Baseball by Boat: MLB Baseball Stadiums to Visit Via the Water

Iconic architecture, historic pasts and that certain sense of summertime have inspired fans of baseball (and its stadiums) for decades. Have you ever thought about combining your love of the game with your passion for the water?

Between the Great Lakes, inland rivers and the bays of the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific, there are a surprising variety of baseball stadiums on (or near) waterfront property. And you can get to them from the deck of your boat! Nearby marinas, docks and private boat slip rentals make it convenient to pull up and walk, bike or take a taxi, Uber or bus to a game.

Let’s check out some of the Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums you can find near rivers, bays and sounds. Some can even be watched directly from the water.

Rogers Centre: Toronto, Canada

Photo: Unsplash

Home to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rogers Centre is located along Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto, Canada. It’s a quick walk from the waterfront and boat slips to the stadium. It opened in 1989 and sits beneath the 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower. Several restaurants have views of the field, and there’s an attached hotel with 70 rooms that overlook the field. It’s the first baseball stadium to have a fully retractable roof as well as one of only a few stadiums with artificial turf that can be taken up for trade shows, motorsports and concerts.

Wrigley Field: Chicago, Illinois

Photo: Unsplash

Chicago, located near the shores of Lake Michigan, is a must-stop on a Great Loop adventure. Home to the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field is a National Historic Landmark. It opened in 1914 and is the second oldest MLB stadium. Yacht clubs and docks on Belmont Harbor are a mile or two away, which may seem like a stretch, but we just had to include this one for its architecture, ivy-covered brick outfield wall and that iconic red marquee.

Fenway Park: Boston, Massachusetts

Photo: PIxabay

Home base to the Boston Red Sox since 1912, Fenway Park is the oldest active park in baseball. It’s located near the Charles River, so Boston Yacht Haven Inn & Marina or private boat dock rentals can be found nearby. Boston has an excellent bike sharing system with hubs all around the city.

Like Wrigley Field, Fenway is known as a classic (or jewel box) ballpark. This type of park is built out of concrete, brick or steel (rather than wood), has two-tiered grandstands and is built within the confines of a city block (for the most part). This smaller scale offers the intimate feeling of ball games of yesteryear.

Citi Field: New York, New York

Photo: Unsplash

With its famous homeplate entrance, red brick and limestone exterior and arched entrances, Citi Field is home to the New York Mets. It’s located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, just south of Flushing Bay and was built in 2009 to replace Shea Stadium. Fans can visit the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, the Mets Museum or the outfield picnic area.

If you don’t have a nearby private boat slip rental, check out the marina at Chelsea Piers or the World’s Fair Marina. The New York Water Taxi provides free service to the stadium from Pier 11/Wall Street and the East 34th Street Ferry Landing on game days.

Great American Ballpark: Cincinnati, Ohio

Photo: Pixabay

The Great American Ballpark is located on the Ohio River, making for great views for Cincinnati Reds fans. Check out the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and the rose garden dedicated to Pete Rose, which symbolizes his 4,192nd hit. There’s also a large-scale mural of the bat used by Rose to hit that record-breaking hit in 1985. Cincinnati has a streetcar system that services the riverfront if you’re docking at a nearby marina or boat lift rental.

PNC Park: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates Facebook

Downtown Pittsburgh is located at the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers, which converge to form the Ohio River. The Pirates’ PNC Park is a smaller scale ballpark. Views of the Allegheny River and the city skyline really set it apart. Check out statues of famous Hall of Fame Pirates – like Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente and Honus Wagner - located around the limestone exterior. A shuttle provides service from Station Square Dock to the stadium. There’s also a Water Limo, which is located at the Lockwall One Marina at the Cork Factory.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Baltimore, Maryland

Photo: Pixabay

Oriole Park, home to the Baltimore Orioles, features early 20th century architecture (even though it was built in the early 1990s) in an urban waterfront setting. The Inner Harbor, which flows into the Patapsco River, is just a walk away and offers the Baltimore Yacht Basin and other boat dock rental sites. The brick-fronted stadium holds 45,000+ fans and proudly shows off a statue of Babe Ruth in the courtyard.

Nationals Park: Washington, D.C.

Photo: Unsplash

Located along the Capitol Riverfront on the Anacostia River, Nationals Park is home base to the Washington Nationals. The southeast D.C. venue opened in 2008 and seats more than 43,000 fans within a glass and steel structure. It’s the first LEED-certified green professional sports stadium. It pays homage to the District’s famous flora with Japanese cherry blossoms in the centerfield plaza and left field concourse.

The stadium is near The Yards Marina and the Wharf Gangplank Marina. The Potomac Riverboat Company provides water taxi service from Old Town to Diamond Teague Park Pier. The city has bike sharing programs, and there’s a free bike valet at the park for those of you who carry your bikes on your boat.

LoanDepot Park: Miami, Florida

Photo: LoanDepot Park Facebook

Formerly Marlins Park, LoanDepot Park is home to the Miami Marlins. It shows off its Sunshine State roots with a retractable roof, aquariums and a 75-foot-tall sculpture that lights up with marlins, flamingos and seagulls every time the Marlins get a homerun. The Clevelander Bar, in left field, holds up to 240 guests and has a swimming pool. The stadium is just a short walk to the Miami River, which offers access to Biscayne Bay, making it within easy access to the Port of Miami and boat slips along Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay.

Tropicana Field: St. Petersburg, Florida

Photo: Tropicana Field Facebook

Known as The Trop, Tropicana Field is MLB’s only domed stadium. It has a unique exterior slanted roof, which was designed for cooling, efficiency and protection from hurricanes. There’s a 35-foot saltwater tank where fans can touch rays, namesake of the home team Tampa Bay Rays. Don’t miss the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame with photos, baseball artifacts and traveling exhibits. The stadium is located on Tampa Bay just a few blocks from downtown St. Pete, which offers convenient access to a yacht basin and private boat dock rentals.

Petco Park: San Diego, California

Photo: TheGordons via Wikimedia

Petco Park, home to the San Diego Padres, opened in 2004 and sits along San Diego Bay near South Embarcadero Park. Constructed of sandstone, steel and stucco, the stadium has a blue and white color scheme modeled after San Diego’s cliffs, beaches and boats. The grandstand features stunning views of San Diego Bay. If you prefer to sit outside the three-tier grandstand, The Park at The Park is a grassy area where fans can sit and watch for $10. There are trolleys, free shuttles, bike racks and the San Diego Bay Ferry to get to the stadium.

Oracle Park: San Francisco, California

Photo: Oracle Park Facebook

Fans can actually anchor out in at McCovey Cove and watch a San Francisco Giants game right from the water. The 41,600-seat stadium has a statue of Willie Mays, the world’s largest baseball glove and a 103-foot-wide video scoreboard. The Coca-Cola Fan Lot, behind the left field bleachers, has four slides inside an 80-foot Coke bottle. 

Oracle Park is located on Mission Bay and is accessible by ferry, light rail line, private boat slips near San Francisco Bay and the South Beach Yacht Club. The area is very walkable and bike-friendly. 

T-Mobile Park: Seattle, Washington

Photo: Seattle Mariners Facebook

T-Mobile Park, home to the Seattle Mariners, provides stunning views of Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline. It’s retro-modern design features a brick front, a natural grass field, a retractable roof that’s open on the sides and one of the largest video scoreboards in baseball. The stadium has bicycle parking, and there are water taxis if you have a private boat slip rental along Puget Sound.

Have you visited any of these MLB stadiums by water? Let us know your favorites!