Our home base in Glendale, California was only a few miles from Dodger Stadium; we decided to save this gem for the last stop on our ballpark tour!
But First…Dodger Stadium…? Well, the stadium tour. And beer, naturally.
We got lucky in the afternoon–we stopped by the team store just as the last stadium tour for the day was getting set to begin. It gave us a great chance to explore Dodger Stadium before it filled up for the evening’s game. The tour was a bit crowded, but the access was unparalleled. We got to see the trophy room, the suites, the restaurants on the field level where you need to be a certified-celebrity to enter, and the areas around the dugout. We took the tour right as some of the players were arriving — our tour ran into Cody Bellinger and Clayton Kershaw. No big deal.
The best part of the tour, though, was being able to explore the field and the dugout. We both got to live out our childhood dreams of being on a Major League field!
After the stadium tour, we were both in need of hydration. We headed south to the arts district to Angel City Brewery, one of the most well-known breweries in Los Angeles. The building they’re located in feels like the setting for an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel with it’s art nouveau decor and leather stylings. The beer’s excellent as well–their IPA is one of the best in the city.
Scott’s Thoughts
Dodger Stadium is now the third-oldest stadium in Major League Baseball behind Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, but like most of Hollywood, it doesn’t show its age one bit. The brilliant idea to build the stadium into the side of an existing hill pays off in the view; the amphitheatre design means there’s not a bad seat in the house, and how about that view?
There’s also something visually pleasing about the symmetry of the stadium, especially from our seats high behind home plate.
There’s a ton of food options, beers, and full bars located all over the concourses as well, so be sure to save plenty of time for exploring. Just beyond the outfield bleachers are a number of bars to grab a pint before the game, and the concourses behind home plate include food options from pizza to tacos to the famous Dodger Dog. Not going to lie, the Dodger Dog is a bit disappointing–it was a good hot dog, to be sure, but nothing special in my mind.
As Dodger Stadium is an old ballpark, there are a few quirks. It’s difficult to move from level to level in the stadium; there are only two or three staircases, and sometimes the ushers only allow one-way traffic in the stairwell. If you’re running late (which given the traffic on the LA freeways is a definite possibility), be sure to enter at the right gate.
Dodger Stadium epitomizes Los Angeles. You’ve got the mountains, the palm trees, and the celebrities, the gorgeous views and the bright lights. There’s the energetic environment without feeling rushed or in a hurry, and the wide range of food, beer, and attractions in the ballpark, not to mention the history of the place. Yes, it’s overpriced, and yes, it’s a bit annoying that it’s in the middle of a parking lot north of the city, but if it were cheap and easy to get to, it wouldn’t be LA now, would it? Like a classic Hollywood film, Dodger Stadium holds up as a gem in Major League Baseball.
Brett’s Thoughts
This ballpark has everything you could ever want in an old ballpark; a beautiful view, great seats, history, and a great fanbase. There are tons of food options throughout this park, which made exploring the park very fun. There is history at every corner of the ballpark that makes you stop, read, and reflect on the game of baseball. The beer options were a little disappointing to me and very expensive for my taste, but it didn’t make or break this ballpark for me.
The concourse is very fun to walk around and each level of the ballpark has a different feel to it that blends so well with this park. The only downside of this park is its age. It is very challenging to go up and down levels because the staircases are in odd places. The park is also packed (which is great for the atmosphere) which makes it hard to walk around on each level. Keeping in mind the ballparks age, it really wasn’t a huge deal to me.
This park is one of the last classic ballparks left. The symmetry of the park, the colors of the seats, the baby blue throughout this park makes you feel like you just stepped back in time to 1968. Yes, prices are a bit outrageous, but the atmosphere of this park makes the amount that I spent at Dodger Stadium so worth it. This is truly one of the all time great classic ballparks in the history of this game, and we are so fortunate that it is still with us today.
Standing Room Only 