Ballpark Game Plan: New York Yankees & Yankee Stadium

Field: Yankee Stadium

Official Site: https://www.mlb.com/yankees/ballpark

Year Completed: 2009

Capacity: 52,000

Covered: No – Postponement/Rainout Policy

Mascot: None

The Game We’ll See: Sunday, August 6: Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees (see all 30 here!)

Parking & Transportation:

Yankee Stadium does not manage its own parking. It is managed by City Parking. While there are parking lots in the area, fans in the Facebook Ballpark Chasers group report that the cost is high. The general recommendation from just about every sources is to park outside the city and take public transportation.

Oversized vehicle: There is no designated parking for RVs or oversized vehicles.

Public Transportation: Most reviewers agreed that the best way to reach Yankee Stadium is the subway. The No. 4 Train, the D Train, and, on weekdays, the B Train all serve the stadium. Several bus lines also serve the stadium. You can find a list of those lines and other transportation options here.

Stadium Tours:

Fans on Facebook’s Ballpark Chasers group report that the stadium tour is well worth the price. In addition to giving you early entrance to Monument Park, the tour gives you a peek at batting practice.

There are several tours on any given day. Game day tours are offered beginning about 3 hours before the first pitch. Tickets are about $105 each, and must be reserved in advance. The tour visits the Yankees Museum, Monument Park, and Section 105 to watch batting practice. Fans can also purchase a self-guided tour called the “Glimpse of Greatness” which includes Judge’s Chambers. These tickets are about $82 but are not available until closer to the game date.

General Information:

Bags: Yankee Stadium allows fans to bring a soft-sided bag that is no larger than 16” x 16” x 8”, plus a smaller clutch, purse, or grocery bag. However, no hard-sided bags are permitted. There is no storage available.

Food & Beverages: Fans may bring in their own food and water. Water must be in a factory-sealed, clear, plastic bottle no larger than 1 liter in size. Food that could reasonably be thrown, such as apples or oranges, must be sectioned.

Cashless transactions: All transactions are cashless.

Signs: Signs are permitted as long as they are baseball-related, don’t block views, interfere with the game, contain advertising, or contain offensive materials. Also, they may not be made of or with wood or metal.

Foul Balls: Fans may keep foul balls, as long as they don’t interfere with play or enter the playing area to retrieve them.

Cameras: Cameras are permitted, but selfie sticks, monopods, tripods, video cameras, and other equipment for the sole purpose of video and/or audio recording are not.

Umbrellas: Small umbrellas are allowed, as long as they do not impede another fan’s view of the game.

Gates: Gates open 90 minutes prior to the start of the game.

Where to Sit:

Bleacher seats at Yankee Stadium are the best value, as the seats are good and the fans engaged. It will be hot on a sunny day, but more pleasant in the evening. Sections 226 – 227 B on the third base side, and 213 – 214B on the first base side were highly recommended by the Practical Travel Guide.

If you are a dedicated Yankees fan and want to participate in Roll Call (shouting out the players’ nicknames), head for Section 203.

For shade, try the back rows of the 100 level (Sections 107 – 116).

Baseball Road Trips suggests that for better seats and a higher price, look for seats in the main sections, preferably between Sections 223 and 232B. For shade, look between Sections 208 and 217.

Food:

The trademark food at Yankee Stadium is Lobel’s Steak Sandwich. (Section 133 and 132)
The 99 Burger is an Aaron Judge-inspired Wagyu beef burger. The creation, introduced this year, includes two 4-ounce patties with cheese, pickles, special sauce, and a brioche bun. The catch is that only 99 burgers will be sold at each game. To get one, you’ll need to move fast! They are only sold in Section 223, near Gate 4.
The traditional hot dog choice is a Nathan’s hot dog.
While my focus for this post is really the food inside the stadium, one of the fans on the Ballpark Chasers group page insisted that John’s Pizza on 46^th St. in midtown Manhattan is the best. He is a high school teacher that has chaperoned almost a dozen trips to NYC, and he claims that the experience at this pizzeria is memorable and incredible. In fact, he was so confident in his recommendation that he offered a refund to the poster if she didn’t love it! Given the passion behind his review, I decided to include it.

First Time Visitors:

Visit Guest Relations near Section 128 to get a First Game Certificate. You can also go to Guest Relations in the Great Hall for a digital version that you can print when you get home.

Autographs:

While there is no written policy, Baseball Road Trips suggests that you may get lucky if you get to the stadium early!

Other Stadium Tips & Highlights:

Monument Park, in center field, celebrates Yankee legends as is open until 45 minutes before the first pitch.

The New York Yankees Museum is located adjacent to Section 210 on the Main level. It is open beginning 90 minutes before the first pitch through the eighth inning and is free to ticketed fans.

The Yankees are a partner in the designated driver program sponsored by Budweiser. If you’re the designated driver in your group, stop by Guest Services to sign up. They don’t advertise what their incentive is, just that they have one.

Before or after the game, cross the street to visit Elson Gene Howard Field and walk around the space on which the original Yankee Stadium once stood. The location is identified with a commemorative home plate.

According to one Ballpark Chasers Facebook group member, you can see players pull into the stadium at the red star on the map below. While they won’t stop for autographs, you do get to see them drive in and can wave at them.