Baseball Vacations
Watch the Atlanta Braves spring train at Disney World, or catch the first Boston Red Sox game of the season. Baseball vacations come in all shapes and sizes, but stadiums in big cities with big baseball teams are the draw (naturally). We’re pitching you six baseball vacations that will get you close to all the all-star action. Learn why America’s favorite pastime is a great excuse for a spring getaway.
Fenway Park
It’s the oldest major league baseball stadium in the world, and home to the Boston Red Sox. This field has seen many dreams, indeed. Fenway Park, sticking out like a sore thumb along I-90 in Boston, has had just enough face lifts over the years to stay fresh, without dramatically changing its look. Case in point: When Ted Williams batted the longest home run hit ever, at 502 feet, it landed on a napping fan (apparently if you snooze, you really lose, and get hit in the head). That fan’s seat – Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21 – was later painted red and given the nickname, the “Lone Red Seat.” It's still there and if you're lucky enough, you just might get to sit there for a game!
Yankee Stadium
Since the Yankee Stadium was rebuilt in 2009, it’s probably due for a visit. The original stadium, which hosted its first game in 1923 (the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox), is the stuff of legend. After all, that's where Babe Ruth hit most his home runs. Today, you can reminisce with other baseball fans at Monument Park, an unassuming collection of Yankee monuments and plaques, located just off the field. The new Yankee Stadium cost roughly a billion dollars to build, making it the second-most expensive stadium ever, after London’s Wembley Stadium.
Turner Field
Although it sports a retro look, there’s nothing at all old about Turner Field. After the 1996 Summer Olympics, its venue – then the Centennial Olympic Stadium – was converted into a more practical baseball field, Turner Field. It’s not just renovations that make this Atlanta stadium a great baseball vacation spot, though. Bring some extra dough along for the on-site Braves Museum and Hall of Fame and Grand Entry Plaza; the latter features games for the kiddos.
Wrigley Field
Like Fenway Park, Wrigley Field is very old. The scoreboard isn’t even digital! It’s also one of the smaller ball parks on this list. But the sum is a whole lot bigger than the parts, as Wrigley Field’s heaping with charm, thanks to its old-fashioned ways and aged appearance. A baseball game in the Windy City wouldn’t be complete without a little wind. Mother Nature plays with the Chicago Cubs quite a bit; Chicago’s strange wind patterns have the power to turn a bad hit into a homerun, or vice versa.
Disney’s Wide World of Sports
Now, here’s a baseball vacation the whole family can really get into. Disney World’s 220-acre ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex boasts volleyball and basketball courts, hockey rinks, a few stadiums and fields, and more. If you’re here during spring training, check out the Atlanta Braves as they bat up at the Baseball Quadraplex and Champion Stadium.
Dodger Stadium
Downtown LA is famous for a lot of things, including Dodger Stadium – the largest ballpark in the world.