If your family is among the millions of Americans who love baseball, taking them to a St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium this season should be high on your list. There’s a lot to do and see at Busch Stadium other than just the game. In fact, while games have always been family-friendly, the team at Busch Stadium has evolved its offerings over the years to provide more kid-focused fun at the ballpark.
If you’re concerned that the cost of seeing a professional team is out of your price range, rest assured that the affordability of tickets is one thing the Cardinals team prides itself on. “I think there’s a misconception just in general about professional sports that some sports have kind of priced out the average fan and that gets a lot of publicity,” says Martin Coco, director of marketing and brand execution for the Cardinals. “But we have always tried to counter that and make sure people know there’s always special ticket offers that are out there and even just our general pricing can, game by game, be really affordable—as low as $5 or $6.”
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Now that you know that taking your kids out to the ball game is an affordable family outing, here’s everything else you need to know to make the most of your time at Busch Stadium.
Sunday Afternoons at Busch Stadium
Sunday-afternoon games at Busch Stadium are planned particularly with kids in mind, making them the perfect family outing at an affordable price.
Start your game day planning by purchasing tickets for Family Sunday at Busch Stadium presented by Smithfield. Fans who purchase these tickets will receive a free jumbo Smithfield hot dog and a Coca-Cola beverage.
Most Sundays also feature a promotional giveaway, like bobbleheads, baseball hats, and T-shirts. While most giveaways are for ages 16 and older, there are a select few Sundays with giveaways just for the kiddos. (Check the schedule online to ensure you get tickets for a kids giveaway day.)
Once inside the stadium, make your way to Ford Plaza for ice cream or other frozen treats, games, and prizes as part of Prairie Farms Ice Cream Sundays. And while you’re there, stop by the Hi-Chew Family Pavilion to let your kids work off some pre-game energy at the dedicated toddler play area, a playspace for older kids, and baseball-themed virtual reality.
After select Sunday games, let your little ones burn off the last of their energy before going home. All kids ages 15 and younger can take to the field and live out their MLB dreams by participating in Hi-Chew Kids Run the Bases. (Dates for this can also be found on the Cardinals’ promotional giveaway page.)
Busch Stadium’s Food Options
What’s a baseball game without hot dogs and Cracker Jack? Busch Stadium has vendors offering up all the ballpark classics, including hot dogs and bratwurst, nachos, burgers, and popcorn. But it also has a few unique options, like Ultimate Stadium Nacho Tater Tots at Crowd the Plate, Nona’s Italian Beef Sandwich at Nona’s Italian Beef and Top of the 5th, tacos (including a vegan option) at Mission Taco Joint, and cheese curds at Freddy’s.
If you’re looking for a frozen treat on a hot summer day, Coco recommends stopping by Dippin’ Dots or Ben & Jerry’s. They’re both extremely popular with kiddos (and adults love them, too), so Coco advises to get there early as there’s always a healthy line at the stands when you get past the third or fourth innings.
If you’re only going to get one sweet treat at Busch Stadium, Coco says Dingers Donuts is hands-down the can’t-miss food stand—after all, he says his kids always push to get them. Dingers Donuts (a nod to the nickname of a home run) are mini doughnuts that you can see being made on-site as soon as you order them. You can top them with powdered sugar and chocolate or vanilla sauces. And if the whole family is going to enjoy the fried pastries, you can get a souvenir Cardinals helmet filled with the doughnuts.
Best Photo Ops
Before you enter the stadium, stop by the Cardinals STL logo located in Ballpark Village near the Together Credit Union Plaza. The giant red-and-white, light-up logo wasn’t installed with the intent of being a photo op, but Coco says there’s usually always someone snapping a pic in front of it.
Once you’re inside, the photo ops abound. Throughout the ballpark, you’ll find giant bobbleheads of some Cardinals players. It’s one way to guarantee you’ll get a pic with your favorite player. Swing by the area behind home plate (Coco says it doesn’t matter which level you’re on) for an epic shot of the field with the Gateway Arch in the background. And, of course, no Cardinal game outing would be complete without seeing Fredbird. You can usually spot him roaming the stadium before and throughout the game, but Coco says Fredbird hangs out in Ford Plaza from the first through third innings to take pics with fans.
ADA Accessibility at Busch Stadium
The St. Louis Cardinals are committed to providing an accessible environment so all baseball fans can enjoy a game. These accommodations include accessible parking and seating, Assistive Listening Devices, and captioning for pregame and between-inning announcements.
New as of last year, Busch Stadium created a sensory room in partnership with Mercy, the official health care provider for the Cardinals. This room was created to provide individuals with sensory sensitivities a safe, relaxing environment to take a break from everything happening in the ballpark. “We just finished our first six-game homestand of the year, and [a stadium operations team member] said they’ve already gotten a letter from a family who said they’ve come to Cardinals games for a number of years, and this is the first time they were able to stay for the whole game,” Coco says. The sensory room is located in Ford Plaza, near Gate 5.
Cardinals Kids Club
A longtime tradition for young fans, the Cardinals Kids Club is an annual membership ($33, plus shipping) that has lots of perks for ages 13 and younger. Club members receive the following (while supplies last):
- Voucher, good for two Cardinals tickets to a select home game
- Exclusive Kids Club T-shirt
- Squishable Fredbird
- Reversible bucket hat
- Cardinals poster
- TOPPS Baseball Cards
- Official Pass and lanyard
There are a few other perks, according to Coco. Members are invited to the annual Kids Club Day at the ballpark, which features games, dugout tours, Q-and-As with players, and more. And on select Sundays when kids can run the bases after the game, club members who have their pass and lanyard with them get to be at the front of the line.
Special Attractions & Events
Do you have a little baseball buff? Busch Stadium Tours might be a dream come true for them. “The neat thing for kids is…you get to see a lot of parts of the ballpark that aren’t really publicly available,” Coco says. This includes the broadcast booth and the Warning Track—that wide strip of dirt between the field and the wall that surrounds the field—when available on non-game days. “But the dugout is the most unique and special part” of the tour, Coco says.
Stadium Tours are offered daily at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. (except game days: there will be no tours on dates with games before 6 p.m., and tours will be at 1 p.m. instead of 2 p.m. on days with 6:15 p.m. games). Tickets are $22; $20 for seniors and active military; $18 for children ages 4–15; free for children ages 3 and younger (limit three per group). Bonus: Stadium Tour tickets include admission to the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum.
“The Hall of Fame is really an impressive facility,” Coco says, and “it’s definitely kid-friendly.” In addition to the artifacts and memorabilia from the Cardinals’ 125-plus-year history, there are some kid-focused, hands-on parts of the experience you’ll want to check out. Don some gloves and hold bats used by Cardinals players, including Yadier Molina’s, try on some World Series rings, and step into the broadcast booth to announce some historic moments in Cardinals history.
The Hall of Fame is open daily, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Admission is $12; $10 for seniors and active military; $8 for children.
There are more than 50 games with theme tickets available, and many of them are specifically geared to young Cardinals fans, including Scout Nights, Sesame Street Day, Star Wars Night, DC Super-Villains Night, Harry Potter Night, and Fredbird’s Summer Bash. When you purchase a special theme ticket, you’ll get a special promotional giveaway. For example, you can choose a Cardinals-themed Elmo bobblehead or Cookie Monster plushie on Sesame Street Day or take home a Star Wars-themed Cardinals hat and take pics with characters from the 501st Legion.
Tips for Visiting Busch Stadium with Kids
If you want to make a day of it, consider doing a stadium tour and visiting the Hall of Fame before a game.
Don’t be afraid to get up and walk around during the game, especially if you have young kids who can’t sit in one place for too long. Coco says there are TVs and audio in Ford Plaza and the Family Pavilion, so you can keep tabs on the game while your kids move around.
For Monday–Thursday games during the summer, if you buy tickets early enough, you can find some for as low as $10 (and sometimes even cheaper depending on what kinds of promotions are on offer).
Strollers are welcome, as long as they don’t interfere with other guests or block entryways or aisles. You can store your stroller under your seat or check it at Guest Relations.
Fast Stats
Good for: The whole family, even if you or your kids aren’t the biggest baseball fans. There’s so much to do and see on game days—and the stadium prides itself on being an affordable outing for families.
Price: General admission prices vary depending on ticket availability and where you want to sit. Tickets can start as low as $10 per person.
Hours: Vary based on game times.
Location: 700 Clark
Website: mlb.com/cardinals/ballpark
Phone: Executive offices: 314-345-9600 • Tickets: 314-345-9000
