Seating at PNC Park

So you’ve got your flight, and your hotel, and a plan for getting around town. Now comes the biggest question of them all: where should you sit!?

Well, we’ve got the answers for you. PNC isn’t a terribly complicated ballpark, but there are definitely some interesting seating products that you will want to be aware of. So let’s make sure you know everything you need to know in order to make the best seating decision for your visit.

Table of Contents

Lower Level Seats

• Home Plate Club: Sections 14-20
• Field Level Baselines: Sections 1-13, 20-32
• 100 Level Baselines: Sections 101-132
• The Bleachers: Sections 133-138
• Centerfield Seats: Sections 139-141
• Right Field Seats: Sections 142-147

200 Level

• Pirates Cove / All you can eat: Sections 201-205
• Pittsburgh Baseball Club: Sections 207-228
• 200 Level Bleachers: Sections 235-238
• Real Azul Club

300 Level

• 300 Level Baselines: Sections 301-333

Bars and Standing Room Only Areas

• Miller Lite Skull Bar
• Fathead’s Bar and Miller Lite Landing

Our favorite seats

Right Field Reserved
Sections 142-145

They’re outfield seats, but they hover above right field, almost like movie theater seating. You just feel like you’re really a part of the game here, despite the distance.

Our least favorite seats

Lower Level Seats

Home Plate Club: Sections 14-20

The Home Plate Club is the Pirates’ premier seating product. You’ll start your experience in the Club itself behind the seating bowl, a very nice lounge that you will enter directly from the street via its own private entrance. The club has its own bar area with high-top tables, as well as a more formal dining room. Inside the club you’ll be treated to an all-inclusive buffet with a wide range of choices, including appetizers, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, entrees with side dishes, ballpark fare, and a fantastic display of desserts. Not only that, but in the tunnel from the club to the seats, there’s another food area where you can grab even more stuff, from hot dogs to candy, chips, and snacks, plus our favorite, ice cream!

Soft drinks are included as well, but no alcoholic beverages – those will cost you extra.

Once you’re in the luxury padded seats, which make up the first 12 rows behind home plate (Rows A-M), you’ll have the best view in the ballpark, plus in-seat wait service with complimentary soft drinks.

The buffet is only served until one hour after the game starts, but the ballpark snacks in the tunnel between the club and seats remain available for most of the game. Regardless, if you’re going to do the Home Plate Club, make sure to get there as early as possible so you can get the full experience and value.

One more thing these tickets get you is access to the 200 Level Pittsburgh Baseball Club, where you can take a look at all of the memorabilia they have in the concourse. It’s definitely worth the elevator ride upstairs after you’ve finished your meal.

Tickets for the Home Plate Club are available through the Pirates ticketing site, and will usually start at $275 plus fees. You can sometimes find them for less on resale sites, so definitely take a look at both Stubhub and Seatgeek when you’re shopping, as they will have the greatest selection for these seats.

Our verdict: we really like this club. But the lack of alcohol makes the value proposition a little iffy. You can get a lower level infield ticket at PNC for less than $70 on many nights, and with the cost savings, you can buy all of the food and beverages (including alcohol) that you want on the concourse. This is a completely acceptable splurge if it’s in your price range, but you can have an amazing view and food/beverage experience without going the club route.

Field Level Baselines: Sections 1-13, 20-32

These field levels are just that… seats right at field level. There’s no other particular benefit to them other than their proximity to the field, which is fantastic. Of course, the closer you are to the infield the better, but if we were choosing, we’d rather be sitting in the 100 Level infield than the 10 Level outfield. But it’s hard to go wrong either way. 

These sections start with Row A (except for sections that are behind the dugouts), and run through Row M.

TSI TIP: Sections 29-32 in left field are angled towards home plate, which is great. But they have a blind spot to deep left field – you won’t be able to see any plays back there. And that obstruction continues with Sections 26-28. We don’t think this is an absolute dealbreaker – you’re more likely than not to just miss a bunch of fly-ball outs. But if choosing, the Field Level seats on the first base side don’t have any such obstructions. Pick those over these.

100 Level Baselines: Sections 101-132

These seats are behind the Field Level seats, starting with Row A, and then back as far as KK. Which means that the furthest row from the field in these sections is about 34 rows, which is pretty standard for an MLB lower level.

Much like the Field Level seats, the sections in left field (129-132) are angled towards home plate, which is good, but they also will not be able to see deep left field, which is bad. And that obstruction extends to Section 125. It’s not a dealbreaker, but if choosing 100 Level baseline seats, we say go for the right field corner rather than the left field corner. 

But the sweet spot is Sections 116-124, because that’s where you’ll have the best view of the Roberto Clemente Bridge and downtown Pittsburgh. So when choosing infield seats, go for the third base line rather than the first base line.

Honestly, we think you’re better off paying less for the 100 Level baseline seats than comparable Field level seats. And we say opt for a low row in the 100 Level infield rather than the 10 Level outfield.

The Bleachers: Sections 133-138

We’re not great fans of the lower level bleachers at PNC. First of all, they are metal benches, which we are rarely fond of. Second of all, they are very flat… the incline between rows isn’t great, so if you’re not sitting in the front row, your clearance over the person in front of you is very limited.

But we also think these seats just feel very removed from the game. The only benefit we can think of is that when the mascot race happens, the mascots will run right past the bleachers, making for great pictures or selfies. Other than that, we’re just not fans of these. And given how inexpensive better seats can be, we say skip these.

TSI TIP: if you are going to sit in the bleachers, avoid section 138, which will have an obstructed view to center field.

Center Field Seats: Sections 139-141

We’re not huge fans of these seats either, because we find them just as remote as the bleacher seats. But … these seats are actual seats with backs and armrests, so they are a major improvement. But if you’re going to opt for these, avoid Section 139, which will have an obstructed view to center field. Stick to Sections 140 and 141.

The upside to these seats is that they are near the Miller Lite Landing and Fathead’s bar, so if you’re someone who wants quick access to some craft beers, or wants to wander over to the bars to hang out on the rails a bit, this is a good home base for you to be able to get back to your seats.

Right Field Seats: Sections 142-147

When it comes to outfield seats, these are our top choice. These seats are elevated over the outfield, so you have a much better view of the field, and it’s much easier to see the action at the plate. Even the seats that are outside of the baselines in Sections 146 and 147 have an acceptable view, so even though we’d prioritize 142-145, all of these seats are ok. 

If you’re looking for a budget seat and specifically want to sit in the lower level, we say keep an eye on these.

Pirates Cove / All You Can Eat: Sections 201-205

These 200 Level seats are all-you-cat-eat seats. The good news is – they’re inexpensive: typically $49, plus fees. Now, to be sure, on most days you can definitely buy a lower level ticket for $49. But when you factor in that these include food and soft drinks, the value proposition of these is a little better.

And the other good thing is that these are pretty decent seats. They’ve got a spectacular view of the bridge, and they’re also angled towards the infield.

But here’s the downside: the food is really not very good. The quality is poor, and in addition, the portions are tiny. Now, maybe that’s not a big deal, because you can keep going back. But a serving of nachos is about a third of the size of a normal serving of nachos.

The other thing we really didn’t like about this area is that it was poorly maintained. There was trash all over the place, and the staff here was very, very slow to attend to it. Now, to be fair, the day we tried this there was a school outing there, which meant kids, and kids are… messy. But that was all the more reason for the Pirates to be paying attention, because there were other guests there (like us), and we found the mess to be pretty gross.

So … make sure to temper your expectations. If you want to power eat a bunch of low-quality hot dogs and nachos in a less than tidy environment, then $50 for this ticket is fine, I suppose. But honestly, we’d rather sit elsewhere and spend that money on some of the high-quality concessions on the general concourse. $30 for an outfield seat in right field, plus a pulled pork/pierogi hoagie and a beer would definitely be our choice over this.

Pittsburgh Baseball Club: Sections 207-228

The “Pittsburgh Baseball Club” is the name the Pirates have given to their club level seating. And we have to say: it’s one of the most interesting club level concourses we’ve seen in MLB. First of all, it’s huge. There’s so much space in this concourse – bars, seats, areas to hang out, pool tables – it’s just huge. And it’s also really interesting. They have tons of cool things to see, and it just feels like you’re in a ballpark that is a lot older than PNC Park is. It feels like an old world country club.

The strange thing is that nobody seems to care. Every time we go there the club level seems deserted – maybe because the ratio of open spaces to fans is a bit out of whack. But hey – their absence is your gain. If you like having an air conditioned concourse to duck into, and tons of table space to make yourself home at, and short lines for drinks and food, and good views of both the ballpark and the skyline, then the Pittsburgh Baseball Club is a very good option. It’s especially good if you’ve got kids – you’ll be able to get out of the heat when you need to and there’s places for them to sit down and snack.

TSI TIP: just so you know, the Pirates have named the three main bars on the club level. They are the Wigle Reserve Club behind 207, the Wigle Whiskey Club behind 216, and the City of Champions Bourbon Club behind 228. Those names don’t really mean anything, and you’ll be able to walk in/out of them (unless they happen to be reserved for some sort of group function). We just didn’t want you to think you needed special tickets to access these places.

200 Level Bleachers: Sections 235-238

If you’re going to sit in the bleachers, we prefer the 200 Level over the 100 Level. It’s just much easier to see the game. They are still metal benches, but at least they have seat backs, so they provide at least a small level of comfort.

TSI TIP: If you’re going to do the 200 Level bleachers, avoid section 238, which will have an obstructed view of center field.

Real Azul Club

This is the other all-inclusive club at PNC Park, but it’s really not well known. It’s hidden up on the suite level in shallow left field, with a capacity of just 55 fans. It was originally a couple of individual suites, but the Pirates combined them into this shared space.

It’s a very nice club. Nothing flashy, a bit understated, and it just feels very private. The seating is on the outside of the club (traditional outdoor suite types of seats), but there are also some rail seats inside the club with a view of the field. There’s a small buffet that’s included with your ticket, which includes mostly ballpark favorites, and soft drinks are included as well. But no alcohol – that’s extra.

If you’re looking for a premium ticket, and want to sort of be away from the crowd, then this is a good choice. We’d definitely pick the Home Plate Club over the Azul Club, but this is a fine option if you can find a ticket at a price that works for you. You can buy them directly from the Pirates for $220 and up, and occasionally they’ll pop up on resale sites. So check both, just in case.

300 Level Baselines: Sections 301-333

Even though PNC is an absolutely beautiful ballpark, it often just doesn’t have that many people in it. Saturdays average about 30,000, Fridays are 28,000, and Sundays are 23,000. And it doesn’t get any better during the week. So there are a ton of empty seats here, which brings us to our point: there isn’t a huge reason to have to sit upstairs, unless you’re on an extreme budget. 

The one great thing about sitting upstairs is the spectacular view of the bridge and downtown, but other than that, unless you’re here on one of those really busy days, we would suggest trying to sit downstairs.

If you are going to sit upstairs, go for a low row, and stick to the third base side for the view.

Bars and Standing Room Only Areas

Miller Lite Skull Bar

This bar area on the 100 Level is all the way in the right field corder, and is sometimes rented out to groups. But more often than not, it’s available to all fans, and aside from a huge bar, there’s a railing where you can stand and watch the game. It’s also right along the river, so if you want an amazing view to have a few drinks before the game, this is a great spot.

Fat Head’s Bar and Miller Lite Landing

Located in the outfield, these are really popular spots for the hang-out crowd. There are railings where you can watch the game, and it’s GA – if you want a spot, you should probably show up early, and make sure you have a wing person to hold your spot while you go back to the bar or to the restroom.

Bottom Line

PNC Park is absolutely beautiful, and there are plenty of tickets to go around. If you want to splurge, the Home Plate Club is a great space and the best seats in the house. But all you really need at PNC is a good lower level ticket, a cold beer, and a pierogi or two.