Found this interesting. It popped up on my Facebook feed to take it with a huge grain of salt:
I always rank Busch high, but acknowledge that bias might be a factor. When I tell people I've been to all but one current MLB park I am often asked what's my favorite. Easy. PNC. This lists them as the highest rated MLB park.
Personally I think Oracle Park is overrated. The concourses are too tight and crowded. Still, it's in the top tier. My top list would also include Coors Field and Citizen's Bank Park. Of all the retractible roof stadiums I think the Brewers still have the best. I have been to the Rangers new part but never with the roof open. Then you have Wrigley and Fenway, whose history vaults them into the top tier.
BrummerStealsHome wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025 11:59 am
Found this interesting. It popped up on my Facebook feed to take it with a huge grain of salt:
I always rank Busch high, but acknowledge that bias might be a factor. When I tell people I've been to all but one current MLB park I am often asked what's my favorite. Easy. PNC. This lists them as the highest rated MLB park.
Personally I think Oracle Park is overrated. The concourses are too tight and crowded. Still, it's in the top tier. My top list would also include Coors Field and Citizen's Bank Park. Of all the retractible roof stadiums I think the Brewers still have the best. I have been to the Rangers new part but never with the roof open. Then you have Wrigley and Fenway, whose history vaults them into the top tier.
Been to Lambeau many times. Formerly lived there . The historic nature is the draw but as for fan comfort . Forget it . You sit on an aluminum bench . No back unless you bring a stadium seat . If you have two fat people on either side of you , yu feel like in a sardine can. No cupholder for your beverage. So if you don't want to hold the beer in your hand 100% of the time, you put in down kinda between your legs but risk it being kicked over by some half in the bag fan leaving your row for the 4 time for the restroom .. Have seen plenty of beers kicked over at Lambeau . Expensive !
This is definitely interesting. I haven't been to nearly as many of these as you have, but can't wait to visit PNC.
To me Busch is a solid B, maybe a B+. It's gotten better with age in my opinion; the first time I went it felt a little boring, but they've added some new features that are fun. If the concourse was open to the field at Busch I think it would help a lot -- it feels kind of dark in there sometimes when you're in the beer line.
I love Oracle and Petco, but I think a lot of that has to do with the location. The views from the upper deck at Oracle are insane. Coors is very nice as well with a great neighborhood around it.
From a spectator standpoint, Fenway Park is the most overrated venue in all of sports, not just baseball. The nostalgia is great, but it’s cramped, many of the seats are at a bad angle to the diamond, the concourses are cramped, etc, etc.
I’ve been to 15 MLB parks, 8 current and 7 of them now gone. Have not been to Oracle, PNC, or Camden Yards. Have been outside Petco but not in (the Padres were on the road when I was there).
My favorites (just the ballpark, not what’s around it): Busch III is still tops for layout and baseball watching. Citizens Bank Park is good, I prefer it over Coors. Coors is a bit bland unless you’re sitting high with a mountain view. I like Minute Maid except the Crawford Boxes are too close for MLB hitters. Minute Maid & Safeco in Seattle have the best retractable roof designs. The roof on Miller in Milwaukee doesn’t open up enough and still makes you feel like you’re more indoors than outdoors. (Great experience otherwise, though).
The worst, and it’s not even close: Oakland Coliseum. I saw an afternoon game there in the mid 1980’s before they built “Mt. Davis”. Other than the nice view of the Oakland Hills, it was a crapbox even back then. The fans who were there were great however.
Lived in suburban Chicago 6 years. Saw several games at Old Comiskey Park. Loved it, and loved the Soudtside fans. They were underdogs in their own city. First game I attended at the New Comiskey Park (now Rate Field), I had cheap seats with my son’s Cub Scout den. Thought I was gonna need an oxygen tank and a Sherpa guide to climb up to our seats.
I did get to see a game at Old Yankee Stadium in 2007, second-to-last year there. Impressive history and I posed in front of the Yogi Berra plaque in Monument Park (we old St. Louisans gotta stick together). But sad to say, by then, the stadium was looking pretty run down.
One other note: To me it’s hard to differentiate between indoor arenas for NHL and NBA.
Back when we still had the old shrines to indoor sports — Chicago Stadium, St. Louis Arena, Maple Leaf Gardens, Le Forum du Montreal, you had vivid, unique, colorful venues. Now, it’s mostly corporate meh. I saw a Tampa Lightning vs Ottawa Senators game at Amalie Arena in Tampa 3 years ago. The inside looks almost identical to the Enterprise Center. Went to
a Blackhawks-Penguins game last spring in the United Center. Totally sterile experience (but the Chicago style hot dogs were great). And the cheap seats were a mile high and a half-mile back from the ice. At Chicago Stadium, even the upper balcony seats were great and you felt you were almost on top of the ice.
I reckon a lot of these ratings are based on food, drink, and other stuff not even associated with the game.
Hazelwood72 wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025 13:13 pm
From a spectator standpoint, Fenway Park is the most overrated venue in all of sports, not just baseball. The nostalgia is great, but it’s cramped, many of the seats are at a bad angle to the diamond, the concourses are cramped, etc, etc.
I’ve been to 15 MLB parks, 8 current and 7 of them now gone. Have not been to Oracle, PNC, or Camden Yards. Have been outside Petco but not in (the Padres were on the road when I was there).
My favorites (just the ballpark, not what’s around it): Busch III is still tops for layout and baseball watching. Citizens Bank Park is good, I prefer it over Coors. Coors is a bit bland unless you’re sitting high with a mountain view. I like Minute Maid except the Crawford Boxes are too close for MLB hitters. Minute Maid & Safeco in Seattle have the best retractable roof designs. The roof on Miller in Milwaukee doesn’t open up enough and still makes you feel like you’re more indoors than outdoors. (Great experience otherwise, though).
The worst, and it’s not even close: Oakland Coliseum. I saw an afternoon game there in the mid 1980’s before they built “Mt. Davis”. Other than the nice view of the Oakland Hills, it was a crapbox even back then. The fans who were there were great however.
Lived in suburban Chicago 6 years. Saw several games at Old Comiskey Park. Loved it, and loved the Soudtside fans. They were underdogs in their own city. First game I attended at the New Comiskey Park (now Rate Field), I had cheap seats with my son’s Cub Scout den. Thought I was gonna need an oxygen tank and a Sherpa guide to climb up to our seats.
I did get to see a game at Old Yankee Stadium in 2007, second-to-last year there. Impressive history and I posed in front of the Yogi Berra plaque in Monument Park (we old St. Louisans gotta stick together). But sad to say, by then, the stadium was looking pretty run down.
You're singin' my tune, dude. Old Comiskey was dark, dank, smelly, cramped . . . and was the best ballpark I've ever been to. Loved it.
And I've only been to five NFL venues, all of which have their pluses and minuses so it's hard to rank them. Foir example, everything about the Death Star (the Cowboys' AT&T Stadium) is wonderful, except for actually watching the game. Unless you have good seats in the lower bowl you are probably watching the game on the big video screen.
The view of the city, the rivers, the walking and park areas around PNC are beautiful and the best of the overall baseball park atmosphere, but the park itself rates way down on my list. I love Fenway and Wrigley for their history, but they are terrible parks to actually enjoy and watch a game because of age. Petco is probably my favorite other than Busch.
Hazelwood72 wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025 13:25 pm
One other note: To me it’s hard to differentiate between indoor arenas for NHL and NBA.
Back when we still had the old shrines to indoor sports — Chicago Stadium, St. Louis Arena, Maple Leaf Gardens, Le Forum du Montreal, you had vivid, unique, colorful venues. Now, it’s mostly corporate meh. I saw a Tampa Lightning vs Ottawa Senators game at Amalie Arena in Tampa 3 years ago. The inside looks almost identical to the Enterprise Center. Went to
a Blackhawks-Penguins game last spring in the United Center. Totally sterile experience (but the Chicago style hot dogs were great). And the cheap seats were a mile high and a half-mile back from the ice. At Chicago Stadium, even the upper balcony seats were great and you felt you were almost on top of the ice.
I reckon a lot of these ratings are based on food, drink, and other stuff not even associated with the game.
Any idea on the dates from when this data was compiled? I'd imagine a large part of Busch's appeal was the fact it was almost always filled with an active and engaged crowd.
blackinkbiz wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025 17:00 pm
Any idea on the dates from when this data was compiled? I'd imagine a large part of Busch's appeal was the fact it was almost always filled with an active and engaged crowd.
That's certainly not the case any longer.
It has the Oakland Coliseum (surprisingly not last) so at least one year old.
Hazelwood72 wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025 13:25 pm
One other note: To me it’s hard to differentiate between indoor arenas for NHL and NBA.
Back when we still had the old shrines to indoor sports — Chicago Stadium, St. Louis Arena, Maple Leaf Gardens, Le Forum du Montreal, you had vivid, unique, colorful venues. Now, it’s mostly corporate meh. I saw a Tampa Lightning vs Ottawa Senators game at Amalie Arena in Tampa 3 years ago. The inside looks almost identical to the Enterprise Center. Went to
a Blackhawks-Penguins game last spring in the United Center. Totally sterile experience (but the Chicago style hot dogs were great). And the cheap seats were a mile high and a half-mile back from the ice. At Chicago Stadium, even the upper balcony seats were great and you felt you were almost on top of the ice.
I reckon a lot of these ratings are based on food, drink, and other stuff not even associated with the game.
Lots of good NHL arenas. Seattle is very good.
My son, who used to live in Seattle, has been in the Climate Pledge Arena. He says it’s good. I walked right outside of it, back in 2015 when it was still Key Arena but have never been inside it.
Fun fact: It’s the oldest arena in the NHL. You can stump lots of people with that one because most will guess Madison Square Garden in NYC. Was built as part of the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle along with the Space Needle. Heavily renovated prior to the Kraken expansion.
There was a big controversy regarding renovating this arena versus building a brand new one south of downtown by the Seahawks Quest Field (or whatever they call it now) and by the Mariners Safeco Field (or whatever they call it now).
Hazelwood72 wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025 13:13 pm
From a spectator standpoint, Fenway Park is the most overrated venue in all of sports, not just baseball. The nostalgia is great, but it’s cramped, many of the seats are at a bad angle to the diamond, the concourses are cramped, etc, etc.
I’ve been to 15 MLB parks, 8 current and 7 of them now gone. Have not been to Oracle, PNC, or Camden Yards. Have been outside Petco but not in (the Padres were on the road when I was there).
My favorites (just the ballpark, not what’s around it): Busch III is still tops for layout and baseball watching. Citizens Bank Park is good, I prefer it over Coors. Coors is a bit bland unless you’re sitting high with a mountain view. I like Minute Maid except the Crawford Boxes are too close for MLB hitters. Minute Maid & Safeco in Seattle have the best retractable roof designs. The roof on Miller in Milwaukee doesn’t open up enough and still makes you feel like you’re more indoors than outdoors. (Great experience otherwise, though).
The worst, and it’s not even close: Oakland Coliseum. I saw an afternoon game there in the mid 1980’s before they built “Mt. Davis”. Other than the nice view of the Oakland Hills, it was a crapbox even back then. The fans who were there were great however.
Lived in suburban Chicago 6 years. Saw several games at Old Comiskey Park. Loved it, and loved the Soudtside fans. They were underdogs in their own city. First game I attended at the New Comiskey Park (now Rate Field), I had cheap seats with my son’s Cub Scout den. Thought I was gonna need an oxygen tank and a Sherpa guide to climb up to our seats.
I did get to see a game at Old Yankee Stadium in 2007, second-to-last year there. Impressive history and I posed in front of the Yogi Berra plaque in Monument Park (we old St. Louisans gotta stick together). But sad to say, by then, the stadium was looking pretty run down.
I’m sure Yankee stadium was run down. They probably stopped doing anything to it since they were building a new one.
If you haven’t been to Wrigley since the renovations, you should.
