats.

Green Monster Seats (Sec. GM1-GM10)

These seats did not exist until 2003, which begs the question: what took them so long? There are only 274 seats, and another 100-150 standing-room spots, but, really, any place perched up on the Green Monster will do. It’s a unique and memorable experience, going eye-to-eye with the historic left-field foul pole, but it is also a great vantage point for watching the game in front of you, with a bonus view of the Boston skyline.

While all the seats are worthwhile on top of the wall, if you can get into the first row, do it. To look down from 38 feet up, with nothing in front of the green Fenway grass and almost 38,000 other fellow fans… that’s pretty cool. As is checking off the Green Monster from your bucket list.

But there are plenty of aspects of the Green Monster seats that can be nit-picked. Sitting at a table anywhere but the first row means you won’t have sight of what’s happening at the base of the wall, so it would be easy to miss a great catch or a throw to the plate. If you were at the World Series, we might say that’s a dealbreaker. But for a regular season game, it’s worth the obstruction.

Another issue: the concession lines can be long. Oh, and there is Sec. 10 , which is wedged in next to an enormous lighting fixture, rendering about a quarter of the field obstructed for Seats 1 and 2 in each of the three rows. That’s why you’ll often find seats in M10 available on the Red Sox ticketing system when everything else is already sold.

But, come on. You’re sitting on top of the Green Monster, arguably the most iconic stadium feature in all of American sports. You’d have to be an incurable cynic not to find a bit of joy in that. Embrace the quirkiness.

Even if you don’t have a seat atop the wall, Green Monster standing room only tickets are not a bad option. There are countertops with plenty of leaning spots, and it is easy enough to duck down into the Ketel One 3rd Base Deck for food, drink and a seat if you need a break from standing. 

Green Monster seats are often expensive, but you’d be surprised: sometimes, for weekday games during the early or late part of the season, their price can be shockingly not-as-crazy-as-you’d-expect. Keep an eye on the secondary market for last-minute discounts – they’re sometimes there. 

TSI TIP: The Red Sox stagger their onsales to the public rather than making all games available for sale at once. While that’s usually not a big deal, when it comes to acquiring Green Monster tickets, it’s a very big deal. If you know when they are releasing these seats, you’ll have the best chance of grabbing them at face value, which can sometimes be quite reasonable, especially for SRO. Sign up for TSI’s newsletter, because we will give you advance warning when these tickets are going to be released.

Aura Pavilion Seats (upper level)

The “Aura Pavilion Seats” make up the majority of the upper deck at Fenway, running from sections 1-16, 18, and 20 upstairs, including the recently renamed Aura Home Plate Club (HPP 1-5). As with every seating area at Fenway, these are a little confusing, and there are significant differences between them other than just their proximity to home plate.

Aura Home Plate Pavilion Club (HPP1-HPP5)

and Aura Pavilion Club (PC1-PC14)

This collection of sections all have the exact same amenities, which includes:

• Padded seats
• In-seat wait service
• Access to the Pavilion Club restaurant and restrooms
• Complimentary water and popcorn

The Aura Home Plate Pavilion Club seats (HPP1-HPP5)

These are located directly behind home plate, and directly in front of the Pavilion Club restaurant. There are four rows in each section, with a fifth row of swiveling chairs with drink rails in front of them. All of these seats are undercover, which can be either good or bad, depending on your preference.

Aura Pavilion Club seats (APC1-APC14)

The Aura Pavilion Club seats are not undercover, but still include all of the above mentioned amenities, including access to the Aura Pavilion Club. These are really good seats, and will often be more expensive than you might expect them to be. But keep an eye on them, because people who know Fenway know that these are good.

TSI TIP: Row 5 of each Pavilion Club section has spinning chairs and railings instead of standard ballpark seats. These seats are HIDDEN GEMS!  The seats themselves are slightly cushioned, which helps, and we love having the railing in front of us. These are absolutely seats that you should seek out if you’re thinking about sitting upstairs.

The Aura Pavilion Club (behind Sections HPPC1-HPPC5)

The club is essentially a roomy bar/restaurant where you can go for a pregame meal, or to hang out during hot, cold, or wet weather games. The restaurant area can accommodate large groups, but tables must be reserved through a host as they would be at most restaurants. That can be done in advance, or you can check in with the host and wait at the bar until a table opens up.

There is complimentary popcorn and water, and a full menu of pub staples available for purchase, as well as an all-you-can-eat buffet that would go down as overpriced if it were out in the real world, but is actually a decent bargain for a ballpark ($47 in 2023). There is also a wood-fired pizza station, as well as a coffee and ice cream cart on hand, all of which are also available for purchase. The quality of the food isn’t very special, but that is no surprise at Fenway, which is not known for its culinary charms. But we can say that the food here is better than the food you can get elsewhere in the ballpark. 

It’s just really important to remember: other than the complimentary water and popcorn, your Home Plate Pavilion Club or Pavilion Club ticket does not include anything other than your comfy seat, in-seat wait service, and access to the Club. So factor that into your purchasing decision when you’re looking for these tickets. Home Plate Pavilion Club seats can often be quite expensive, whereas the uncovered Pavilion Club seats are usually more reasonable.

In our opinion, the Club is fine and a nice amenity, but it’s very hard to justify a huge price tag for the benefit of free popcorn and water and the opportunity to pay more money on top of your ticket price for some very average food. If you can find these tickets at a fair price, go ahead and grab them. Otherwise, you’re better off sitting in the lower level infield at a comparable price. It’s just not enough of a “premium experience” to overpay for.

Aura Pavilion Box (PB1-PB14)

The Pavilion Box seats are located above the Pavilion Club seats. The sightlines are clear, and the seats are open-air but sort of covered by a roof. These are fairly standard seats, and do not have the amenities that the Pavilion Club tickets have. They are just plain old upper deck seats – no frills, no extras. But there’s also no poles, no obstructions, and a great view of all of Fenway, so as upper deck seats go in what can be a very pricey ballpark, these seats really aren’t so bad, and we’d rather sit up here than be buried in the back of the Grandstand.

Aura Pavilion Reserved (Sections PR15, PR16-20)

If the Pavilion Box seats are just plain old upper deck seats, then the Pavilion Reserved seats are the exact same – just further away from home plate. There is one section in right field (PR15) and three in left field (PR16-18-20), totaling almost 800 seats. The views of the game are completely fine – you know what an upper deck outfield seat looks like, so no, you’re not behind home plate. But if you’re going for budget, once again, we’d prefer these to being in the back of the Grandstand sections, and we’d prefer them over the bleachers as well.

Dell Technologies Club (DTC 1-DTC 6)

This is the fanciest club at Fenway. It’s a full sit-down meal in the dining room located underneath the Aura Home Plate Club. These are very pricey seats, and require a membership in order to purchase from the team. But they are occasionally available on the secondary market, albeit at a very steep price. 

But it’s important to note: that full sit-down meal isn’t included in the ticket price, and reservations are recommended. We haven’t reviewed the DTC yet, but we’ll update this when we do. But in general, between the lack of availability and the price, it’s not a seat you’re likely to find yourself in. And ask yourself: would you even want a full sit-down meal when visiting Fenway? It’s really not on-brand for this ballpark, so we’d suggest skipping it.

Right Field Roof Box

As we noted, these are some of our favorite seats — not exactly on top of the action, but nice views, a great value, and a good spot from which to explore some of the other aspects of the park, like the Sam Adams Deck and the Truly Terrace, which features self-serve food and drinks, as well as the chance to watch the studio show for NESN, the network that carries Red Sox games.

The seats are sun-exposed so bring your Coppertone, but there’s usually a decent breeze and plenty of spots to duck out for some shade.

Sam Adams Roof Deck

All that whining and complaining and not-recommending we did about right field seats at Fenway Park on the Grandstand/Loge/Box level? Forget all that. Slip on up to the upper level, and right field redeems itself.

Even if you don’t have tickets to the section, the Roof Deck is a must-visit on a nice summer evening, with plenty of standing room and tables in the bar area—it will get crowded, but people tend to filter in and out. There is Sam Adams on tap, of course, but there are also other beers, wine, hard seltzers and a wide range of mixed drinks, including a New England favorite, the Dark and Stormy, made with Gosling’s ginger beer.

The ticketed area is in front of the bar, and there are tables of four available for purchase (and two tables of two), as well as barstool seating with a countertop-style table in front of the seats. The sun sets behind the third baseline in the early innings — directly in front of the Deck — providing one of the best views in baseball.

The seating up here is really quite good. Having what is essentially a picnic table with a straight-ahead view of the field makes these seats some of the best at Fenway, but a lot of people really don’t know what they are. If you’ve got a group of four (and, yes, you do need to purchase all four seats together, unless you happen to be able to grab tables T104 or T108, which are two-seaters), this is definitely something to take a look at. If you’re a group of a different headcount, then check out the rail seats.

Standing Room Only

Fenway is as SRO-friendly as any park in MLB. There are section-specific SRO seats (Green Monster, Sam Adams Deck, Pavilion, Right Field Roof Boxes) that give you fairly comfortable spots in those areas, but for bargain-hunters on general admission SRO, there are plenty of good spots to camp out. 

Six grandstand sections (three behind home plate, Sec. 19-21 and three in left field, Sec. 29-31) have small countertop tables that are perfect for eating, setting down a drink or just leaning — invaluable to the SRO aficionado. The Truly Terrace in right field has counter space on which to rest those elbows, too.

A few favorite SRO areas…

Home plate (Sec. 19-21)

You can see the field, quite well back here, though not much of the sky because the grandstand roof is just overhead. It’s not ideal for claustrophobics. But there is a busy full-service concession stand just behind and, as mentioned, there are countertops.

First base

No countertops, but the view of the game is probably the best among the SRO seats, and there is easy access to the roomy, open-air Kenyon Grills Deck, which has tables and umbrellas (get out of the sun or rain) as well as a full-service concession that has standard ballpark fare plus steak tip and turkey tip sandwiches.

Left field

As mentioned, there are SRO counters at Sec. 29-31, which is a bonus. The view from this spot is… not great. The grandstand roof is right on top of you, and again, you won’t see much sky out there. But, it is a short walk down to the Ketel One deck, which is roomy and frequently has plenty of seats along a counter looking over Landsdowne Street if you want to get off your feet and don’t mind watching the game on TV for a bit.

Truly Terrace

It will be busy with social butterflies on warm days, and if you’re cool with that, this is a great place to check out if you do not have a seat. There is a full bar and there are self-serve kiosks to cut down your wait times, at least for bottled soda and canned drinks (mostly, oddly enough, Truly hard seltzer). The view from above right field is pleasant and you can lose the canned-sardine feel you get in some Fenway SRO sections.

The areas you can’t sit in

Finally, we know there are areas on the seating chart that have labels, and you may be wondering about whether those seats are any good or not. And our answer is: it doesn’t matter, because they aren’t available to you as a single-game ticket buyer. These are group areas that are rented out in their entirety, so you simply can’t buy them unless you’re interested in buying the entire space.  They include:

• Jim Beam Dugout (in front of Sections D13-17)
• Hornitos Cantina (behind G5-G7)
• Suites
• Lansdowne Pavilion
• Terraces A & B
• 502 Perch
• 521 Overlook

Bottom Line

We told you – and you probably already knew by looking at the seating chart – that Fenway is just as confusing as it gets when it comes to figuring out where to sit. Hopefully this guide has given you the answers you need to pick a seat that works for you.

Our quick takeaways:

Green Monster seats or SRO’s are worth it if you can fit them into your budget. This is the place to splurge on an MLB ticket. You won’t forget the experience. 

The Dugout and Home Plate Dugout seats are spectacular, but really pricey. And honestly, you don’t need to spend this kind of money to have a fantastic experience at Fenway. But if you have the spare change lying around, we certainly can’t tell you they aren’t fun to sit in.

The Field and Loge Boxes at Fenway, expensive as they may be, are generally worth the money, and are a good compromise for having a great seat, but not spending the crazy money you’d need for the Dugout seats. Loge Boxes are probably the sweet spot in the ballpark for price-to-value – cheaper than the Field Boxes in front of them, but still a lower level seat, but without any worries about obstructions.

The Grandstand seats are manageable if you can get the right ones, but the comfort of the seat itself and the ability to view the game without obstruction are pretty major drawbacks. Be very careful to double check any Grandstand tickets against the Red Sox virtual venue before buying them. 

The Right Field Boxes are not our favorites. We say go upstairs before you go out to these.

The bleachers are… fine. They’re bleachers. They’re just really, really far away from the action. We say sit upstairs before you opt for these.

The Pavilion Club seats are really very good. Yes, they’re upper deck, but they don’t have the obstructions and quirks of many of the lower level seats, and the birds-eye view of the ballpark is wonderful. Don’t pass on these if you can find a good deal.

If you’re after bargains, try the upper right field corner, whether the Sam Adams Deck or the Right Field Roof Boxes. 

Here’s one of the best tips we can give you: once you’ve identified tickets that you’re interested in, either through the team’s box office or on a resale site, cross check them against the 3D virtual venue on the Red Sox website. The Sox have invested in some of the best 3D virtual technology available, and you’re able to see the exact view from every single seat in the stadium. So if you’re wondering what kind of obstruction you might have from any given Grandstand seat, you will be able to get a very accurate idea from this tool.