Gameday at Citizens Bank Park
So you’ve made it to Philadelphia, checked in to your hotel, game tickets are purchased, and maybe you’ve even explored the area you’re staying in. It’s time for the main event: the ballgame. So what should you do before and after the game? What about the best places to hang out inside the stadium before and during the games?
Where to pregame outside of Citizens Bank Park
Because Citizens Bank Park is located pretty far down in South Philadelphia, there aren’t many places nearby for you to go before and after the game. Your options are really limited to Xfinity Live! and Live! Casino, which are both very close to the ballpark and popular spots for fans before and after games.
Xfinity Live!
Xfinity Live! is a collection of sports bars under the same roof located catty-corner from the ballpark’s third base gate. Similar to the Rangers’ Texas Live and the Ballpark Village in St. Louis, it’s a huge space and features four distinct bars/restaurants that encircle the main center bar. You’ll probably recognize the main bar because it’s pretty common for TV broadcasts for Phillies or Eagles games to show a live shot from there (but don’t worry, it usually won’t be nearly that crowded before, during, or after a regular season Phillies game, although the postgame weekend crowd can really pack it in).
Each of the outer bars has an outdoor patio, and behind the building is a concert stage and a miniature turf football field. The food doesn’t vary much in any of the restaurants and is pretty standard bar fare, but the main bar area does feature a few iconic food items for walk-up purchase, including Chickie’s and Pete’s Crab Fries, Geno’s Cheesesteaks, and Lorenzo’s Pizza. Summer weekends feature cover bands and DJs in the different areas before and after games and plenty of TVs to watch other games and events.
Live! Casino
Live! Casino is pretty new (opened January 2021) and is located just across the parking lot from Citizens Bank Park. We discussed it in the “Lodging” section, but as downtown casinos go, we have to admit — it’s really quite nice. It has a full Vegas-style casino, as well as a large sportsbook. There are also three standalone restaurants in addition to some grab-and-go food options.
TSI TIP: if you’d rather do dessert after the game, Termini Bros. pastry and ice cream shop in the food court at Live! is fantastic, and definitely less expensive than dessert prices inside the stadium. Sure, we’d suggest getting some water ice in the ballpark, but for anything more, this is a strong suggestion.
If you’re relying on ridesharing to get to and from the game, it’s a good idea to pop into one of these places for at least some time after the game to let the traffic and other fans clear out. Even with a new, designated area for rideshare pickups, it might take you a little bit to get out of the parking lots.
Where to pregame inside Citizens Bank Park
TSI TIP: the Third Base and Left Field Gates open earlier than the other gates (two hours during the week, 2.5 hours on weekends) instead of 90-minutes and will provide access to Ashburn Alley, Pass & Stow, The Yard, and some other areas. So if you’re getting to the park early, make sure to go to these gates for early admission.
Pass and Stow
There are some really good options if you want to get into the stadium early and hang out. Pass and Stow (named for the gentlemen who cast the Liberty Bell) is a sports bar/restaurant that is right inside the third base gate. It’s open 90 minutes before each game and will allow you to skip the longer entrance lines that form closer to game time. The food is pretty standard, but it has more craft beer options in one place than most of the other sections of the park. If it’s hot, or you simply feel like having a sit-down, restaurant-style meal before the game, this is a nice option.
Kona Big Wave Bar
Right outside of Pass and Stow is the Kona Big Wave Bar (formerly Goose Island Bar), which is an outdoor beer garden that also serves pizza. It’s a beautiful area of the park to hang out in on a nice summer day. While this area is inside the stadium, it’s on the outside of the main concourse with no view of the field, so we’d really only recommend it for pregaming. Set up like a traditional beer garden with areas of high-top seating, benches, and long tables, you don’t necessarily feel as if you’re in a ballpark, until you see the fans streaming in through the entrance.
Miller Lite Liberty Landing
Behind the 100 level of the left field seats (sections 142-145) is the Miller Lite Liberty Landing, an open bar area with both low and high-top tables and a space to mill around. If you get to the ballpark early and get a table, not only do you have a great place to pregame, but you can also stay there to watch the entire game if you want to. This area is also great for people watching, as it’s the concourse immediately behind the 100 level seats. It provides great access for you to get to Ashburn Alley, the Wall of Fame, the Boardwalk area, and The Yard.
Coca-Cola Corner (formerly The Boardwalk)
The Boardwalk area in the left field corner is home to classic ballpark and boardwalk foods, in addition to Bull’s Barbecue where they serve great barbecue food and former Phillies outfielder Greg “The Bull” Luzinski hangs out most nights.
TSI editor tip: Bull’s BBQ is known to offer a burnt ends cheesesteak. So if you’re looking for something a little bit different, that might be worth checking out.
I thought it was a little on the fatty side, and preferred the other cheesesteaks, but I think it’s worth trying if burnt ends are your thing.
Harry the K’s
Above the Miller Lite Liberty Landing, on the 200 level, is the Harry the K’s bar (named for legendary announcer Harry Kalas). It’s also got a handful of general admission/first-come, first-get high-top and regular tables to eat, drink, take in the game, or just hang out with your traveling party. As you’re in the 200 level, there will be a little bit less foot traffic, and it only has a few sections of seating in front of it, so it would be a [relatively] quiet place to hang out.
Things to see: Ashburn Alley
If you’d like to have a view of the field or be able to stand above the away bullpen watching their starting pitcher warm up, then head out to Ashburn Alley, the center field concourse promenade (named for Phillies Hall of Fame center fielder Richie Ashburn). There you’ll find some of the most popular food items in the park, the team store, picnic tables, and a great view of the ballpark. It definitely gets pretty congested during the games, so going there before the game lets you take it all in before heading to your seats.
If you’re an away fan, you might be able to get closer to your starting pitcher than you could at your home ballpark (and if you’re rooting for the Phillies, well, you understand the value of getting close to the opposing pitcher). There is also an upper level to Ashburn Alley which provides an even better elevated view of the stadium and of the city skyline behind you, so it’s worth heading up there for a quick look.
Other areas to check out
Behind the left field concourse, you’ll find the Phillies Wall of Fame where you can see the plaques of Phillies legends as well as statues of the Phillies’ retired numbers. If you happen to get premium tickets in the Hall of Fame Club in the 200 level (see our Seating chapter for more), we strongly recommend spending some time checking out the great memorabilia and displays up there.
And if want to see an entire display case of Philly Phanatic bobbleheads, head upstairs to Section 234. It’s pretty cool, and we all have to admit: the Phanatic is the greatest mascot ever.
TSI NOTE: We wish we could tell you that the actual Philly Phanatic poses for pictures with fans. Unfortunately, he doesn’t. There’s a knock-off version of the Phanatic that does walk around the concourse, but it’s definitely not the real mascot.
We do not know of any spots where you can get a picture with the Phanatic, which makes sense, because 20,000 people per game would try to.
If you happen to spot the fake Phanatic, sure … stop and take a picture. But you’ll never look at it again, because you’ll know it’s not the real thing. At best it’s a good photo op for kids who may not notice the difference.
Family friendly spot: The Yard
If you’re traveling with kids, you definitely need to check out The Yard in right field (it’s worth checking out even without younger fans). Located in the back of the concourse in right-center field, The Yard’s centerpiece is a replica Citizens Bank Park which serves as a wiffle ball field from the time the ballpark opens through the seventh inning. There is a stadium employee who serves as a batting practice pitcher and even a miniature jumbotron so you’re never missing the real game on the field.
In addition to the replica Citizens Bank Park, there is a rock-climbing wall, an ice cream bar, and a hot dog launcher. If you plan on actually watching the Phillies game, you may want to bring the kids to this area before the game starts because it is pretty hard to walk away from.
Bottom Line
For a stadium in the middle of a sea of parking lots, there is a surprising amount of things to do and see inside the ballpark on gameday. We’d suggest getting into the ballpark when the gates open for at least one of your games and do the full-walking tour. If you’re looking for pregame drinks, XFinityLive is definitely worth checking out, but on a nice day, the bars inside the stadium are good places to hang out.