Busch Stadium

St. Louis, Missouri

Lambert- St. Louis International Airport (STL)

14 miles/20 minute drive to Busch Stadium

 

Hotels

Unlimited budget- all 3 options are within walking distance to Busch Stadium

The Westin- St. Louis

Hilton- St. Louis at the Ballpark

Omni Majestic Hotel

Moderate budget – all 3 options are within walking distance to Busch Stadium

Drury Plaza Hotel   

Sheraton- St. Louis City Center

Millennium Hotel- St. Louis

 

Chaser budget traveler- the following lodging is within 2 miles of Busch Stadium

Holiday Inn Express- St. Louis

Econo Lodge- River Front

Parking 

Ballpark Chasers have found parking lots and covered garages around Busch Stadium to fluctuate between $8-25. Prices depend on the day of the week and the opponent the Cardinals are playing. Ballpark Chasers recommend the west side of the stadium as it is much easier to get through traffic after the game. If you get lucky, you might find free street parking or else you just might run out of gas driving in circles!

                     

Dining

At trip to St. Louis wouldn’t be complete without stopping for a bite at Ozzie’s Restaurant and Sports Bar. Ozzie’s was founded in 1998 by “The Wizard” (Ozzie Smith) and has been voted in the top 3 sports’ bars in the country by ESPN’s morning show, Cold Pizza. Unfortunately, it is a 30 minute drive from Busch Stadium so plan accordingly.

Another local favorite and ex-Cardinal owned restaurant is just seconds from Busch Stadium. Mike Shannon’s is a little pricey, but well worth it if you are a fan of fine steaks and seafood. Despite being an upscale restaurant, Mike Shannon’s is fan-friendly and has no problem with your baseball attire on game days. However, if your pocket book doesn’t allow a lunch or dinner at Mike’s or if you simply forgot to make reservations, Ballpark Chasers suggest walking outside to their beer garden. “The Outfield” (which is located in the back of the restaurant), overlooks Busch Stadium and is open before and after Cardinals home games. 

In keeping with the trend of famously owned restaurants, J. Bucks rounds out our recommendations of pre-game stops. Named after famous broadcasters Jack and Joe Buck, J. Bucks is another fun stop for a little piece of Cardinals history and great views of Busch Stadium.  If you are traveling with those finicky eaters, this is the place to go as Buck’s has just about everything you can imagine.

The opening of the new Busch Stadium in 2006 brought a broad selection of new ballpark concessions. Ballpark Chasers favorites include: Bratzel’s, St. Louis Seasoned Fries, Toasted Ravioli's and Broadway BBQ. What is a Bratzel you ask? Well, it is quite possibly the best kept secret in all of Busch Stadium. The Bratzel consists of a soft pretzel wrapped around a bratwurst and can be found in section 152. Trust us, it’s delicious.

Note: Ballparkchasers.com will not refund your purchase of the Bratzel if you are not satisfied.  However, we think you will like it.

Tickets

Cardinal fans are one of the most loyal in all of baseball and therefore it is no surprise that Busch Stadium is consistently in the top 5 of Major League Baseball attendance. Because of this, Ballpark Chasers recommend purchasing your tickets in advance if you want to sit in a specific section of the stadium. Otherwise, be prepared for scalpers to take advantage of you outside of the park.

Weather 

The summer months in St. Louis are hot and humid for those not accustomed to the Midwest climate. June, July and August tend to be the warmest on average and therefore we recommend avoiding it! If your travel plans allow, try your ballpark vacation to Busch Stadium in late April or May.

Local Attractions 

A perfect way to spend a few hours before the game is at the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis. The Arch is the largest man-made monument in the United States, standing 630 ft. tall. Other than just riding the elevator to the top, you can also check out their documentary on the making of the Arch, explore the Museum of Westward Expansion, take a one-hour sightseeing cruise, rent a bike or even splurge on a helicopter ride!

Are you on a tight Ballpark Chaser budget? Not to fret, St. Louis is filled with numerous free tourist options and it is silly not to take advantage of them! Some of our favorites include: driving old Route 66, following the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, exploring Forest Park, taste-testing at the Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour or checking out the 5000 plus animals at the St. Louis Zoo.

An attraction to look forward to is the St. Louis Ballpark Village. Projected to open in 2010, the village will be located on the grounds of old Busch Stadium and will house new restaurants, shops, entertainment and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Ballpark Chasers Tip: wait for the completion of the Ballpark Village before planning your trip to Busch Stadium as the Hall of Fame is in storage until completion. Check back for more updates on the construction progress.    

                  

Ballpark Chasers Trip Suggestion

Busch Stadium is part of the Ballpark Chasers “Midwest 3” baseball road trip. This includes seeing Kauffman Stadium, Coors Field and Busch Stadium. We recommend finding the cheapest airfare to either Denver or St. Louis and using a rental car to drive in between. The drive from Denver to Kansas City is roughly 9 hours, or about 610 miles; whereas the drive between St. Louis and Kansas City is about 240 miles or 4 hours.

If you prefer to stay within the St. Louis area, take a short drive (20 minutes) to see the Gateway Grizzles play. In addition, O’Fallon, Missouri (roughly 45 minutes from Busch Stadium) is home to the River City Rascals. Both teams are part of the independent Frontier League.  Despite not being affiliated with Major League Baseball, the Rascals and Grizzles still house talented ballplayers and both provide yet another opportunity to check off another ballpark from your list!