Gameday

You’ve made it to St. Petersburg in plenty of time for the game. Do you rush to Tropicana Field? Do you take your time and enjoy all St. Petersburg has to offer? And what are the must-sees once you’ve gotten into the ballpark? Let’s find out!

Pre- and post-gaming

You’ll find energy a couple hours before every game no matter whether you’re inside or outside of the Trop, so where you start your day depends entirely on how early you like to get to the stadium.

Outside the stadium

Back when St. Petersburg was a sleepy town, there was Tropicana Field … and Ferg’s. But even though St. Pete is all grown up and brimming with excitement for blocks and blocks, we think you still have to make Ferg’s a part of your gameday experience.

It’s hard to describe Ferg’s. Think of a small sports bar that over the years has kept adding on and adding on in a haphazard, yet randomly fantastic, way. It’s a mad combination of dive bar, sports pub, entertainment venue, and meeting place, and 25 years after the Rays’ first pitch, it’s still the place to be. You can rent an axe-throwing lane or a golf simulator, and it even has its own dog park and Rays merch tent. 

Ferg’s manages the swarms of people well, with walk-up bars or you can order and pay for food and beer—including the famous Ferg’s wings—by scanning a code and using the Ferg’s app and staff will bring it to your table. Don’t want to wait for food service? No problem. On some days, you’ll find a food truck in the parking lot, and every day there is a pizza vending machine in the front. Yup, that’s right—in just a couple of minutes you can have a pippin’ hot pizza. It won’t make you forget Chicago, but it’s decent for the price.

One of the best parts about pregaming at Ferg’s? It’s right across the street from Tropicana Field and features a tunnel under the road so you don’t have to worry about traffic. It’s unquestionably the best and most convenient pregame spot that isn’t inside of the ballpark.

Again, St. Petersburg is a beehive of activity these days, so there’s plenty to do nearby, but here are a few of our other favorite pre-gaming stops:

Parks & Rec DTSP (100 4th St. South)

The website for this hot spot is YouthHasNoAge.com and it’s beyond appropriate. Inside you’ll find food & drinks and plenty of video games, and outside is filled with life-size versions of games like Connect 4 and beer pong. (And once you get to the Trop, you can enjoy a similar experience at Ballpark & Rec, mentioned below.)

Engine No. 9 (56 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. St. North)

If you like burgers, this is where you should be before the game. And when you’re full, it’s a three-block walk to the stadium.

Breweries

Tampa Bay was one of the early adopters of the craft beer brewing craze that now seems as normal as ordering a latte at Starbucks, and if a made-fresh-on-site beer is your go-to drink, you have some options close to the Trop. Green Bench Brewing Company (1133 Baum Ave. North) is the closest to the stadium, just two blocks away, and has a massive outside turfed area with plenty of seats and games. 3 Daughters Brewing (222 22nd St. South) is a five-block walk to the Trop and tauts a massive tasting room and outdoor area with plenty to do (but no TVs).

Points of interest

Not much to see here, but if you are taking the Looper Trolley, you’ll be near Gate 6 where two statues are – Evan Longoria after his 2011 Game 162 walk-off home run and Akinori Iwamura after his final out in the 2008 ALCS. Here you’ll also find some hand prints from folks associated with Rays lore. Raymond’s Rock Garden is between Gates 4 and 5, but don’t go out of your way to find it. It’s just a bunch of big rocks with some landscaping. 

Pre-game

With a total of 7,580 square feet over two levels, Ballpark & Rec has lots of space to spread out with lots to do. The lower level is a traditional sports bar with a wrap-around bar, plenty of seating and TVs and a DJ keeping the crowd excited.

The upper level has its own bar with plenty of video games inside, and an expansive outside porch with comfortable couches and nice views of the St. Petersburg skyline. Gather your buddies and play cornhole, beer pong with 32-gallon trash cans or life-size Connect 4 or Jenga. 

(TSI TIP: for adults, enjoy the games before baseball starts—later in the game, the outdoor area is crawling with young kids.)

Pre-game and during the game

Center field is one of our favorite spots at Tropicana Field. The Budweiser Porch is always brimming with activity. There is limited standing room space with ledges for your beer, but also several beer hall-style tables that are great for groups who want to catch up with each other even if you can’t all quite see the field. There’s a self-serve grab-and-go beer stand here, too, as well as our favorite concessions in the stadium. Do yourself a favor: splurge on an $18 Beans & Barlour milkshake. You’ll thank us later!

Things to see

By far the most unique feature of Tropicana Field and an absolute “must do” is the Rays Touch Tank in center field near Section 150. The 35-foot, 10,000-gallon tank under the care of Florida Aquarium staff features several cownose stingrays and, yes, you can touch them! To let the rays get a break from all the grimy fingers, the tank closes at the top of every hour for 10 minutes, so plan accordingly. 

TSI TIP: No food or drink is allowed in the Touch Tank area, so wait until you finish that beer or hot dog before heading over. Also, we recommend making this the first thing you do in the stadium so you don’t miss out. As more people get to the stadium, the longer the line will get for this.

The Rays have only been around 25 years, so they don’t have the history of, say, the Cubs or the Red Sox, but recently, they’ve packed in a lot of great memories for the Rays faithful. In the Left Field Alcoves, you’ll find four mini-museums each featuring memorabilia such as game-worn jerseys, uniforms, and lineup cards, as well as the team’s championship trophies and its Hall Of Fame.

For the kids

If you are traveling with kids, you’ll be pleased to find that the Rays, in their continual search to find ways to fill the Trop’s empty seats, went all-in on family entertainment a few years back, so there’s plenty for the younger fans to do.

Cornhole and life sized beer pong are games that were intended for adults, but this place gets taken over by kids as the game progresses. I suppose a kid is unlikely to figure out what a 32-gallon red solo cup is actually for, right?

Running the bases

Kids get to run the bases after games on Sundays, so if that’s something of interest, make sure to make your travel plans accordingly.

Bottom Line

Seriously… The Trop is going to surprise you on gameday. It may not look like much, but there’s a lot to see, a lot to do, and a lot to try. Outside, St. Pete has enough to offer to keep you entertained, and inside, the Rays have invested a lot of time, money and creativity into making a baseball game at Tropicana Field a fun experience. Come early, and check it all out. You’ll be glad you did.