Gameday
“If you build it, they will come.”
Hats off to the city of Denver for watching Field of Dreams, and believing the words of the Iowa cornfield. When they broke ground on Coors Field in 1992, the surrounding neighborhood was filled with old warehouses, very few scattered businesses, and a “let’s get out of here before the sun goes down” type of vibe.
By the time the park opened in 1995, bars and restaurants were moving into the area, and today it stands as the premiere entertainment district in Denver. Twelve months a year, baseball or no baseball, LoDo and the Ballpark District are where you go for breweries, sports bars, live music venues, and dining.
And during the baseball season, it’s the perfect way to complement your game day experience.
LoDo for Pre- and Post-Game
Drinking
In all directions there are bars within a few blocks of Coors Field. If you want to imbibe before the game begins, afterwards, or both, there is no shortage of options.
Breweries
Denver is a beer drinker’s paradise. It is filled with good breweries, and some of the best are within a short walk of Coors Field.
The first brewpub to open in Denver was Wynkoop Brewing Company. It’s been around since 1988, seven years before Coors Field came to be. It’s just two blocks from the ballpark, and features Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout. Yep. It contains exactly what you think it does. Do you have the “cajones” to try it?
Just on the other side of the South Platte River is Denver Beer Co. and Cerveceria Colorado. Denver Beer has its Yum Yum series – a collection of fruit flavored Kolsch style beers – and Cerveceria Colorado has Mexican style lagers, IPAs, and a Churro Stout.
Jagged Mountain Brewery, three blocks from Coors Field, embraces the outdoor life in Colorado. It breaks its beers into three categories, Trailhead Beers (approachable and easy drinking), Basecamp Beers (more adventurous and creative), and Summit Beers (their most adventurous beers). Jagged Mountain also features gluten free beers, collaborations with other area breweries, and non-alcoholic kombucha.
Rooftop Bars
One of the most popular places to drink in LoDo, and the place I recommend to visitors the most, is Tap Fourteen on Blake Street, less than a block from Coors Field. Tap Fourteen is named for Colorado’s 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet.
It has a great rooftop, with water misters for really hot days, and a fire pit for colder days. There are 70 different Colorado craft beers on tap, more than 50 Colorado whiskeys, and views of the Denver skyline. There are also more than a dozen cocktails crafted from Colorado spirits, and daily specials plus happy hour seven days a week.
El Patio is a Mexican-fusion rooftop restaurant and bar one block from the ballpark. Margaritas are the specialty, but they have multiple full bars. Nachos, tacos, and Mexican sushi are on the menu, to go along with live music later in the evening.
The rooftop at Viewhouse has great views of Coors Field and the mountains in one direction, and the downtown skyline in the other. They are open for lunch through late night, and they feature 35 local taps, 15 local distilleries, and 40 specialty cocktails. It does become a club on weekend nights, but even if that’s not your thing, it’s still a great place to watch sports and enjoy a drink earlier in the day. And they have a weekday happy hour as well.
Eating
All of the above breweries and rooftop bars have food menus, and there are numerous other places close to Coors Field to eat.
There are really nice restaurants you can go to before or after games, like Water Grill (three blocks away), Denver Chop House Brewery (one block away), and Carmine’s (on McGregor Square across the street from Coors Field).
Water Grill is an upscale seafood restaurant with the best oyster bar downtown, Chop House brews good beer and has great steaks, and Carmine’s is a good value Italian restaurant with an extensive wine list. All three places recommend reservations.
If you want good food without the cloth napkins, Cherry Cricket (across from Gate B) is a multiple-winner of the best burger in Denver. Mexico City Restaurant & Lounge has been in the neighborhood since 1968, and their deep fried tacos are something to behold. They’re also open for breakfast on Sunday.
The best slice is found at Marquis Pizza, which shares a space with the live music venue, Marquis Theater. Because of the music venue, Marquis Pizza, with its New York style slices and pies, stays open until 2am.
The best and most unique hot dog place in the city is Biker Jim’s. You can visit Biker Jim’s inside Coors Field, which is highly recommended. But for their full menu, which includes hot dogs made from Ostrich, Wild Boar, Rattlesnake, and Jack-A-Lope, you need to stop in their main store at 22nd and Larimer.
When inside the park I always opt for the Elk Jalapeno Cheddar Dog with cream cheese and grilled onions.
Brunch
If you want to hit brunch before your game at Coors Field, the neighborhood has you covered.
Snooze is a great breakfast place, and it has two locations in the area – one inside Union Station, and the other at Park and Larimer, three blocks from the other side of the stadium.
Another favorite breakfast place in the neighborhood is The Delectable Egg at 17th and Market, four blocks from the ballpark. Three blocks from Coors Field down 20th is the 20th Street Mexican Cafe. The 20th Street Cafe has been there since 1946, and this new Mexican iteration has the best and most affordable breakfast burritos in the downtown area. You can also ask for your burrito to be portable so you can take it into the ballpark (which is allowed).
For brunch on the nicer side, Spanish restaurant Rioja is five blocks from Coors Field in Larimer Square, and it offers brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The Thirsty Lion at Union Station offers brunch on Saturday and Sunday and has a menu featuring 17 different breakfast cocktails.
The Pig & The Sprout, two blocks behind Coors Field, serves its brunch menu from 9am to 3pm every Saturday and Sunday, and on the pig side of the menu they offer things like bacon candy, a brisket benedict, and chicken fried chicken and waffles.
Gameday Deals
Unfortunately, most of the bars and restaurants around Coors Field do not offer deals to baseball fans. And many of them offer anti-deals. The happy hour specials that they normally offer are suspended when there is a home game. Their philosophy is that you’re going to be there anyway and they don’t need to incentivize your patronage.
That’s why the places that do offer specials stand out so much.
The Ice House Tavern is one block from the ballpark and two blocks from Union Station, and if you show them your ticket after the game you get slices of pizza for $2. This is one of the best places to watch Saturday and Sunday football, and I can promise that the pizza is worth the trip. So are the wings. They also have both everyday specials and happy hour deals.
The Ice House normally opens at 3pm everyday, except when the Rockies play a day game. Then the tavern opens at 11am.
Milepost Zero is a casual food hall and bar at McGregor Square, just across the street from Coors Field, and they offer a game day specials drink list. Coors drafts (Light and Banquet) are $5, a beer and a shot costs $7, Casamigos margaritas are $13, a shot of Jack is $10, a Tin Cup shot is $4, and you and your friends can do a shot ski for $16.
The highly regarded Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, three blocks from Coors Field on 17th St., offers a special Game Day Menu when the Rockies have a home game. The menu includes:
- Gumbo-topped hot dog ($10)
- Crab meat-topped hot dog ($13)
- Crab cake sliders ($26)
- Deep fried peanuts ($3)
- Sweet potato chips and house chips ($4)
- Purple Wave Cocktail – vodka, hibiscus, curacao, lemon, soda ($8)
Jax also offers its regular happy hour everyday, which includes five wines by the glass and eight specialty cocktails for under $10.
Viewhouse, with its superior rooftop deck, offers their Home Run Cocktail (Tito’s and Blueberry Red Bull) for $10.
National Ballpark Museum
At some point during your visit to Denver and Coors Field, you must visit the National Ballpark Museum. It began as a private collection of baseball memorabilia, and has since been recognized by Stephen Wong’s book, Smithsonian Baseball, as one the top 20 finest private baseball collections in the world.
It is the only museum in existence dedicated to the 14 classic ballparks – Crosley Field (Cincinnati), Forbes Field (Pittsburgh), Sportsman’s Park (St. Louis), Shibe Park (Philadelphia), Ebbets Field (Brooklyn), League Park (Cleveland), Wrigley Field (Chicago), Comiskey Park (Chicago), Braves Field (Boston), Original Yankee Stadium (New York), Tiger Stadium (Detroit), Griffith Stadium (Washington, D.C.), Fenway Park (Boston), and the Polo Grounds (New York).
There are old seats, turnstiles, usher uniforms, tickets, bases, gloves, player uniforms, bats, autographs, Babe Ruth’s 1932 tax return (seriously), and dozens of other artifacts for each of the 14 classic ballparks, designated by the owner of the collection, Bruce Hellerstein, as ballparks built between 1909 and 1923.
The National Ballpark Museum is less than a block from Coors Field, and is open Monday through Saturday, 11am to 5pm. Admission is $20 for adults, but kids under 16 and military personnel are free.
Entering Coors Field
Gates
There are five main gates for entry into Coors Field lettered A through E, and special entrances for suites and the Toyota Clubhouse, Legacy Club, and PNC Press Club.
The only thing to know here is that Gates A and E open two hours before first pitch, whereas the rest of the gates open a half hour later. So if you want to get in early, go to Gates A or E, but note: you’ll only be allowed to hang out in the left field area for those first 30 minutes, where you can chase home run balls from batting practice, or on the Rooftop for their pre-game $3 beers. You won’t be able to fully roam the park until the rest of the gates open.
TSI TIP: Because Gate D (behind home plate) is the closest gate to the bars and restaurants, the lines can get 40 or 50 people deep on a busy night as game time approaches. Meanwhile, just a little further down Blake Street, the lines at Gate C never get beyond 15 to 20 people. Plus, Gate C has a line for CLEAR members.
TSI TIP: Don’t confuse the CLEAR program to get into ballparks with the CLEAR membership that helps you skip security at airports. The latter is a paid annual subscription, but the former is available to all fans, for free. Click here for more info on signing up, which you should, because CLEAR offers this same service at many other ballparks.
Checking Luggage at Coors Field
The Rockies offer a free luggage storage service at Gate E, which is a perfect setup for anyone heading to the airport after the game. Gate E is staffed for the entire game, so your belongings will be secure and you’ll be able to get them up until 30 minutes after the game. Gate E is also the closest exit to Union Station, where you can catch the train to the airport, so the location of the bag check couldn’t be more convenient.
Entering with Food and Drink
Coors Field allows you to enter the park with any non-alcoholic drink that is in a factory sealed plastic bottle. All glass and cans are prohibited, regardless of their content, and all alcohol is prohibited regardless of the container. You are also allowed to enter with empty insulated cups and thermoses no greater than 22 ounces. Each level of Coors Field has water fill stations.
Any food that you can fit into your 16x16x8 bag can be brought into the ballpark. There is all kinds of good food within a couple of blocks of the park, and much of it is better than what you will get inside Coors Field. Feel free to bring it through the gates with you.
Top choices from the immediate area:
- Cheesesteaks (Hummus Goodness – 21st and Market)
- Empanadas (Lazo Empanadas – 22nd and Market)
- Burgers/sandwiches (5 on Lawrence – 21st and Lawrence)
- Chicken tenders (Tony Tenderonis – 20th and Market)
- Gourmet sausages and dogs (Biker Jim’s – 22nd and Larimer)
- Burritos (20th St. Mexican Cafe – 20th and Lawrence)
You will also pass a number of vendors selling burritos and dogs out of coolers, vans, push carts, etc. I’ve never trusted them with my stomach, but the same vendors are there year after year, and they do sell a lot of carry-in food.
Other Prohibited Items (because we figured you’d ask)
Marijuana is legal in Colorado and Denver, and there are a number of dispensaries within a few blocks of Coors Field. But it is not allowed inside the ballpark. Do not attempt to bring it into the park. If it is found, it will be taken from you. And if you smoke it in the park, you will be escorted out by police.
Inside the Park
Stadium Tours
If you want to get behind the scenes at Coors Field, there are ballpark tours Monday through Saturday all year long.
- Non-game days: Tours are available at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm.
- Evening game days: Tours are available at 10am and 12pm.
- Afternoon games there are no tours.
The tour lasts between 70 and 80 minutes, and it covers a distance of about one mile. All areas of the tour are accessible for guests with disabilities. For more information on the tour, check out the Rockies site.
Batting Practice
If you want to see batting practice, Gates A and E open up two hours before the game starts, and the left field bleachers are open to sit and watch the batters, and possibly catch a ball. The Rooftop is also open two hours before the game starts, but the rest of the park doesn’t open until 90 minutes before the game.
For day games following a night game there is no batting practice. However, the gate opening times remain the same.
Autographs
On the first Sunday home game of every month, the Rockies have Autograph Sunday. Select players will be available for autographs at the bottom of sections 116-120, 90 minutes and up to an hour before the game begins. Most Sunday games begin at 1:10pm, meaning that most Autograph Sundays begin at 11:40am and end just after noon.
Outside of Autograph Sundays, you can always try and get autographs before the game. The younger the fan, the more likely it is that one of the players near the front row will stop and sign something. Be sure to be nice to the ushers and the players, and definitely carry your own pen.
The front row between the dugouts and the outfield are your best bets, but of course there are no guarantees.
Points of Interest
The Rockies do have two Hall of Famers in Larry Walker and Todd Helton, and one World Series appearance in 2007. But there is no Rockies Hall of Fame to check out at the ballpark, and outside of the specialty clubs there isn’t much memorabilia to look at.
There are, however, two things to check out that are unique to Coors Field. The first is the purple row – Row 20 in the 300 upper level. This is exactly one mile above sea level. Go see it, take pictures, take in the view. You can also go over to the Rooftop and see the purple beam that has a big 5280 sign hanging from it. It’s a good picture spot.
The second place to check out is the batter’s eye in center field. Every ballpark has one – it’s the black or green area, free of fans so that the batter has a solid background to see the pitched ball. At Coors Field the batter’s eye is a mountain forest, with pine trees, aspen, ponds, and waterfalls. There are usually ducks living in it, and for a long time a family of foxes made it their home.
Meeting Dinger (Rockies Mascot)
When Coors Field was being built, a dinosaur fossil was discovered during the excavation process. And thus, a team mascot was born. He is the Dinger the Dinosaur, and you will mostly see him on the dugouts and behind home plate doing his mascot thing.
If you want to meet Dinger and get an autograph and pictures with him, from the top of the 3rd inning to the middle of the 4th inning, he’s on the main concourse in center field, just below the Rockpile.
Every year in April the Rockies celebrate “Dinger Day”, and all of the other mascots in town – Bernie the St. Bernard (NHL’s Avalanche), Rocky the Mountain Lion (NBA’s Nuggets), Thunder (NFL’s Broncos), Wooly (pro lacrosse team the Mammoth), and Slapshot (AHL’s Colorado Eagles) – come to Coors Field to join the party.
Kids Zones
There are two playgrounds at Coors Field that are staffed by ushers the entire time the ballpark is open to fans. One is in the left field corner, behind sections 149 and 150. The maximum height for entry is 42 inches, but the ushers aren’t going to turn away your slightly too tall kid.
There is another playground underneath the Rockpile in center field, but it’s dark under there and there isn’t a view of the field. So while the child is probably going to enjoy themselves, mom and dad may not.
The left field playground is definitely the better of the two.
In right field, Coors Field has its interactive zone, which features pitching cages with a miles per hour gun, and virtual batting cages for the Home Run Challenge. Anyone age 7 and older can participate.
Game-Used Collectibles
There aren’t many better ways to celebrate your day at the ballpark than with a piece of memorabilia that was actually used in the game you watched.
At the Rockies Authentics kiosk behind section 146, beginning in the 7th inning, you can purchase baseballs that are from the game that day. You can also find a number of other game-used items, like jerseys, helmets, bats, balls, and lineup cards.
For a complete list of what is available, send an email to authentics@rockies.com. (Seriously … that’s what the Rockies recommend doing: www.mlb.com/rockies/fans/authentics
You can also find game used items at the Rally Store at McGregor Square across the street from Coors Field.
The Sandlot Brewery
In the right field corner of the concourse, but not with a view of the field, is The Sandlot. It’s a brewery that has been in Coors Field since the stadium was built in 1995, and at the time it was the only brewery located inside an MLB stadium. If you are familiar with Blue Moon beer, you will be interested to know that it was first created at the Sandlot Brewery in 1995.
The brewery features multiple self-brewed beers, as well as a full complement of barbecue, including brisket, smoked sausage, pulled pork, burnt ends, and the barbecue side dishes we all know and love. For Coors Field, it’s one of the better concession options in the park, and is popular amongst locals. But it’s hidden in a corner, so it can be difficult for visitors to find. Now you know – it’s behind 113/114.
It does not offer views of the field – only TVs – but it is an excellent place to kill a rain delay, as I have done a time or three. Or have your pregame meal there, enjoy a Left Field Lager, Right Field Red, or a Belly Slide Wit, and then head to your seats.
There appears to be an entrance to The Sandlot outside the park on Blake Street. That’s just for employees. The only way to access the brewery is from inside the stadium and the brewery is only open when the ballpark is open.
The Rooftop
Once upon a time, the right field upper deck at Coors Field was exactly like the left field. A section of lower 300 level seats, topped by an upper section of 300 level seats. But the right field seats were further away from the field, and they were in the sun. For the most part, sections U301 to U309 sat unused.
Then someone with the Rockies had a great idea. People don’t want to sit in these seats, but I bet they would drink in them. So all of the upper level seats were removed, multiple bars and drink rails were installed, and the largest bar in the state of Colorado was born.
It is worth a visit, especially before the game. From two hours before the game, right up until first pitch, you can get 12 ounce domestic drafts for $3. It is the cheapest beer in all of Major League Baseball, and the cheapest beer in Denver.
There are lounges, televisions all over the place (great for keeping tabs on playoff basketball and hockey in the spring, and football in the fall), Smashburger is there, serving up the best burger in the stadium, and there is room for thousands of fans to stand and enjoy the social side of baseball.
Even if you don’t have a ticket in one of the seats in the front of the Rooftop, and even if you don’t want to stand at one of the rails, you should at least stop by. It’s a baseball party that is unique to Coors Field, and the nightly view of the sunset over the mountains is spectacular.
Bottom Line
Coors Field is a beautiful ballpark, and you will enjoy your time inside. But the game and the ballpark are only a small part of your overall experience. Drink and dinner before the game, a concert after it, whatever you enjoy, it’s available on game day.
