Gameday

Parking

Citi Field parking lots open one hour prior to the stadium gates opening (90 minutes prior to first pitch). So, to help you with the math, all Citi Field parking lots open 2.5 hours before first pitch. If you have a valid accessible parking placard, there are spaces located in Lots B and F and there are always plenty of parking attendants on-site and to direct you where to go. 

Tailgating

If you drive to Citi Field and want to do some tailgating, it is allowed in certain parking lots – C, D, E, F – which are the main lots. However, the Mets and New York City have a lot of rules and regulations, and there is always a police presence in the parking lot keeping an eye on the situation. You are only allowed to use your one parking spot to tailgate in front of or behind that vehicle. Tents, coolers, tables and grills must fit within that one parking space boundary. No open flames of any type are allowed and consumption of alcohol is prohibited. 

Now, to be fair, no one tailgates without alcohol, we get it. But these are the official rules, and we wanted you to know about them. If the police decide to enforce this rule to the letter of the law, they can give you a ticket of up to $25, so it’s not the end of the world. Plus, you’d have a lovely souvenir of your trip to New York!

Ridesharing

You can definitely take Uber or Lyft to Citi Field, and when you arrive, your driver will drop you off right next to the stadium. However, after the game – like most airports and other venues – Citi Field has a specific pick-up location for rideshares. The best way to get to this location is to head in the opposite direction of everyone else exiting the stadium, towards center field. Then exit through the “K Korner” stairs or the Bullpen Gate. From there you just need to walk one block north on Seaver Way and look for the orange and blue rideshare pickup zone signs, numbered 1-3, along Shea Road.

Establishments outside the stadium

No matter how you get to the stadium, you can grab a drink and some apps before heading into the ballpark at one of two bars/restaurants that are attached to the stadium – but are not technically in the stadium. One of those spots is “The K Korner,” which is a bar/restaurant attached to Citi Field on Seaver Way, beyond center field. The bar is open pre-game until first pitch with some additional post-game hours on the weekends. 

A second option is the Queens outpost of EBBS Brewing Co., which is also located on the exterior of Citi Field, beyond right field. EBBS offers locally brewed beers on tap, as well as small bites. You can not go back and forth from either of these establishments to Citi Field, but they are a cool place to pop in before the game.

Visit Shea Stadium

There are two very obvious relics of Shea Stadium at Citi Field: the scoreboard facade that hangs above a concession stand beyond center field, and the original Home Run Apple, which sits in a bed of flowers outside the main entrance. But there’s also a hidden gem for those who care. If you walk into the main parking lot of Citi Field from the Rotunda, you will find markers for the locations of home plate, the pitching mound, and all three bases from Shea. What is amazing about standing at home plate, imagining what it was like to stare down Tom Seaver, is that you realize how close Citi Field is in relation to Shea’s plate. From these markers, you can envision and walk the different big moments in Mets’ history, such as Mookie Wilson’s little roller that found its way through Bill Buckner’s legs, or stand on the spot where Pete Rose and Bud Harrelson brawled in the 1973 NLCS.

Tom Seaver Statue

Prior to the start of the 2022 season, the Mets unveiled a statue of Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, who is known to Mets’ fans as “The Franchise.” Created by sculptor William Behrends, the 10-foot, 3,200-pound statue is located just outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which is the main entrance to Citi Field. It captures Seaver about to deliver a pitch and is a sight to behold. There is some controversy with the statue, however, as the sculptor inadvertently used the wrong font for the uniform number on the back and the “4” in the “41” is missing the little stub extending off the right side.

The Jackie Robinson Rotunda (and the Mets Museum)

When Citi Field opened, it was built to replicate the facade of Ebbets Field, the old home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. As such, the main entrance to the stadium is called the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, and includes huge photos of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ great and a nine-foot tall No. 42 that is basically used as a photo booth for social media posts. 

But new renovations for 2024 have made the Rotunda much more Mets-centric. This includes the Mets Hall of Fame plaques, which have been moved into the Rotunda. The Hall of Fame itself, however, which used to take up a good portion of the entry level, has been replaced by a larger team store. Now renamed, the “Mets Museum” has been tucked far into the outfield of the field level, in what appears to be a small office with some memorabilia. Sadly, it’s hardly worth the walk to the outfield.

Hall of Fame Plaques

As mentioned above, the 35 members of the Mets Hall of Fame have had their plaques moved from what used to be the Hall of Fame on the ground level of the Rotunda to the Field Level, just as you step off the escalators from the Rotunda. This allows everyone to move around the several columns of plaques, and get a good view of Mets’ legends.

Batting Practice

Gates at Citi Field open 90 minutes before the start of each game so that guests may arrive early to enjoy all the amenities that Citi Field has to offer, including batting practice. Fans are allowed to walk down in the field level to watch batting practice and are then ushered out of the section when batting practice ends. It is important to note that not all teams take batting practice before every game. It is common that the Mets do not take batting practice prior to a day game that follows a night game.

Fanfest Area

Fanfest is the large area located directly behind the largest scoreboard in all of Major League Baseball. This area is complete with many food options, beer gardens, bars, and plenty of high-top tables to hang out and consume. If you are there while the game is being played, don’t worry – although your view of the field will be completely obstructed by the mammoth scoreboard, there is a live broadcast on a huge 6,900-square-foot video display on the back of the scoreboard. 

Attending the game with your family? Does your child want to take part in their very own Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby? Within the Fanfest Area – anytime between the time gates open until the seventh inning – they have a miniature replica playing field and batting cages for kids who are less than 54-inches tall, a speed-pitch dunk tank (during the summer months), video games, and sometimes a DJ. 

Fanfest is also the home for an emotional franchise relic – the skyline facade that used to be on the top of the final scoreboard that stood at Shea Stadium. However, this is more than just a nostalgic stadium heirloom. The skyline, with its neon lights, stood atop the hulking Shea scoreboard since 1987. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the Mets turned off the light bulbs on the Twin Towers section of the skyline and covered the Towers with a red, white, and blue ribbon placed over them. When the Mets moved to Citi Field, the entire skyline was taken to Citi Field and now sits above a concession stand.

Biggest Scoreboard in MLB

The main scoreboard at Citi Field is the largest scoreboard across all professional ballparks and over three times larger than Citi Field’s previous scoreboard. The 17,400 square-foot, 4K video display features instant replays, up-close game action, game stats, interactive fan experiences, and more. Sure, every scoreboard does that, right? However, just the sheer size of this display is overwhelming and extremely impressive.

Mr. and Mrs. Met

If you or your family would like a photo of Mr. Met – or his lovely partner Mrs. Met, who is often at the games as well – you can find them in the FanFest area beyond center field for an hour before gametime. Otherwise, they roam the stadium throughout the game and will always stop for a photo.

A Food Tease

So here is the deal – we can’t tell you about all of the amazing food items at Citi Field. There are just far too many. Many of the more interesting offerings are on the Field Level, which all fans can access. There are more than two dozen different stands that offer everything from gourmet burgers, to lobster rolls and loaded lobster baked potatoes, to hot pastrami on rye – which is carved in front of you – to authentic Mexican tacos, fresh sushi, and a lot more. There are high-end chicken sandwiches, Kosher and vegetarian options, and bars galore. Be sure to take a full lap of the field level before making your selection. 

TSI Tip: If you are sitting in the Promenade Levels (400/500 Sections), get your food on the 100 level before heading up to your seats. Even though some specialty items are available upstairs, a lot of them aren’t, and this is not a ballpark where you should want to miss food options.

Stadium Exclusives

One cool aspect of the gameday experience is the opportunity to get something truly collectible, while supporting a good cause. The Mets Grab Bag is located on the first level, right behind home plate, adjacent to the team shop selling game-worn uniforms, game-used balls, etc. The Mets Grab Bag costs $40 per “grab” and all of the proceeds benefit the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, which is committed to providing needed services and opportunities to children, families, and underserved groups in the neighborhoods and communities near Citi Field. Items you can win include signed baseballs, photos, photo-plaques with pieces of game-used bats or uniforms, or full game-used player jerseys. You can also win small plastic salt shakers that hold infield dirt from Citi Field.

Area Attractions

If you have time before or after a game, there are several things to do in the immediate vicinity of Citi Field. When Shea Stadium (Citi Field’s predecessor) was built in 1964, it was part of the New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Park. If you are interested, there are still relics from that fair standing not far from the stadium that you can explore. For example, the carousel that was the centerpiece of the Lake Amusement Area now stands outside of the Queens Zoo, which is in the northwestern part of the park. It still operates and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also still standing are the most iconic relics from the Fair – the Unisphere, the Observation Towers, and the Tent of Tomorrow. 

Not far from the stadium is the New York Hall of Science, which was the Museum of Science and Technology during the World’s Fair. Today, this is a cutting-edge science museum that is definitely worth the trip if you have a few hours to spend there. 

Finally, there is the Queens Zoo, which is also in Flushing Meadows Park. This is a small zoo, but has a fun petting zoo area for kids and is a good place to spend an hour or two on a nice day.