How to get to Busch Stadium
Getting from the Airport to Downtown
If you missed our guide on getting from the airport to downtown in the travel section, here’s the rundown:
- The MetroLink will take you to the stadium from the airport for $2.50 with trains every 20 minutes (35-40 minute transit time). It’s safe and effective, especially if the hotel you’re staying at is close to a station.
- Rideshare is available for about $35-40 and taxis for $50 for the ~20 minute drive to downtown.
- Rental cars are available but are generally not required.
Getting to the Ballpark
Downtown St. Louis is a small place, and getting around isn’t all that complicated. If you’re someone who enjoys walking, then there’s a good chance that your feet are all that you’ll need. But in case you need something more, here’s the quick rundown on how to get to the ballpark.
MetroLink
Like the light rail in many cities, the St. Louis MetroLink has historically had a less than stellar reputation. However, with an ongoing $52M security project, the city has made safety on the MetroLink a high priority and taking it is perfectly reasonable for a tourist from either the airport to downtown or around the immediate downtown area. If you pick a hotel near a MetroLink stop, it can be hard to justify the $40 rideshare fare over a $2.50 rail fare.
That said, after you reach your hotel, it will be much more convenient to get around on foot and, if you want to venture beyond downtown, via rideshare, especially if you’re with multiple people. A rideshare to Forest Park, for example, will cost $2.50 per person each way on MetroLink, but only $15-20 each way via rideshare.
For getting to the ballpark, the Stadium MetroLink stop is located just across the street from the west side of the stadium, near the Stan Musial statue. Both the red and blue lines serve this station, with trains of alternating colors every 10 minutes. Most MetroLink stations have free park-and-ride (the parking is free, not the ride), so it’s a good option if you have a car and don’t want to deal with traffic and parking downtown.
If you’re staying downtown either close to Union Station or north of Gateway Arch National Park, taking MetroLink can save you 10-15 minutes of walking time to the ballpark. Other than that, there just won’t be that many places where the MetroLink will help you once you’re downtown.
| MetroLink Rail Fares | Adult | Child (4 and under) | Child (5-12) | Senior/Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single ride | $2.50 | Free | $1.25 | Only with permit |
| 2-hour pass / transfer | $3.00 | Free | Use single ride fare | Only with permit |
| One day pass | $5.00 | Free | Use single ride fare | Only with permit |
*Reduced fares for seniors or people with disabilities require advance permits. We find this surprising, but that’s oddly the case.
Bus
MetroBus operates throughout the region and uses the same Transit app that MetroLink uses, allowing you to plan routes and pay on your phone. But except for very specific circumstances, the MetroBus is likely not going to be an ideal way for visitors to get to the ballpark since rideshare will be much faster while also being affordable. Skip the bus – it’s not worth it.
Scooter Rental
Both Lime (Uber) and Bird have scooters (but no bikes) available for rent in St. Louis, with Lime being more plentiful around the stadium. They both have extensive “no-go” and “no parking” regions throughout the area, so check the app and plan your route before renting one. If you haven’t used these before, this means that there are only certain places where you can park your scooter and mark it as “returned.” If you try to end your rental in a “no-parking” location, the app won’t allow you to end your rental, and you’ll have to go back to an approved zone. But we were able to park ours in front of the Live by Loews hotel at the entrance to Ballpark Village, so returning them really isn’t a problem.
(Just so you know, many of the “no-go” spots on these charts are inside of buildings, not streets. So really, you shouldn’t have much of a problem with no-go areas downtown.)
On Foot
If you stay downtown, Busch Stadium should be within walking distance. We consider it to be a safe walk from any downtown hotel, even at night, so this shouldn’t be a worry.
By Rideshare or Taxi
Busch’s designated pickup/dropoff location is on the eastern side of the stadium (Right Field – Gate 6) on Broadway. You’ll see a dedicated “no parking” lane for pickups and dropoffs. Lyft has no restrictions on pickup location and will let you drop a pin right there, but when traffic is heavy after a game, Uber will sometimes only allow pickup along Market Street (at 8th, Kiener Plaza, or Broadway).
If that happens (and you don’t want to use Lyft for whatever reason), just walk through Ballpark Village past the giant World Series trophy and meet your driver at Market & Kiener Plaza. But Broadway is your best bet for a quick pickup without having to walk, since the three other sides of the stadium are either partially or wholly inaccessible to gameday traffic.
Even though Broadway is a one-way southbound street, it has easy access to the highways, is a straight shot to Soulard, and connects to some side streets to circle back to north downtown hotels, so you’ll be well on your way to your destination in no time.
TSI TIP: Be sure to check both Lyft and Uber as the prices on one can be more than double the other during busy times like after a game. For reference, the 10-minute drive back to our Forest Park / Central West End hotel pick Chase Park Plaza showed $12.97 (5 min wait) for Lyft and $26.91 (4 min way) for Uber.
By Car
Aerial view of the streets near Busch Stadium
There are many parking options around Busch. The official parking options that can be purchased from the Cardinals along with your ticket are the Starr Parking Lot on the southwest corner of the stadium for $25 or the One Cardinal Way garage on the northeast corner of the stadium for $30 – a map of which can be found here. There’s also the Ballpark Village surface lot, Stadium West Garage, and Stadium East Garage, all of which are usually $40 on game days. There are plenty of other garages and open air lots nearby, typically ranging from about $15-40. We recommend booking ahead, as the popular lots usually sell out. For maximum convenience and peace of mind, book the Starr Lot ($25) or One Cardinal Way garage ($30) when you buy your tickets.
If you miss out on those, book ahead on the typical parking sites like ParkWhiz or SpotHero, with ParkWhiz having slightly better availability. It’s easier to just scan a prepaid barcode to park than have to type in your license plate number or put a ticket on your dashboard. But if you don’t have a chance to book ahead, don’t fret, you’ll easily be able to find a place as soon as you get close to the stadium.
ParkWhiz
Example taken 04/23/24 for a 05/03/24 game
SpotHero
Example taken 04/23/24 for a 05/03/24 game
By Shuttle
As mentioned in the Lodging section under Soulard, you can pre-game at one of Soulard’s popular bars and then take a free shuttle to (and from) the stadium! Duke’s, Molly’s, Big Daddy’s, and 1860 Saloon are several such bars that do this – just purchase something, get a shuttle ticket from the bartender/waiter, and get on the shuttle out front. After the game, the shuttles pick up from near Gate 6 (right field), across Broadway on Spruce.
By Pedicab
There are usually pedicabs (bikes with seating for 3-5 passengers) outside the stadium after a game. It costs about $5-10/person for transit to most downtown area hotels and parking garages. You can usually find them by the 3rd base exit (Gate 3) near the Stan Musial statue.
By Golf Shuttle
Similar to the pedicab, STL Golf Cart Shuttle offers street-legal golf carts that seat 3-5 passengers. While there are only a couple pedicabs, these golf cart shuttles are plentiful. It costs about $15 to go from the stadium to the Hyatt, so use that as a baseline. Better yet, they offer free beer, soda, and water! (We don’t exactly understand the legality of golf cart shuttles offering free beer, so we would suggest using your best judgment when accepting alcohol from people who may not be licensed to serve/distribute it. Having said that, everyone loves free beer!)
Bottom Line
St. Louis is easy to get around, with a simple, two-line MetroLink and relatively little traffic compared to most cities. Parking is abundant and downtown hotels should be within walking distance of the stadium. If you’re staying in downtown St. Louis for your visit to Busch Stadium, local transit should really be the least of your worries.
