Here it is, Red Sox fans and Fenway visitors: your complete guide to the Fenway Park food menu!

The culinary highlights at Fenway Park aren’t as fancy schmancy as at most ballparks, but it’s greatly improved from years past. Honestly though, their food guide doesn’t offer up much info about it.

So someone needed to step up and address this, and I’m just the guy for the job.

I’ve talked about Fenway Park food elsewhere, including the Fenway Frank, and the outside sausages, but this is your complete, all-inclusive, full Monty, whole shebang…(GET ON WITH IT!!)

Notice how the mustard spells “Mmmmmm”.

Here’s your table of contents in case you want to skip anything. (But don’t, there’s great photos!)

The Fenway Park Food Main Street
A Big Concourse With A Big Food Court
A Night Out At The Sam Deck
Behold The Fenway Frank + Monster Dogs
In Massachusetts, We Eat Lobstah.
Burgers + Other Sandwiches
Do Red Sox Fans Eat Pizza?
Healthy, Kosher, and Gluten-Free Fenway Eats
Fenway Park Desserts
Bring Your Own Grub
Lansdowne Sausages – A Baseball Tradition
Some Fenway Park Food Tightwad Tips
Fenway Park Food Updates For 2023

My friends at TickPick have Red Sox tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Click here to order your Red Sox tickets on TickPick!

Get your lobstah heah!

The Fenway Park Food Main Street

Jersey Street, formerly Yawkey Way, is a street that runs east of Fenway; the Red Sox close it off on game days so that fans can enjoy an experience similar to Eutaw Street in Baltimore.

It’s definitely where you want to enter the ballpark to try the better Fenway Park grub, such as…

For the record, no, that’s not Luis Tiant.

El Tiante serves up Cuban sandwiches (ham, pork, pickles, cheese and mustard) and the possible excitement of meeting Luis Tiant, the star pitcher from the 1970s Sox teams. Tiant is sometimes there to sign autographs, but I’ve not yet seen him, so I wouldn’t buy a Red Sox ticket just for that.

El Tiante also carries Italian and spicy sausages. I’ve seen Al Fresco sweet apple chicken sausages and jerk chicken sandwiches on the menu too.

Anytime fries and slaw are included, a sandwich isn’t a big risk.

The Fish Shack is the spot for fried seafood appetizers, like clams calamari (with jalapenos), fish and chips with a side of tartar sauce that Homer Simpson would approve of, and a fish sandwich (flounder I believe). They have surf and turf kabobs here, clam chowdah, and an impressive and expensive lobster roll that you can order hot or cold. (More about the Lobster Roll in a bit.)

Yankee Lobster (!) is the purveyor of the seafood items; I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to have anything “Yankee” at Fenway Park. But anyway, with their addition comes rotating items on the menu, so you could see things like lobster mac and cheese here as well. If you want seafood at a Red Sox game, check out the Fish Shack first.

Authentic Dominican food, appropriate for the “Taste of Boston”.

Taste of Boston is a pretty cool idea. Each month of the season, two local favorites from Boston set up shop here. Taste of Boston has featured Mei Mei (bacon fried rice and cheesy nachos), Roxy’s Grilled Cheese (Green Muenster Melts) and Jake’s Boss BBQ (ribs and pulled pork sandwiches).

If you’re visiting Boston for a game at Fenway and want to try something popular and local, definitely check out Taste of Boston. Sometimes they will feature something related to the visiting team; in one of my recent visits the Blue Jays were in town, and the Blue Frog Bakery was there with Canadian bacon sandwiches.

An example of how clearly the Red Sox communicate food choices.

The Big Concourse – The Fenway Park Food Court

The Big Concourse (the Red Sox call it the Right Field Concourse, the Kids Concourse and the Bleacher Concourse, but it’s all basically the same spot) is a picnic area in right field large enough to feature picnic tables, with umbrellas even.

There aren’t many unique names for stands in the Big Concourse (unless you consider “Chicken Tenders & Fries” to be unique, which I guess it is). For the most part the stands in the Big Concourse are self-explanatory; Burgers & Fries and Sausages stands sell what they say they sell. Most all stands here sell Fenway Franks and Monster Dogs.

That aside, if you’re looking for the more unusual Fenway Park food items, like Grillo’s Pickles or the Franken Bean Hot Dog, the Big Concourse is where to find them.

Put them in a container and shake it.

The aptly named Nachos stands make very impressive plates of nachos…they pile on chicken, beef, cheese, salsa and sour cream. Best to get a fork and napkins for this one.

There are Corn & Co. stands here with varying flavors of gourmet popcorn. You can get souvenir refillable popcorn, but unless you really, really love popcorn or are sharing with hungry kids, I doubt you’ll be refilling that large thing more than once.

I love when you have to carefully protect the bonus fries.

Cavendish Farms is the provider of French fries at Fenway; their fries are coated and seasoned and  nice and crispy, and the typical size and shape you’d expect from French fries. (Incidentally, they are serious about their offerings for sporting events. Check this out.)

The Big Concourse even has vending machines with sandwiches and snacks so people don’t have to wait in line. No microwaves, so I’m presuming the machines are keeping stuff warm somehow.

So good you’ll want to protect the plate!

A Night Out At The Sam Deck

The Sam Deck is the revamped tavern in the Right Field Roof Deck and was formerly the Budweiser Brew House, before the Red Sox improved their tastes and made Samuel Adams the beer of choice.

This was once just a bar with better drink selection, but the Red Sox have turned it into a restaurant with a nice view and a high end menu.

Food choices include lobster rolls, mozzarella sticks, Bavarian pretzels, Buffalo chicken pizza rolls, apple fries; in other words, fancy stuff that you won’t find anywhere else in the park. There’s also craft brews, since that’s a big thing in baseball now.

I’ll talk more about the Fenway eateries like the Sam Deck, Game On!, and the Bleacher Bar in a future post, but for now you know that if you’re sitting in the upper right field seats, you can visit the Sam Deck for good eats.

The Monster-sized Fenway Frank, still unequaled.

Behold The Fenway Frank + Monster Dogs

Honestly, the Fenway Frank deserves its own post. Here’s my ode to it.

But just for basics…the Fenway Frank is still the go-to food item at Fenway. It’s made by Kayem Foods, who spiced up the Fenway Frank with more garlic and smoke when they took it over in 2009.

The inimitable Fenway Frank is served in a white bread bun for that mushy texture, which is unusual for a ballpark dog but shouldn’t be. If you’re too hungry for just one, there are Monster Dogs sold in several places, including on Jersey Street. They are indeed Monster-sized at ten inches long.

You can also get Fenway Franks in local supermarkets, of course.

A lobster roll is like revenge…it’s a dish best served cold.

In Massachusetts, We Eat Lobstah.

The Lobster Roll is a fan favorite at Fenway, and with good reason. A hunk of New England lobster on that same toasted white bread roll used to house the Fenway Frank. It’s still available most everywhere in Fenway, so it’s a popular item here.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge the Red Sox no longer serve the impressive Lobster Poutine Stak, but if I hear differently I’ll let you know.
 

Never Drive To Fenway Park Without A Plan…

Book Your Parking Spot NOW With My Friends at SpotHero!

I just like how the grill looks like a car.

Fenway Burgers, BBQ, + Deli Sandwiches

Savenor’s is a highly regarded purveyor of beef in the region, and they are the Official Beef Provider of the Red Sox or something like that.

There are several types of burgers at Fenway, depending on where you are in the ballpark. There’s a basic burger/cheeseburger you can get pretty much anywhere. Then there’s the Bloody Mary burger in the Big Concourse, made with (ready for this?) Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vodka, and Bloody Mary mix. Don’t ask me where they put the vodka.

Finally, the new Truly Terrace has a Truly Awesome Burger, which is Savenor’s butter smash burger, topped with melted Vermont cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Thousand Island dressing on a brioche roll.

Incidentally, if you’ve got a hankering for a burger at Fenway, there is a Tasty Burger on the corner of Jersey and Boylston just a block from the ballpark. The burgers there are cheaper and you have a much bigger selection of toppings. Just throwing that one out there.

Nothing makes a pulled pork sandwich like sloppy slaw!

Oh, and check out the King’s Hawaiian sliders.

Savenor’s is the provider of beef and turkey for other sandwiches, like steak tips sandwiches…something like a Philly cheesesteak, but with thicker slabs of meat. Or try an Italian beef sandwich if you can find one (look around Jersey Street or the Big Concourse).

Savenor’s is known for “using the whole animal for prime cuts”, and was voted Best of Boston by Boston Magazine. So they’re safe, as beef goes.

Yes, you can eat a fruit cup at a baseball game. Or two.

Finally, for deli sandwiches, check out the Fenway Farms Deli on the third base side and in the Big Concourse…build yourself a hand carved sandwich with Boar’s Head meats. Choose from hot pastrami, beef or turkey. Wraps and salads can be had here too as you can see.

There’s quite an impressive selection of condiments here: honey mustard, horseradish, savory remoulade, and deli mustard to name a few. The Fenway Farm items are actually grown on the roof of Fenway (they don’t, however, pass on the shipping savings to fans), and many of the ingredients in the sandwiches come from the farm, which is as fresh as it gets.

The name of this joint changes from time to time, so it might have a different moniker when you go, but the location has been the same.

Ah, they do have real pizza here! (wipes brow)
(photo courtesy of Sal’s Pizza)

Do Red Sox Fans Eat Pizza?

Believe it or not, yes. Pizza stands are just about everywhere in Fenway, serving Sal’s Pizza, the Official Pizza of the Boston Red Sox. They have about a dozen locations in the region, including one on Brookline Avenue very close to Fenway if you’d like to have a better selection. They even have food trucks going around.

Sal’s is good stuff, especially by ballpark pizza standards. They use 100% mozzarella and locally grown vegetables, but get their tomatoes off the vine from Northern California, so they’ll go great distances if needed for taste. If you’d like to try it outside of Fenway, you can get their frozen pizza at Boston area markets.

You can get a whole pie for a reasonable price (for a ballpark, anyway), but since it takes a while, you can order that first, get your Sam Adams and come back for it.

The food is gluten free too, not just the umbrella.

Healthy, Kosher, and Gluten-Free Fenway Eats

The Red Sox did a nice thing for celiacs and put a Gluten Free stand near the Gate D entrance. They have a Fenway Frank on a gluten-free roll, brownies and cookies, and the healthy stuff that’s never in danger of being contaminated: fruit cups, nuts, sushi, hummus, etc. My wife is allergic, so now I have something to sell to her for another trip.

At the salad bar in the Big Concourse, you can customize your own healthy salad, with items from the Fenway garden. The salad bar is another spot for deli sandwiches, with Buffalo chicken, turkey or roast beef.

If you’re interested in trying something truly different, try the Mings Bings, introduced to Fenway by chef Ming Tsai. Ming’s Bings are handheld pockets with plant-based cheeseburger or sausage filling. They’re wheat-free, gluten-free, and vegan, and they’re an ideal ballpark snack.

There are stands in the Big Concourse and the Third Base Deck dedicated to vegetarian and healthy choices, like wraps, Panini sandwiches, veggie dogs and burgers, hummus and Caesar or fruit salads. The veggie burgers and dogs don’t look all that appetizing under heat lamps, but I’m guessing they’ll give you a fresh one.

Fenway doesn’t have a large Kosher selection…there’s a kosher hot dog vending machine in the Big Concourse, and as of this writing I believe it’s the only way to get a kosher dog here. Feel free to correct me on that…

I’ll take the vanilla half.

Fenway Park Food – For Sweet Teeth

As of this writing, the Fenway Park dessert menu includes a “banana splitter”, with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream between banana ends with hot fudge and sprinkles. The Red Sox have also added Jane Dough’s edible cookie dough, with soft serve ice cream and other toppings.

You can also get: Crackerjacks, cotton candy, fried dough, Hood ice cream, kettle corn, milk shakes and slushies. Try not to have them all at once. Most of them are available on all of the concourses; the ones that aren’t are usually in the Big Concourse.

They’re easy to find; for ice cream for example, look for a stand called “Ice Cream”. If you like Dippin’ Dots, there are “Ittibitz” available, which are the same thing.

There was a “build your own sundae” stand in the center field corner of the Big Concourse last I checked–soft ice cream in a souvenir helmet with your choice of Oreos, bananas, cherries, sprinkles, etc. Oreos complete ice cream, IMHO, so it’s worth a look.

I feel slick when I sneak one of these in.

Bring Your Own Food Into Fenway – Yes, You Can! No You Can’t Anymore…

Unfortunately the Red Sox no longer allow food to be brought into Fenway. See my 2023 update below…

If you look at the prohibited items list at Fenway here, you’ll see there’s no restrictions against bringing in a soft-sided bag smaller than 5*9*2, so long as you don’t have alcohol or potential projectiles in it. I’ve done this in almost every trip I’ve made to Fenway and have never had a problem.

This gives you some options to bring in just about any kind of cuisine, at least what you can fit, even from the numerous sausage vendors surrounding the ballpark (more about them in a second). There is also every type of takeout joint you can think of a short walk away, from Chipotle to the aforementioned Tasty Burger to the new Wahlburgers, if you want to grab a couple of less expensive sandwiches or burritos or whatever to take in.

If you’re parking near the Pru Center, there’s plenty of options in their Food Court, and there’s now a Timeout Market near the Fenway T station with tons of selections. Both of these are a bit of a walk to the ballpark though, so plan ahead on keeping the stuff warm.

“Two bags of peanuts were walking down the street, and one was a-salted!”

Should you have forgotten to buy your peanuts from a less expensive vendor (or the nearby Shaw’s market), you have two choices: buy them from the roasted peanuts kiosk on Jersey Street, or order them from a peanut vendor in the stands and have them fired at you with uncanny accuracy, which is sometimes worth the price.

Remember to be wary of just how big a bag you bring.

This is the one with the Inner Beauty hot sauce. Think yellow!

Lansdowne Street Sausages – A Boston Baseball Tradition

Few things are more quintessential Fenway Park food than the purveyors of outside sausages…you see and smell them as soon as you arrive from the Kenmore station.

The Sausage Guy and The Sausage Connection are two of my favorites and I gave them a separate post…but here’s a bit about some of the others:

Sausage King is probably the first visible stand on Lansdowne coming from the T; it has a red sign with a pig’s face on top. Sausage King has dogs, sausages, chicken teriyaki and steak tips; they serve them with an optional wicked red hot sauce that is close to Louisiana style.

The Original Che-Chi’s has the same sausages, dogs and chicken and steak as the rest; they’re further down Lansdowne a bit, and they’re another stand with a red sign. Che-Chi’s has a secret hot sauce, which is more of a smoky BBQ style sauce. They can be a mite cheaper than the rest, if you’re thrifty.

Yes, it’s a Cajun chicken sandwich, but we do make the best sausage too.

The Best Sausage Co. has a stand on the corner of Jersey and Lansdowne. The stand sells sausages and other sandwiches—they’re the only ones I saw with a Cajun chicken sandwich. Look for the blue stand…the vendors here seem to be having a better time than most hawkers; maybe it’s a requirement being on Jersey Street.

Fenway’s Best & Original I’ve read that this is “Artie’s” famous stand, but you won’t find Artie’s name anywhere. This one is near Gate D on the other end of Jersey Street, so it’s a bit further from the T station. They offer up “Bianco’s World Famous BBQ” (not famous enough for me to have heard of it, but just saying) and it gets nice reviews from Yelpers.

There’s a lot more sausage stands than I’ve covered here, and you can find cheaper ones if you look hard enough, but these are the prominent vendors on Lansdowne Street.

If this isn’t worth giving them your social security number and mother’s maiden name, I don’t know what is.

Some Fenway Park Food Tightwad Tips

I love that you’ve stuck with me this long about the culinary specialties in America’s oldest ballpark, so here’s a few helpful tips to save money on food at Fenway:

$ – You can sign up to be a designated driver at a booth in the lower concourse, and get a coupon for a free soda. They’ll put a strap on you though, so no fooling.

$ – The Red Sox have kids meals, where the little fan can get a grilled cheese or PB&J, a snack like animal crackers and a Capri Sun. All for just a fin as of this writing.

$ – Baseball loves MasterCard…using it to buy things can sometimes get sometimes score you a small bonus, like a free souvenir bucket for your popcorn.

$ – If you buy a souvenir soda cup, you get free refills for the rest of the game. It’s a lotta lotta sugar, but at least you’re getting your money’s worth.

They still have tasty burgers, just not with a capital T.

New Fenway Park Food Update for 2023 …

So like most teams, the Boston Red Sox have updated the menu slightly at Fenway Park for 2023. I don’t know what, if anything, has been removed…but if I find out I will update this post. Meanwhile, here’s some new Red Sox food knowledge for 2023…the most notable is the new restriction on bringing in food:

At the relatively new Truly Terrace stand, you can now get a New England maple bacon burger…that’s a tasty name even. It features a fresh (one would hope) beef patty with maple bacon (W!), caramelized onions, and Vermont cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. You can also get this behind home plate.

I’m not sure if it’s anything new, but I’m told that you can get grande nachos in a baseball helmet and steak and cheese sandwiches, so I’m just adding that here. You can usually find stuff like this in the Big Concourse in right field. Wash the helmet before wearing it…

The Red Sox have also added 2020s technology to their 1910s ballpark…with grab and go stands now in multiple areas of the ballpark. Don’t want to deal with those surly Red Sox cashiers (I’m kidding, they’re usually nice)? Try the self-checkout grab and go and get beverages, popcorn etc. easily. Well, easily if you’re under 50 anyway.

Darn, do I have to actually eat this now?

And unfortunately the Red Sox have changed their policy regarding bringing food into Fenway Park…it’s no longer allowed. (Big boooos on that.) Bags have to be 12*12*6 or smaller, and can’t have more than one compartment. You are allowed to bring in one 16 oz. bottle of water, so take advantage of that.

Ultimately this means you’ll just have to enjoy your Sausage Connection sandwich before you enter the gate, which most people do anyway, but it’s a bummer that I can’t bring in my own peanuts.

There you have it fans, a long overdue, completely complete guide to the Fenway Park food menu. If you enjoyed it, please support my sponsors! And of course, be sure to read this complete Fenway Park guide for your next trip to the home of the Red Sox!

Planning a trip to Boston? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Boston and Fenway Park today!

(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, this website earns a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!)

Can you bring food into Fenway Park? The short answer is yes, you can. The Red Sox allow you to bring in a 5*9*2 soft-sided bag, so long as it doesn’t contain alcohol or potential projectiles. Small, but still potentially useful. Nothing wrong with the Fenway Park food menu, but it’s nice to save a few bucks, especially in Boston.

(Note: As of 2023, I’m told you can no longer bring food into Fenway Park…I’m not sure how much the Red Sox are enforcing that, but I suppose you should be aware. I’m sharing these choices anyway. You’ll just have to eat your sausage sandwich when you buy it. Dang.)

But now that you know that you can bring food into Fenway Park, the new question is what to bring in…and Ballpark E-Guides, always willing to take the extra base, has a few suggestions:

Some Food Items You Can Bring Into Fenway Park…

That is more than enough Inner Beauty.

The Sausage Connection. Of all of the vendors selling sausages on Lansdowne Street before the game, the Sausage Connection is my personal favorite. It’s a yellow kiosk near the Game Day tickets line.

Not only are the prices for sausages and chicken teriyaki sandwiches better than inside the ballpark, they offer that “Inner Beauty” hot sauce, a thick mustard-style sauce that will blow out the back of your brain (go easy with it at first, seriously).

My friends at TickPick have Red Sox tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Click here to order your Red Sox tickets on TickPick!

Bigger than the roll, and foil included. Check.

The Sausage Guy. David Littlefield sells hefty and reasonably priced (for Fenway) sweet Italian sausages, and he loads them up with a nice amount of peppers and onions. Good and messy as it should be. Look for the small blue kiosk in front of Cask -N- Flagon.

And he’s open well into the evening, just in case you’re hungry after the game and have a few bucks left.

You need only dodge traffic to get there.

Tasty Burger. The chain of burger and beer joints has a location on the corner of Jersey Street and Boylston Street, just a block from the ballpark (it’s close enough that they can charge $50 to park there). The restaurant itself is cheaper…and the selection of burgers is much, much better.

That’s just three great choices if you want to bring food into Fenway Park and save a few bucks. If you’d like to know more about Fenway Park for your next visit, check out this amazing (and free) guide!

Planning a trip to Boston? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Boston and Fenway Park today!

(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides earns a commission. Thanks for your support.)

Cheap Red Sox tickets? Really? Yes. Believe it or not, you can find them. Especially with all the tips I’ll be sharing with you in this complete and helpful guide. I’ve used several of these tips to save money on Red Sox tickets, and you can too…and have money left over for a Fenway Frank!

If you want some help choosing a great seat at Fenway Park, check out my very detailed seating guide for Fenway here. If you’re going all in, check out my complete guide to Fenway Park here. But wherever you sit, read on to find out how to get the best deal on Red Sox tickets.

My friends at TickPick have cheap Red Sox tickets – they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Click here to order your Red Sox tickets on TickPick!

Ah, to be among the privileged…people with Red Sox tickets.

Believe me, it really helps to know ALL of your options, but here’s the table of contents for you, in case you want to skip some bits (but don’t):

My Best Tip For Cheap Red Sox Tickets
Buying From The Red Sox Website
StubHub, TickPick, ACE and Other Third Parties
Choose The Right Game AND Opponent
The Red Sox Box Office and Game Day Tickets
Red Sox Nation and Kid Nation (Get a FREE Red Sox ticket!)
Cheap Red Sox Tickets in The Scalp-Free Zone
The Red Sox Community
Red Sox Ticket Scalpers
Finding Cheap Red Sox Tickets on Craigslist
To Sum All This Up…

“Get ya wicked smaht Red Sox news heah!”

If You Want Cheap Red Sox Tickets, Do This Now

Anytime you’re planning to go to a game, it’s always a smart idea to subscribe to a team’s ticket alert newsletter, and the Red Sox ticket alert is no exception.

It’s not so much that the Red Sox offer a lot of ticket deals, although there are some. But in many cases buying Red Sox tickets at face value is the cheapest way to get them, and the newsletter will help you with that…you’ll know about pre-sales, Sox Pax, Christmas at Fenway events, group tickets, fan clubs, military and student discounts and much more. Students get standing room dirt cheap at most games, for example.

The e-mail newsletter is especially useful if you want to see a game against the Yankees. You can jump on pre-sales and get tickets at face, which is usually as cheap as you’ll find, especially for weekend contests. The newsletter will also alert you to Green Monster ticket sales well ahead of time, and it’s probably the easiest way to get your hands on those too.

It doesn’t happen often, but on occasion, the Red Sox waive ticket buying fees, and that’s a considerable amount of savings. That also saves you the time and boredom of waiting in line for Game Day tickets (more on that in a bit). The newsletter will let you know about this too.

So be sure to subscribe!

A color-coded Fenway Park seating map, with appropriately red-colored “sunburn sections”.

Buying Tickets On The Red Sox Website

The Sox have a nifty 3-D seating map on their website, featuring a scale picture of Fenway with clickable sections, panoramic views and prices from each section…but just so you know, they don’t reveal obstructed views.

Remember there are fees for buying on the website, and they’re ridiculous. For high demand games you might be better off using the box office if you can, even on game day…for low demand games you’ll probably find a better deal with a third party.

The Sox website is best for when you don’t live close and want a high demand game. Typically the cheap Red Sox tickets sell out fast, so the Sox make lower demand games available first, such as April and May weekdays. Again, get on any pre-sales you can for Yankees games or July or August weekend games. Remember, subscribe to the Red Sox newsletter first.

You can now enter Fenway by scanning the tickets on your phone, if you have MLB’s Ballpark app (and you should). If you don’t like your seats…and at Fenway, that’s a distinct possibility…you can upgrade them through the app if something is available.

They outsource their ticket sign holding, and pass the savings on to you!

Cheap Red Sox Tickets From 3rd Parties – StubHub, SeatGeek, Ace, Etc…

I’m a big fan of TickPick; they have a best price guarantee, there’s no fees (and no one likes the fees), and they even offer a buyer’s trust guarantee if your event gets cancelled. That’s why I’ve made them an affiliate…click here to try them out, and let me know what you think!

In the past, I went through a third party site and got a pair of Right Field Box seats for $26…and the list price for this was $87! Full disclosure, this was a weekday May game against Oakland. I’m not claiming you’ll always find cheap Red Sox tickets with TickPick or another third party. But always check, especially for low demand games, because you may find a steal like I did.

Here’s a key tip: being MLB’s official ticket reseller, StubHub usually has the biggest selection of third party tickets, and you may find a deal there. But in some cases, you may find the very same or similar seats offered through another third party. This was the case in the game I just described…and the third party I used offered me a slightly better price.

“Our ticket selection is huge!”

As far as Ace Ticket…they’re well known in Boston, and are actually pretty good as ticket resellers go. One great advantage of Ace is their prime location, in the path from the Kenmore station to Fenway. You can pick up tickets that you’ve ordered there at no extra charge. ACE makes a point that they don’t add a StubHub fee, which isn’t chump change. If you’re there on game day, you might be able to haggle closer to gametime.

Your best bet with third parties, usually, is to get tickets at the last minute (up to two hours before game time, last I checked). But I wouldn’t always count on this. If the game is really important for you to attend, keep checking for a deal you can live with starting about a week out.

Finally, if you have the luxury of comparing third party sites, be sure to go to the checkout screen on each one and see the full price you’ll be paying…the difference in fees can be significant.

You may need the Ballpark app on your smartphone to scan your tickets, so be sure you have that.

In 2014, the Royals were pretty popular. Even in Boston.

Use The Red Sox Schedule: Choose The Right Game AND Opponent

If you only care about visiting Fenway Park, and you’re visiting Boston on a budget, picking the right contest makes a world of difference in your ticket price. Obviously, you shouldn’t pick a game against the Yankees on a July weekend.

Like most teams, the Red Sox offer dynamic pricing. Opening Day, all Yankees games, and Saturday games in June and July are the most expensive. Second to that are weekend games in June, July and August; then weekends in April, May and September, etc. In the bottom tier are “Sox Saver” games: weeknights in April, May and September. If you can handle the weather, you can often find a great deal. For afternoon games the weather might not be bad at all.

But again, check third parties on these too. If the Sox are having a disappointing season, you could find some steals in September.

O’s fans don’t see this very often, so maybe it is worth the trip.

Your choice of opponent makes a difference too. If, say, the Orioles are good (OK, I’ll wait till you’re done LYAO at that one), it can drive up demand for Orioles games at Fenway. The Mets and Phillies can also draw sizable crowds, regardless of their fortunes.

Save for the Angels and East Coast hero Mike Trout, West Coast opponents usually draw the smallest crowds and offer the cheapest tickets.

But hey, you might be reading this because you want to find cheap Red Sox tickets for Yankees games, right? Even if “cheap” in this case is relative. And Ballpark E-Guides never backs down from a challenge!

To see the Yankees at Fenway (or the Cubs, when they visit), you’ll save a lot by planning ahead.

Does this really even need to be said in Boston?

If I lived in Boston, I would visit the box office the day tickets go on sale, and get tickets at face price with no fees. If you live elsewhere, visit the Red Sox website that day, and get your tickets at face value with the fee…which will still be cheaper than the third party markup in almost every case. You can also try the game day ticket option (more on that shortly), but you may be waiting in line for a very long time.

Or plan ahead even further back in time, and get Sox Pax tickets in December…maybe show up for Christmas at Fenway. Sox Pax include a Yankees game and one or more low demand games. Good if you can do the other games…or give the tickets as Christmas presents…but I wouldn’t do this one if you plan to resell the low value games, since you probably won’t get what you paid for them.

As always, pay attention to your newsletter…

Never Drive To Fenway Park Without A Plan…

Book Your Parking Spot NOW With My Friends at SpotHero!

With a helpful mini-jungle gym for the kids to play on while they’re waiting.

The Red Sox Box Office and Game Day Tickets

As I’ve said, for cheap Red Sox tickets for Yankees and other high demand games, if you or someone else can go to the box office for you on the on-sale date, do it…there are no fees at the box office.

At the box office you can actually talk to a person about what seats are available, including seats in front of each other, which isn’t something you can yet find on the Sox website. It also doesn’t hurt to ask for ticket specials, especially for military members.

Then there’s that popular game day tickets option that savvy Sox fans use.

The Red Sox make a handful of tickets available a few hours before each game. These are usually tickets that the visiting team or someone else can’t use—a player may have brought his wife and can’t sit her next to his Boston girlfriend, for example.

So a few hours before each game, a line of folks forms at Gate E on Lansdowne Street to buy any extras the Sox have lying around.

It’s tough waiting in line just steps away from the smell of sausage vendors.

I’ve talked to a few Sox fans about this; they say it’s generally best for one person, since you can only buy one per person and must immediately enter the ballpark after buying them. Lots of folks claim to have gotten very good seats for face value this way.

The Sox allow the line to start forming five hours before game time, but people do line up sooner than that for big games. Fans camping out before playoff games is common.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll get into the park this way, but no one has yet told me they were turned away. As long as you don’t arrive an hour before a Yankees game you should be fine. Keep in mind that you’re looking at a total of maybe 11 hours at the ballpark should you choose this option. I don’t mind that myself; just saying.

The best part? You may land a great seat at face price. With no online fees. Face value with no fees = relatively cheap Red Sox tickets.

Sure, it’s great to get ticket deals. But a secret entrance is even better!

Join The Nation – A FREE Red Sox Ticket!

Red Sox Nation is the team fan club, and gives fans chances to score the hard-to-get seats like Monster seats at face price or lower. There are several levels of membership, some of which cost a nice chunk of change, but even the lesser ones still might offer you cheap Red Sox tickets for decent contests.

Nation membership also includes discounts on gear and nearby restaurants, so it should pay for itself fairly easily. The Red Sox even offer a kids’ membership that includes a free ticket (!), and they may have a free ticket-included membership for adults by the time you read this.

If you plan on going to a few Red Sox games in a season and want something resembling cheap Red Sox tickets, have a look at Nation membership. Could be well worth it for you. Again, check your newsletter and grab a membership when it’s available; these sell out too.

The trick is actually finding this sign.

Cheap Red Sox Tickets – In The “Scalp-Free Zone”

A little known option to Fenway newbies is the scalp-free zone set up by the Red Sox, which is currently at Gate C on Lansdowne Street, although the location does get moved on occasion. Here fans with extra tickets are permitted to sell them at face price or less; a Red Sox official will monitor the transaction and escort you into the park so that you don’t try re-selling the seats.

There aren’t many tickets sold here—the Sox estimate it to be about 30-50 a game—but it’s definitely worth a shot before you try a scalper. It’s also a nice legal place where you can get rid of your own extras if you have them.

The Red Sox deliberately keep this option low-key, because they don’t want it to attract too many buyers. That’s why you need this blog my friend.

With the help of the Green Team!

Help Your Fellow Bostonian

Just putting this one out there.

In happier times, the Red Sox don’t offer a lot of discounts or deals on tickets. But they do have contests and events you can participate in, like Christmas at Fenway or the Picnic in The Park, that could get you entered in drawings for tickets. They’re usually in the Community or Fans sections of the Red Sox website, so it’s worth the trouble to have a look.

If you’re a conscious student and will work for baseball, there are universities that work with the Sox to keep the ballpark clean and the trash sorted out in recycling. You get entry into the park (standing room), a T-shirt and a food voucher, and you can see a game just for doing some cleanup between innings. Save the planet and see a Red Sox game for free. Win-win!

Check out the Fenway Park Green Team program here.

This gentleman is holding up the universal symbol for “I didn’t read this post”.

Red Sox Ticket Scalpers

There are always plenty of scalpers at Fenway, even though scalping is illegal in Massachusetts. Like with brokers, you could be paying well above face value for tickets depending on demand—you might as well use TickPick.

If you try this, bring a seating chart to get an idea of where your seats are, and check the ticket for the correct date and opponent, and that there isn’t an “OV” stamped on the ticket. OV means Obstructed View…you definitely don’t want that.

Ticket prices plummet after the game starts, but that’s no fun unless you’re late to begin with. Brokers generally line up near the Kenmore MBTA station, and in the path from there to the ballpark. You can haggle, but these guys are tough, so you may be dealing with a few of them if you walk away. If you’re lucky, you may find someone with extras, especially for a rainout makeup game. Hold up the number of fingers to show how many you need.

“I’ll text you when I’m at the face painting station. Look for a guy with a misspelled word on his shirt.”

Finding Cheap Red Sox Tickets on Craigslist

I’m sure there are fans that can tell you stories about the deal they scored on Craigslist for any baseball tickets, and I’m sure probably 98% of those cases are legit. But you don’t want to be in that 2%.

I talk more about buying baseball tickets on Craigslist here, but basically the same rules apply that you would use buying from a scalper: meet with the seller in person in a public place, check the tickets for smudged ink, scissor marks or other anomalies, and bring someone with you for the transaction. Get as much information about the person as you can, and especially find out if they are season ticket holders if possible.

Trust your gut…just as with a scalper, if something doesn’t seem right, walk away.

And congratulations on scoring Red Sox tickets!

To Sum This All Up…

…for cheap Red Sox tickets, plan ahead as much as possible. Subscribe to the Red Sox ticket alerts, and pay attention to their e-mails, choose the lowest value contest you can, and compare prices with TickPick and other third parties. You can score great deals on Red Sox tickets, but it takes a little work.

Hopefully what you’ve read helps…take advantage of all your ticket buying avenues! Bookmark this and review it next time you’ve got a Red Sox game at Fenway in mind.

Hope you enjoyed these tips. Thanks for reading, and for supporting my sponsors!

Planning a trip to Boston? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Boston and Fenway Park today!

(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, this website earns a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!)

Here it is, Fenway Park visitors and Red Sox fans, your complete, unobstructed and enormously useful Fenway Park seating guide. I’ve meticulously researched everything I could find about how to get the best seats at Fenway Park for your taste and budget, from Green Monster seats to standing room, and the result is what you’re about to read.

If you’re visiting Fenway Park for the first time, you should definitely read this entire post; it contains information I wish I had known. Trust me, choosing the right seat at Fenway is more important than at any other ballpark. Even if you’re a regular, you should find some useful stuff here.

(If you need more Fenway help, check out my complete Fenway Park guide, this helpful post about parking, and this post about the Red Sox’s food menu. Oh, and of course, how to save money on Red Sox tickets!)

Here is the breakdown of Fenway Park seating:

Fenway Park Seating Chart + Layout
Dugout Box Seats
Club + Pavilion Seating
Green Monster Seats
Right Field Roof Deck
Field + Loge Box Seats
Pavilion Box + Reserved Seats
Right Field Box + Upper Box
Right Field Roof Box
Fenway Park Grandstand Seats
How to Avoid Obstructed Views at Fenway
Fenway Park Bleachers
Fenway Park Standing Room Tips

Yes, it’s a lot, feel free to skip over anything, but it’s all useful.

So after this quick word from our sponsor, we’ll get started on your Fenway Park seating education!

My friends at TickPick have Red Sox tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Click here to order your Red Sox tickets on TickPick!

With “sunburn” sections appropriately colored red.

Fenway Park Seating Chart + Layout

Fenway Park has a strange seating layout, to say the least. There are seats for wealthy and less wealthy, there are seats for corporate types and college students, there are seats that can be measured in miles from home plate and there are seats behind support poles.

The premium and party spaces are mostly on the second level of the ballpark: the Dell Technologies Club, suites, Roof Deck and Green Monster seats are more expensive than much of the lower level seating.

Your ticket will tell you the best gate to use to get to your seats. Sitting in any section, Seat 1 is always on the right. The Red Sox dugout is on the first base side.

I’m not going to bother with the amenities that come with suites and such, but we’ll gloss over the benefits of high end premium seating…

Padded seats, sure, but the parking pass is the true bonus.

Fenway Park Seating: Dugout Box Seats

The Dugout Box field-level seats are the first few rows of field level seats, and cater to types who occupy them, offering valet parking (in itself almost worth the price), padded seats with warmers, in-seat wait service and private restrooms. The first row has TVs in front of it for replays.

Still probably not worth the insane price especially with food not included, but someone will pay it. Keep in mind that Dugout Box infield seats are significantly more than “Extended” Dugout Box, especially close to the Red Sox dugout.

Dugout Seat holders do have access to the climate controlled Ford Clubhouse on Brookline Avenue, with upscale dining and photos of Sox greats. You can order from the menu and have it delivered to your seat.

The real advantage is the ability to duck out of the elements.

Club + Pavilion Fenway Park Seating

The members-only Dell Technologies Club seating is on the mezzanine level behind home plate; members can access the climate-controlled club featuring a high end executive chef restaurant with a wine list, hi-def TVs and three full-service bars. Or order food from their seat if they don’t feel like getting up.

There’s a load of other benefits like complimentary programs and a private entrance, but nothing terribly exciting for the high cost (as if people here need a discount on souvenirs). The club recommends reservations and has a dress code.

As with most premium Fenway Park seating, if you have to ask you probably can’t afford it. But who knows, maybe you can find a decent deal on TickPick. Try to avoid Sections 1 and 6, which lose a portion of the field to luxury suites next to them.

Sure the seats are nice. But check out those barstools!

The padded seats of the Lansdowne Pavilion sections are located above the Dell Club seats behind home plate, and in the lower sections of the upper level. Fans at this level can walk in the upper concourse for a nifty view of the Boston skyline, not to mention shorter concession lines. Not that there’s anything wrong with the bird’s eye view of the field here, which is closer than most ballparks. There is also more leg room here than at most seats in Fenway.

Behind each section is a row of barstools with backs and a drink rail; these are well worth the price if you plan to have an adult beverage or two.

If they get tired of their cushioned seats, ticket holders at the Pavilion level can access a restaurant with a pizza counter and raw bar, and a lounge area with two full bars. (Keep in mind Boston climate.) The food here is highly rated by people who talk about such things, but for the price it should be.

Like with the EMC Club, the Pavilion club serves a brunch for afternoon games, and you can order food from your seat. Pavilion club tickets also include a parking pass (worth about $50 given the cost of Fenway parking), and they are available in “Sox Pax” like most seating areas.

Probably your best chance at catching a home run ball.

Green Monster Seats at Fenway Park

In the most striking change of the early 2000s renovations, the Sox replaced the net above the Green Monster in left field with a few rows of barstools. These seats go for a premium price. Monster seats have their own concession area and are separate from the rest of the ballpark.

Truth be told, this is something you only do to say you did it…the seats at this angle would be the worst at any other ballpark. They’re very high up, and unless you are in the first row, you won’t be able to see anything hit to deep left. In a day game, the sun could also be bothersome.

The only real advantage, other than the experience, is the likelihood of a home run coming your way, and even then you should watch out for the line drive shots.

Your view from the Green Monster. Heckling is pretty much ineffective.

The best way to land Green Monster tickets is to pay attention to the Red Sox newsletter. The Sox place Green Monster tickets on sale incrementally, so September games might not go on sale until July. Last I checked, there was a booth in the concourse where you can enter to win Monster tickets, so there’s that.

In their newsletter the Sox announce a “Monster Mash” package in October for a Yankees game the following season; the cost includes a couple of Green Monster tickets, jerseys, memorabilia and a chance to have your photo taken with World Series trophies. You even get a scoreboard message that I’m guessing you can’t see from these seats. It’s a Red Sox Foundation benefit, but whether it’s worth the hefty price tag is up to you.

If you really want to experience this and don’t mind standing, you can find SRO Green Monster tickets at a lower price, but again, the view is definitely not great.

The equally prestigious and distant right field roof deck.

The Right Field (Ultimate) Roof Deck

The aptly named Ultimate Deck, previously the much more aptly named Right Field Roof Deck, is just above the retired numbers in right field. There are picnic tables with four seats each, and a full bar and concessions area, which is covered and offers a spot to duck out of the rain or sun. There’s a drink rail with stools for that baseball with expensive drinks experience.

Each ticket includes concessions cash, but this isn’t likely worth the price for arguably the worst view in the ballpark. A Loge Box seat between the bases costs only slightly more than a Roof Deck seat minus the credit, and they are MUCH better seats; that’s not even considering the sun setting in your eyes up here.

I’m not trying to be critical here; the Deck is something you do for the baseball party if you’re into that; concessions and drinks are easier to get and it’s a fun atmosphere.

People here just like hanging out somewhere with a nice view.

Like with Green Monster seats, the Sox put Roof Deck tickets on sale at separate times; keep an eye on the newsletter if you’re interested. You can get tickets through TickPick and other third party sellers, but if you buy two you could be sitting with two other people that you don’t know, which could be a good or bad thing.

Anyone with a game ticket is welcome to hang out at the bar (there isn’t much of a view of the game there), but not in the seating area.

The small section of seats with drink rails on the far end, over the right field bleachers, is now called the “502 Perch”…there are 14 seats, one of them painted red just like the one where Williams’ epic 1946 blast (by pre-steroid era standards) landed. This is a designated party area, but these seats are as far away as the upper bleachers and cost a bunch more.

Red seats are always good at the home of the Red Sox.

Field and Loge Box Seats

Field Box seats with their cushions and proximity to the field are, of course, among the best in the park, but Loge Box seats are nearly as terrific and cost significantly less, especially considering that both are the kind of tickets that you’re going to need an alternate route to get. Field Box seats get a much more significant markup than Loge Box from third party sellers.

Both Field and Loge Box sections usually have 12 rows per section. Most all of the Loge Box seats are very good, and worth spending the money if you’re making the effort.

The only caveat, other than the minimal leg room that is a problem almost everywhere here, is that the first three rows (AA thru CC) are “walkway advisory” tickets, meaning that people will be walking in the aisle in front of you during the game. Baseball limits people returning to their seats during an at-bat, so this shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Remember, the support poles are your friend!

Pavilion Box + Reserved Seats

Pavilion Box seats are the upper sections on either side of the premium Pavilion seating on the club level, and are considerably lower in price but still cost more than Grandstand or Bleacher seating.

They’re good seats and are closer to the action than upper levels in most ballparks, and if you’re a large person like me they offer more leg room than most seats here. But if you’d prefer to sit closer, Loge Box seats cost just a few bucks more.

Pavilion Box seats do have a roof over the upper portions, which is nice if it rains but doesn’t always offer protection from the sun. In Rows C and higher, you have a good chance of being protected from the elements.

Who wouldn’t want to sit under a Coca-Cola sign?

The Pavilion Reserved seating is three sections of upper level seating beneath the Coca-Cola sign in left field. There is a nice private concessions area with picnic tables here, but it’s fairly distant from the field. It’s next to the Green Monster and higher up, so you can people watch the lottery winners there.

Behind the Coca-Cola Corner is a designated standing room spot; the Sox have turned this into an expensive group party area called the Lansdowne Pavilion, but the additional cost doesn’t make the view any better.

The Right Field Upper Box is on the lower level here. I don’t get it either.

Right Field Box + Upper Box

The Right Field Box and Right Field Upper Box seats are numbered in two separate sections, with the lower numbers 1-8 being closer to the field and 87 to 97 being the sections behind them. “Upper Box” is kind of misleading; these are still on the field level.

The closer you get to the right field foul pole (known as “Pesky’s Pole”), the more seats face center field rather than home plate, so you will be twisting your neck throughout the game, which is an annoyance if a minor one. In addition, people will be getting up and blocking the view frequently. Sections 5 and 93 can be particularly bad, being right behind Pesky’s Pole.

But don’t let this sway you…these seats are close to the field, and you do have a cool straight ahead view of the Green Monster. These seats can be half the price of their Field Box equivalent on the left field side. Find the right spot and this can be the best bang for the buck in Fenway Park seating.

One obstructed view note here: the support pole can sometimes be in the last row of a Right Field Box section, usually Row XX. If you’re sitting next to a pole, it might make for a lot of leaning forward at the least, and it isn’t likely to be fun. Just to be sure, avoid Row XX in Right Field Upper Box seats.

In the sun and far away, but there’s a nice deck behind it for a BBQ.

Right Field Roof Box

The upper level seats down the right field line, with the new scoreboard over them, don’t have as bad a neck injury issue being higher up, and they have their own private concessions area which is nice.

These seats are still far from the action, but they’re closer to home plate than the Roof Deck and the price is significantly less, and it’s almost as close to the Brewhouse if you want a drink. These seats are in the sun as well, but at least you’re not staring straight into it.

Because the rows are steeper here, people standing in front of you is less of a problem, so no need to get a low row here…the view isn’t much different.

Behind this section is a picnic area that can be used for very expensive private parties; there are tables and barstool seats and the floor is wooden boards and easier on the feet. The Red Sox will do a BBQ here for your party, but the price isn’t worth the two complimentary parking spots.

The Right Field Roof Terrace is also a standing room space, but tickets don’t guarantee a spot, so you may have trouble finding a space with a good view. There’s also no roof here, bad on a rainy day.

Okay, so now on to tickets that the rest of us can afford…here’s the info on the cheap seats at Fenway Park, after this quick piece of valuable advice from our sponsor…

Never Drive To Fenway Park Without A Plan…

Book Your Parking Spot NOW With My Friends at SpotHero!

I’m still trying to figure out the logic of inch-wide armrests, even in 1912.

Cheap Seats at Fenway Park, Part 1: Grandstand Seats

The Grandstand seats are under the upper deck tier surrounding most of the field. Most Grandstand seats have the advantage of being out of the sun and rain for the most part, but the fan pays the price of the dreaded obstructed view.

Besides that, most of the Grandstand seats are a scant 15” wide and wooden, the armrests are tiny, and the rows offer very little legroom. This is a common complaint about Fenway, and for big and tall folks especially a Grandstand seat can be most uncomfortable over nine innings. Might want to bring a cushion.

That said, if you can handle them and know how to avoid an obstructed view (which you will shortly), the low and not too far away Grandstand seats can be a good value for a Sox game. The only sections you should avoid are in the outfield in right field; for the space and view problems you’re better off in the bleachers for less money. Avoid Sections 2 and 3 especially, the support pole is likely to be a problem there wherever you sit, and you won’t likely be able to see the big scoreboards either.

Because when you don’t drink at the ballgame, you’re less likely to need auto glass repair.

The Outfield Grandstand seats in Sections 32-33 are down the left field line, next to the Monster, and are closer to the field. The sections face the field, so unlike in right field, you won’t have to crane your neck here. These happen to be the alcohol-free family sections, so it’s not a place if you want a brew.

Try to avoid getting a seat too high; the Red Sox have put in nifty scoreboards made to resemble the hand-operated guy in left, but the overhang blocks the view of them for upper row seat holders. The Red Sox did put TVs at the top of the support poles, so at least people can see replays. If only they had that in Babe Ruth’s day.

At least the pitcher can’t see who is heckling them.

How To Avoid Obstructed Views at Fenway Park

Most all of the Grandstand seats have a pole obstructing a portion of the field; here are some things to know so it doesn’t ruin your night.

The Red Sox stamp certain tickets “OV” for obstructed view, but the obstruction has to be pretty egregious before the Sox will admit to it. Avoid “OV” tickets at all costs.

Support poles are usually in the first or second row of a section, and in most cases they’re at the end of a row…either at Seat 1 or the other end, maybe Seat 16 or 24, depending on the size of the section. There are also support poles in the back of Grandstand sections, and there are sometimes two or three rows behind them. The same rule applies in most (but not all) cases, avoid Seat 1 or the last seat of a row.

Incidentally, Sections 19 and 21 are pretty safe on views, and the closer you get to home plate, the less of a problem it is.

Ah, here’s the trick…just sit in FRONT of the poles!

You are most likely to have a problem in Rows 2-4 of a Grandstand section, and this is in the lower-numbered or higher-numbered seats. If you have the luxury of seeing the seat number, you should be okay in most sections with Seats 5-12. Only in the outfield do these general rules get a little wacky. In Sections 2 thru 4, seats numbered lower than 18 are usually safe.

Sometimes a support pole can be right in front of a seat in the first row, but if it is, the Sox will mark that as OV. So if you can get a first row seat numbered in the 5-10 range that doesn’t say OV, you should have a terrific view with no obstructions. For the price, that’s a great seat at Fenway.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing…who’s winning?

The Grandstand is also covered by the upper level, so the highest rows lose the view of the nice new Jumbotron scoreboards. If this matters to you (it does to me), avoid anything higher than about Row 14 or so. There are 17-19 rows in most Grandstand sections.

If you want to keep it simple, just follow the 5-10 rule…meaning that in most cases, rows 5-10 and/or seats 5-10 are usually the best in the Grandstand sections. The pole will still be there, but it shouldn’t be too annoying. You’ll have to deal with crawling over people to get to your seat in the middle of a row, but that’s better than sitting behind a pole.

Don’t sit in the bleachers unless you know the words to “Sweet Caroline”.

Cheap Seats at Fenway Park, Part 2: The Bleachers

There is a sizable amount of bleacher seats—50 rows in most sections—in the outfield at Fenway. The nice thing about the bleacher seats as opposed to many others in the price range is that you’re not likely to have your view obstructed, you won’t have to crane your neck, and your seat may be more comfortable than some of the grandstand seats.

The upper bleachers are the cheapest of Fenway Park seating, but they can be as far as 600 feet from home plate, and you will likely be under the Jumbotron and unable to see it. Try to get lower seats if you can. Once you get to be 30 or 40 rows up in the bleachers, it’s difficult to keep track of the action on the field (the crack of the bat even takes a second to hear).

I don’t know if it’s still the case, but some time ago Red Sox introduced a system where only digital tickets for the upper bleachers are sold for the high demand games. The idea was to enable families to get these tickets and keep them out of the hands of those notorious Fenway scalpers. I suppose getting into the ballpark is better than just having a souvenir.

Where’s Clemens?

The bleachers used to be a less than G-rated place for families, with obscene language and fights at times. But since the price has gone up significantly for tickets at Fenway, it’s not as bad now, and you should be fine bringing the wife and kids. If you’re close enough to the bullpens, the kids may be able to score some autographs.

You will definitely want to bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen for day games in the bleachers. I speak from experience.

The famous “red seat” where Ted Williams’ titanic shot landed is Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21. Good luck landing that one.

They don’t have a great view, and they’re tired, but they’re in the ballpark!

Fenway Park Standing Room Tips

I realize that it’s not technically Fenway Park seating, but…

There are seven, yes, seven different Standing Room areas at Fenway. From most to least expensive they are: Green Monster; Right Field Roof Deck; Right Field Roof Box; Right Field Roof Terrace; Coca-Cola Corner; Pavilion and General Standing Room.

There isn’t a wide disparity in price for them all, but all of them are more expensive than Upper Bleacher seats, and most of them are more expensive than outfield bleacher seats.

In 2017 the Sox added the Right Field Tavern, a full bar that takes over the space in the right field Grandstand area. It’s got drink rails, phone chargers, big TVs, and a seriously subpar view of the field. (Recall what I’ve told you about right field Grandstand seats.)

Anyone with a ticket can hang out at the Tavern, but the Sox sell drink rail spots for a cheap price. It’s a good deal if you were going basic standing room anyway, since at least you’ll have a place to sit and charge your phone. The view is bad, but it isn’t much worse than designated standing room behind the Grandstand.

We all need something we can lean on.

Green Monster standing room is for people who can stand behind three rows of people sitting on barstools. Even more so than with the seating, this is more of an experience than a decent place to watch the game, since you’ll miss a significant portion of the outfield, even more so from behind the seats. There is a rail for your drinks, and a separate concessions and bathrooms area.

The Right Field Roof Deck is very far away from the action, but there is a bar area there with TVs even and it’s fun. On the opposite end is the Coca-Cola Corner in left field, which has a rail to lean on and place your drinks, and tables if you need to sit, but as I’ve said it’s a bit costly as places to stand go.

There’s no one sitting in the barstools, go for it!

If you’re going standing room, your best bet is the upper level Infield Pavilion, for several reasons; there aren’t as many people there, you can sit your grub on a drink rail, and since the seats in front of you are reserved for corporate types, there’s a chance you could swipe a seat if they leave to go to an emergency board meeting. It’s higher up, but the view isn’t bad at all.

Standing room on the lower levels enables fans to watch the action from behind the Grandstand, and it’s cheaper, but there are a few impediments to your enjoyment: First, you have to stand in designated areas behind the concourse, and the killjoy Red Sox ushers spend the whole game enforcing it rather than doing something more important like looking the other way while you grab a seat. Second, you won’t be able to see scoreboards and such from this vantage point.

Pavilion standing room is worth the few extra bucks; if you go this route, the third base side has a bit better view.

Well, there is a nice view of Jersey Street anyway.

Standing room is what it is, and you usually have to stake out a spot and stay there, which isn’t all that much fun. The best thing is that in most places you’ll have no problem staying out of the rain. If you try it, fork over a few extra for a prime spot, and you may be able to snatch a seat later in the game.

Whew! Had enough? Hopefully from this helpful Fenway Park seating guide you have a good idea of how to get the best seat for your hard-earned dollar at America’s oldest ballpark.

So now you need to get tickets…and my guide for saving money on Red Sox tickets should be a huge help. And don’t forget to check out all of my useful tips for getting there and what to eat in the game in this complete Fenway Park guide.

Thanks for reading, and please support Ballpark E-Guides sponsors!

Planning a trip to Boston? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Boston and Fenway Park today!

(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, this website earns a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!)

Even though I’m known for recommending that you take the T to Fenway, I’m still here to help if you want to drive and park. This Fenway Park parking guide will help you find an affordable spot, get to the ballpark easily and spare yourself a lot of headaches. You should definitely know what you’re doing, so read this carefully and commit it to memory.

And if you’re one of those folks that loves to beat the man and find free street parking at Fenway Park, this will help you with that too.

(Taking a trip to see the Red Sox? Check out my complete Fenway Park guide here!)

Here’s the breakdown of what you should know:

Driving to Fenway Park
Pre-Paid Red Sox Parking
Parking Close to Fenway
Cheaper Parking at Fenway
Free Street Parking
A Few More Fenway Park Parking Tips

You can do better than this. Stick with me.

But first, an extremely valuable and applicable bit of advice from our sponsor:
 

Never Drive To Fenway Park Without A Plan…

Book Your Parking Spot NOW With My Friends at SpotHero!

Wally sez: “Where the H do you park around here?”

Fenway Park Parking, Part 1: Driving to Fenway Park

The closest interstate to Fenway is I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) running east-west north of the park; I-93 runs north-south east of the park.

The Red Sox provide directions on their website, with warnings that not only does traffic back up an hour before game time, it tends to back up at Brookline Avenue, Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue, Storrow Drive, and at Kenmore Square where Fenway is located. All these points are north and west.

Be sure to understand the distinction between road signs that say “Fenway Park”, as opposed to “Fenway”—the latter will take you to the actual Fenway neighborhood rather than the ballpark in Kenmore Square.

“Luke, no! It’s a trap!!”

Since all of the Red Sox directions to Fenway involve Storrow Drive, try to find a way to avoid it. You can take the Prudential exit off of the Pike, use Huntington Avenue west and turn right on Massachusetts Avenue. From there a left will bring you into Kenmore Square. Or you can just use the easy-exit Prudential Center or 100 Clarendon lots.

The hard part, actually, is after the game. Leaving the ballpark, streets that you used to get in will change direction, and if you park close to Kenmore Square you will have to contend with thousands of pedestrians. This is another reason I suggest parking further away, and if you don’t want to do the walk, read on.

You want to avoid this.

Fenway Park Parking, Part 2: Pre-Paid Red Sox Parking – Yes, Do This!!

There is a fair amount of parking in the area of Fenway Park, but you might not want to pay over $50 for something that isn’t as close or isn’t as easy to get out of as you might like.

Even if you don’t care how much you pay to park…an attitude local lot owners count on, believe me…I strongly recommend that you reserve a spot beforehand. It’s difficult enough trying to find an affordable lot; doing so in Kenmore Square traffic on game day will drive you insane.

With a prepaid app like SpotHero, people can reserve spots ahead of time for a Red Sox game. Anything from large outfits like Pilgrim to people’s driveways can be included.

I don’t know if they park your car in the middle of the car wash, but it doesn’t hurt to check.

You simply enter the date of the game, select from available spots, and your prepaid app will send you a printable reservation or a bar code on your phone for a guaranteed spot. Easy peezy. There are recommendations from people on different spots and they’ll even let you know if you can tailgate (which isn’t very common in Boston, but just saying).

Even if you are okay paying more for a closer spot, with pre-paid parking you can get something close to the highway, choose something that isn’t too exorbitant, read about who double parks or stacks cars, and choose a lot that works best for you. Plug the address into your GPS, and your day at Fenway just got a million times easier.

But definitely Book. Your. Parking. Beforehand.

“Yeah, that’s mine in the back there. I’ll wait.”

Fenway Park Parking, Part 3: Parking Near The Ballpark

There are about 6,000 parking spaces within a 15-minute walk from Fenway Park. Parking is so rough at Fenway that some lots advertise “no blocking”. For a weekday game, with the area full of commuters, your chances of finding a spot decrease even more dramatically (and even the Red Sox are more emphatic that you should use the T on weekdays).

If you want to be close and don’t care about the traffic leaving, you can reserve spots in the lots on Lansdowne or Ipswich Street or Brookline Avenue for a highway robbery price.

If you’ve found someone crazy enough to drive a busload of friends to the game, bus parking is available in Lot B, near PlantPub (where Boston Beer Works used to be). For handicapped parking, the Sox list Jersey Street between Van Ness Street and Boylston Street, Ipswich Street near Gate B, and Overland Street next to Brookline Avenue. Convenient, but you will be waiting a long time to leave.

The Red Sox do a nice thing by providing a list of lots and garages on their website with prices, availability and addresses of nearby lots, but most of them don’t offer parking for under $40 on game days, even in lots that are a fair distance from the ballpark.

People will pay more for something close to the Red Sox font.

Distance from the ballpark does not always equal lower prices, by the way; in my visits I’ve seen the Shell station on Boylston charge almost twice as much as a Sunoco across the street, and I’ve also seen lots almost a half mile away from the ballpark charging $60. Don’t be intimidated if you see a high-priced lot further away.

Again, I can’t stress this enough. Book your parking in advance.

In many of the small lots (think 60 spaces or less), you could be double and triple parked, which can add to the headache of leaving after the game. Grab a bite nearby…there are plenty of spots in Fenwayville…and wait for the crowd to thin out. Or you can park at the Symphony garage on Westland Avenue to avoid this…it’s more expensive, but they valet park your car for you.

Hopefully this lot isn’t an hour walk away. (I’m joking, it’s not.)

Fenway Park Parking, Part 4: Cheaper Parking for Fenway Park

Here are some of the less expensive parking options for parking at Fenway and why I recommend them. They are a bit farther away, but several are close to T stations.

So secret is this spot, I’m giving you the address!

100 Clarendon Street. This one is my favorite; I’ve used this garage a few times and have always been very happy with it. The Sox’s official lot is right off of I-90 on Clarendon Street and has 2,000 spaces; it’s close to the interstate but it’s a good hike from the park, over a mile.

So long as you have your ticket stub, the lot will only charge you a third of the going rate. You can book ahead on your favorite app for a very low price by Fenway Park parking standards, and have plenty left over for an extra Fenway Frank.

If you don’t mind the walk (and I never do, it’s actually a nice walk through town), this is your affordable option with a very easy out onto I-90.

This sign is visible from the 100 Clarendon lot entrance.

If you want to avoid the walk, it’s near the Back Bay T Station, and you can use Commuter Rail to get to Lansdowne Station just steps from the ballpark IF you time your arrival right. (This might be tougher on weekends with less frequent service.)

If it’s too long a wait, it’s also not far from Copley Station, for an easy if crowded Green Line train ride to Kenmore.

Even with the train ride cost for 2-3 people, you’re still way ahead. 

It might be a buck or two more when you read this…and it’s actually probably the third best deal in town.

Prudential Center. The shops at the Pru Center have a lot that charges a bit more than Pilgrim (it’s $20 as I write this) but still much less than lots closer to Fenway; you do have to have a ticket stub. They claim to be Boston’s largest parking garage, so spot availability should be less of a problem here (and your car won’t be stacked on top of another one). Plenty of good pregame eats much cheaper than ballpark prices in the food court and in the area.

The Pru Center is also a bit of a hike (it’s in the path of the walk from 100 Clarendon but not much closer), about a mile away, but it’s very convenient to I-90 after the game. If you are too tired to do it coming back, you can take a Green Line train to Copley and transfer to an E train back to Prudential (or just walk it, it’s short), or use the Commuter Rail from Lansdowne to Back Bay.

Your easy landmark after the game.

You can see the Pru Center building inside the ballpark, beyond the right field scoreboard, so you know exactly which direction to walk in when the game’s over.

Hynes Auditorium Garage. Pilgrim Parking (50 Dalton Street) across from the Prudential Center charges a third of what most lots charge on weekends (it’s available on weekends only). This along with the Pru Center is a good spot to find Boston Pedicabs…you can read about them here.

This is a great choice for an even shorter walk; Google Maps calls it at just 13 minutes.

Symphony Garage (41 Westland Avenue). The Symphony Garage at the corner of Westland and Massachusetts Avenue is about a 15-minute walk, but it’s a bit cheaper, an easier out, and they’ll valet park your car for you so you’re not stacked behind or under other cars.

Is a Deaconess a female Deacon?

Beth Israel Deaconess (330 Brookline Avenue). This lot charges about half of what most lots closer to Fenway cost, and it’s an easy straight walk up Brookline Avenue.

Longwood Medical Center (375 Longwood Avenue). The garage for the local hospital is about a quarter mile away, and is one of the cheapest lots around if you don’t mind the walk, which is about as far as the Pru Center. You can take a Green Line D to or from Longwood station to skip the walk.

Boston University (766 Commonwealth Avenue). This lot is about half the price of most Fenway lots; it’s about a 20-minute walk, but it’s also close to the BU East T station on the Green Line if you’re not quite up to the hike after the game.

Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue). The Museum of Fine Arts is about a ten-minute walk from the ballpark, and they offer a nice deal on weekdays…$17 as of this writing if you arrive after 5:30 PM. I have read that this isn’t in the best part of Boston, however.

I finally found a place to P at Fenway!

As far as parking meters, the local government has passed ordinances limiting the amount of street parking that can be had for Sox games, or at least charging a lot more for it. The new meter prices on Beacon Street, for example, aren’t quite what lots charge, but they’re no longer a steal or even worth the effort.

So that should be enough to help you find a deal and a short walk to Fenway Park. When we come back, I’ll name some spots where people have found free street parking at Fenway Park.

But first, this quick word from our sponsor:

My friends at TickPick have Red Sox tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Click here to order your Red Sox tickets on TickPick!

Just so you know, Lansdowne Street next to Fenway isn’t a free spot. Not even if you have a fancy car and think you’re important.

Fenway Park Parking, Part 5: Free Street Parking at Fenway Park

Yes, you can park for free at Fenway Park; there are even some spaces that aren’t much further away than lots that go for $50. But be aware of certain things…street parking is at your own risk. If you get a ticket, the city will ensure that you wish you paid for parking elsewhere. I am not guaranteeing any of these spots; they are places I’ve found in my forum searches and visits to the ballpark.

There are still some side streets that are a bargain or even free. One more disclaimer: I wrote this in 2018, and as you can imagine this stuff changes, but hopefully I’m giving you enough to have alternatives if your wallet is light.

Is this where I can find Ipswich clams?

Ipswich Street. Near Lansdowne Street there is a back street portion of Ipswich that is a residents-only spot, but the resident parking is enforced from 6:00 PM on, so this should be a free spot for day games. I saw several cars without permits parked there for a game. This is practically right around the corner from the ballpark, and just steps away from a lot that is $50 as I write this.

Gardner Museum. About six blocks south of the park, the Isabella Gardner Museum sits across from Simmons College. Supposedly there is some Sunday street parking on Evans Way and Avenue Louis Pasteur here. This isn’t one of the better parts of Boston though, so this might be a day game choice.

A straight walk to the ballpark!

Brookline Avenue/Chapel Street. West and south of Fenway Park there are metered spots along Brookline Avenue that become free after 6:00 PM, and a bit west is Chapel Street and the metered Longwood T lot. These are a steal if you land one, costing you only about $3-4 to feed the meter until 6:00 PM or for free on Sundays and holidays. For your efforts there are lots of eateries on Brookline to grab some takeout to bring in.

Burlington Avenue. Burlington is a side street from Brookline Avenue; there is reportedly free street parking here but you’ve got to be early. It’s a great spot if you land one though, and just a 5-minute walk.

Lansdowne MBTA Station. Just in front of the Commuter Rail station at Fenway I’ve read there is space for about a dozen cars, and there’s no parking restriction…for the moment. Just don’t block the European Car Doctors garage entrance.

Boston University/Bay State Road. There are some metered spots on Bay State Road on the Storrow Drive side near the Boston U. dorms, and on Commonwealth Avenue south of it. From Bay State it’s about a quarter mile walk. BU is buying up locations with spots, so this should be a last resort.

Well, I’m kind of a resident for today…

Back Bay Side Streets. On Sundays meters are inactive on the side streets of Commonwealth Avenue, east of the ballpark in the Back Bay area. Hereford and Gloucester Streets aren’t terribly far from Fenway.

There you go…some options for beating the man and parking for free at Fenway Park. Good luck and be careful.

These guys are useful…tip them well!

Fenway Park Parking, Part 6: A Few More Parking Tips

There are a lot of good reasons not to park too close to the ballpark; insane parking prices, long waits to get in and out, and Kenmore Square traffic on game day. Keep in mind that with many of the lots I’ve suggested, you can use a subway or commuter rail train to get to the ballpark and still come out ahead.

Boston Pedicabs is another viable and fun option from many spots including the Pru Center area; you get a nice ride on a rickshaw through the city and an easy exit once you do get to the car. You won’t necessarily save money, but it’s still easier on the psyche.

Meters on Jersey Street become priority spaces on game nights, so you won’t save any money there.

Ultimately, it’s usually just easier to use an MBTA subway or commuter rail train to get to a Red Sox game. But if you plan ahead, driving and parking doesn’t have to be so bad. You can save a lot of money and aggravation if you’re willing to walk just a little bit. Again, reserve a spot before the game, and get there as early as you can.

Lots more where this came from!

Want to know more about the famous ballpark in Boston? Check out my complete Fenway Park guide…with everything you need to know for your next Red Sox game, including getting tickets, choosing a seat, and what to eat. Fenway Park isn’t for amateurs…be prepared!

Please support Ballpark E-Guides sponsors, and help this site help baseball fans…thanks!

Planning a trip to Boston? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Boston and Fenway Park today!

(Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides receives a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!)

If you’re looking for a cool or romantic way to get to Fenway Park, try those fun guys at Boston Pedicab.

As you may know, only rookies drive their car to Fenway Park, or anywhere in Boston, for that matter. Narrow streets and world-class congestion make the public transportation system pretty popular in Beantown.

But public transit has its drawbacks, especially for those using it to get to a ballgame. I can tell you from the experience of nearly having my face pressed against a window for entire Green Line rides. Trains coming to and leaving games at Fenway Park get mercilessly jammed with Red Sox fans.

So now we have rickshaws as an option…

The perfect size vehicles for Boston streets.

Boston Pedicabs is a local outfit that employs college students, who pedal bicycles attached to rickshaws around the city. There are plenty of them available near Fenway, but the gentleman I e-mailed asking where best to find them (forgive me for losing the e-mail with his name) informed me that the Prudential Center garage some blocks east of Fenway is a good spot.

My friends at TickPick have Red Sox tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Click here to order your Red Sox tickets on TickPick!

 
The Pru lot is much cheaper than the lots closest to Fenway, and the Center is basically a mall with quite a few good pregame dining options.

The fellows riding the bicycles are friendly and will have a conversation with you as they’re pedaling you through murderous traffic to the park, and you can look around at the city rather than waiting for the driver in front of you to finally move.

Best of all, they’re free. But not really. The Boston Pedicab drivers subsist entirely on tips, so don’t be stiffing them.

That’s just one cool way to get to Fenway…but you should really know every way to get there, because Fenway is a challenge.

Boston Pedicabs website: www.bostonpedicab.com

Taking a trip to Fenway Park? This amazing Fenway Park guide will tell you everything you need to know…how to get tickets, choose a seat, get to the game and what to eat, and how to save money on all of it!

Planning a trip to Boston? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Boston and Fenway Park today!

(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides earns a commission. Thanks for your support.)

The Red Sox have upped their food game of late, with adding such fancy items like fluffernutter fries and Mings Bings, but the Fenway Frank is still essential sustenance at Boston’s venerable ballpark. Keeping it simple is why Fenway Park has lasted so long.

The white bread bun. Only at Fenway.

I don’t understand why it’s so rare to see a hot dog in a mushy white bread bun, but it’s part of what makes this baseball hot dog so distinctive – that gooeyness around the classic baseball flavor.

The Fenway Frank is made by Kayem Foods, who added some garlic and smoke to the flavor when they took it over in 2009. Incidentally, Kayem also makes the dogs sold at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, but they claim it’s a different style of dog. I would hope so.

My friends at TickPick have Red Sox tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Click here to order your Red Sox tickets on TickPick!

Is that “mmmmmm” that they’re spelling with the mustard?

You can also get a Monster Dog, which is an elevated Fenway Frank – and is quite large at ten inches. Save some room for that.

Regarding the franks sold in the stands, by the way, they are boiled in water as opposed to grilled on rollers like at the concession stands. I like my dogs boiled, but I think I’m in the minority on that. Either way, the Fenway Frank is the essential “Fenway Park food thing.”

Incidentally, the Red Sox and Kayem celebrate National Hot Dog Day in July. People submit their variations to be chosen as the Next Fenway Frank, and that creation gets sold at the ballpark the rest of the season.

In 2017 it was a North End Frank: topped with pesto, arugula, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato and fresh mozzarella. Now that’s a hot dog.

But the same could be said about the simple classic Fenway Frank.

Planning a trip to Boston? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Boston and Fenway Park today!

(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides earns a commission. Thanks for your support.)