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It’s a last minute decision. Our MLB passport stamp book is missing a stamp for the Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark-Tropicana Field. The MLB passport expansion pack includes a Post-Season game page. There is an opportunity to get two stamps in one trip (actually 3, but more on that later). Out of curiosity, Shannon researches tickets for the World Series Games in St. Petersburg, Florida. He determines it may be now or never. Though the ticket prices are more than regular season tickets, they are less than World Series tickets for a major market team. We purchase tickets, scramble for a hotel room (most St. Petersburg hotels are already full), book a flight, and begin to pack for a lifetime goal. We are going to a World Series Game.
Getting There/Parking/Leaving
Our initial plan involved booking a hotel room in downtown St. Petersburg so we could walk to Tropicana Field. Downtown hotels were completely booked. We saw rooms disappearing before our eyes. Fortunately, we found a hotel, still in St. Petersburg, but not walkable to Tropicana Field. No regrets. The family-owned Skybeach Resort was a nice oasis. When we weren’t engaging in baseball escapades, we enjoyed our time relaxing on the hotel’s beautiful property.
Rideshare to the rescue. To avoid being stuck in a getting-to-the-ballpark traffic jam, we headed to downtown St. Petersburg in the morning. In addition to the game stamps, the MLB attractions passport book had a stamp page for the St. Petersburg Museum of History. The museum has an entire room filled with signed baseballs.
The ball exhibit is a must-see for baseball fans. We had fun picking out all of the Phillies players. My favorite part of the museum, however, was the exhibit on St. Petersburg’s tourism history. This was the second St. Petersburg museum we’ve enjoyed. We look forward to discovering more on future visits.
Read about our visit to St. Petersburg’s Dali Musuem
After the World Series game, we walked several blocks away from the ballpark. A small crowd gathered on the police station steps. We joined them since it seemed an ideal Rideshare pick-up location. Because of the crowd volume, we had to wait longer for a ride. We were willing to don our patience pants. Still flying high after attending a World Series Game. The Uber prices were steep, so we took a more affordable Lyft. Out of ballpark rideshare experiences so far, the World Series in St. Petersburg was one of the least chaotic.
According to YouTuber Tampa Jay, he paid $95.00 to park during the World Series Games. During regular season, parking is $15 – $30.
The local bus also seemed a viable option.
The Stamp
Thank you, Tropicana Field, for a quick, easy passport stamp location. The majority of ballparks keep the stamp at the main team store. Usually, team store lines are long at the beginning of a game, but you can easily saunter in once the game starts. The World Series line was bonkers the entire game. Everyone wanted a piece of merchandise that proved they attended a World Series Game. Fortunately, the passport stamp was at Guest Services. I’m not sure if it is the permanent location or if it is the location the MLB Passport program uses for epic games.
The Guest Services staff were friendly and seemed to enjoy all of the Ballpark Stampeders stopping in with their books.
The Stadium
The Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark-Tropicana Field has a story to tell. The dome/roof was ripped off during Hurricane Milton in 2024. This caused extensive damage throughout the stadium. The Rays spent the 2025 season playing at the Yankees’ spring training ballpark, Steinbrenner Field. After massive renovations, the team returned to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season. It was a rebirth of the dome and the team, which made the ALCS Championship win and World Series hosting extra special.
Tropicana Field has a reputation as one of the worst MLB ballparks.
We tried to go in with an open mind. We knew it would be difficult since the Toronto Blue Jays dome was a favorite baseball visit.
Read about our visit to the Toronto Blue Jays Ballpark
The Positives
The highlight of the ballpark was the Cownose Rays touch tank. A “high-five” from a live ray before or during the game is considered good luck. I didn’t get a high-five, but it was still fun seeing the tank up close.
The dome’s lighting effect delighted me. Especially the red, white, and blue during the flag ceremony and the National Anthem. All of the lighting effects made the game feel extra exciting.
As Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark-Tropicana Field, visitors, we dressed in Rays colors. During some conversations, we had to reveal we were Phillies fans visiting because we wanted to attend a World Series Game. The Rays’ fans were warm, welcoming, and friendly, even during the game’s disastrous loss. They were sad about their defeat, but never enraged. Rays fans are some of the best fans. Rays fans are notorious for using more cowbell during games. Due to their crushing defeat there was definitely less cowbell.
I appreciated the designated mascot meet-and-greet area. Enter Gate One, head to the left, and you will find the arcade. The team’s three mascots greet guests on a rotation that lasts for thirty minutes after the gates open. My number one World Series goal was to meet Tampa Bay Rays mascot, DJ Kitty. She was lovely and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about interacting with her fandom. Upon entering, World Series visitors received a World Series Game souvenir scarf. The scarf was a perfect DJ Kitty photo accessory.
I wish more teams had designated pre-game mascot meet-and-greets. The Richmond Flying Squirrels offered a meet-and-greet with their mascots Nutzy and Nutasha before the game. Sadly, it was raining, so they were unable to come out.
Read about our visit to The Richmond Flying Squirrels Ballpark
The Negatives
Though domes are excellent for temperature control, avoiding rain delays, and not baking in the summer sun, they will never have the same magical aesthetics as open-air ballparks. At times, Tropicana Field felt claustrophobic and drab. It was also a bit tricky getting around. The layout included a variety of indoor escalators and stairs, plus an outdoor spiral ramp for moving between floors.
For us, it was enough to get World Series game tickets. We didn’t need the best seats. We just wanted to be there. Our tickets were on the top level with a view of the dreaded Tropicana Field catwalks.
Brewers fans quickly learned that World Series tickets at the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark were significantly cheaper than tickets at their home ballpark. They flooded the game. I’m a Phillies Fan. A nice Phillies fan, but I know our reputation for being the most obnoxious fans in Major League Baseball. A lot of it is true. After watching the playoff games on TV, we were excited to see two teams go to their first World Series. We were originally happy to see either team win. It’s fine to go into your opponents’ ballpark in your team’s gear. It is fine to cheer passionately when your team is doing well, but the Brewers fans were obnoxious, mean bullies. They taunted, chanted, and sang songs even when their victory was clear. Yes, we were at the 10-1 game. It was like watching someone kick a puppy. So be warned if you are looking for cheaper seats at a small market team’s ballpark. The game may be invaded by the opposing team’s fans.
*I’m sure there are lovely Brewers fans too. They were just not the fans we encountered at the game. We’ve spent time in Wisconsin and thought everyone there was wonderful. Traveling Cheesehead is especially great.
Read about Wisconsin Ice Cream
Read about our Cheese and Brewery Tour in Menomonie Wisconsin
Read about our visit to the Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park
The Food
The thing to eat at the Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark-Tropicana Field was the short rib grilled cheese from Melted. The food stands are divided between two food courts. This was the first ballpark we’ve visited that used a touch screen kiosk ordering system. First, you approach a screen, pick the food stand you want to order from, place your order, and pay by card. You receive a ticket with your order information and a number. You then stand near the food stand waiting for your number to be called. Your food comes out freshly made. We watched cook at Melted make at least twenty grilled cheese sandwiches at a time. It was impressive. I’m not sure if the system saves any wait time compared to waiting in line to grab your food item from under a heat lamp, but it was interesting to do something different.
The short rib grilled cheese was huge and sat on a bed of potato chips. The cheese was a perfect amount and didn’t overwhelm the moist short rib.
The plan was to share a grilled cheese, then share a Cuban sandwich, but one short rib grilled cheese was enough for two.
Ice Cream in a Helmet
Normally, I’m focused on the actual ice cream. Since this was our first and probably only World Series Game, we had one ice cream goal: get a World Series helmet. The ice cream stand in the food court only had regular Tampa Bay Rays helmets. We stumbled upon a Mister Softee cart that had World Series helmets. The helmets were tucked away in a far corner. The staff told us she had to hide the helmets because people were trying to steal them without buying ice cream.
I’m sorry Mister Softee. You are the ice cream of my childhood, but your vanilla is very bland. Especially without sprinkles.
Celebration
No comment. The score was Brewers 10 – Tampa 1.
Last year we attended a Tampa Bay Rays game at their temporary Steinbrenner Field. The team won that game. Fireworks exploded in the air, and Raymond the mascot ran across the field with a win flag.
The World Series Experience
Attending the World Series is a bucket list item for baseball enthusiasts. The energy and exhilaration were palpable the minute we joined the entrance line.
Both teams were filled with glorious hope. At the entrance, we received a World Series scarf. It was exciting to get a free (yes, I know we paid for the game tickets) unexpected souvenir. Inside the entrance staff cheered and danced with signs. During our DJ Kitty quest, we spotted a small merchandise kiosk. The team store line looked endless. The small kiosk sold a few specific World Series items, but we were able to get everything we wanted. A second free souvenir was waiting on our seats. Rally towels.
There was more pomp and circumstance around the teams’ line-up announcements and the National Anthem. I’m not sure if it was the catastrophic lose, but the majority of the game felt like a regular ballpark game. There were the usual antics between innings, like the muscle cam, t-shirt cannon, and mascot race.
Conclusion
Though I don’t think the level of hate people have for Tropicana Field is warranted, it will not make our list of favorite ballparks. A new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark is scheduled to open in 2029. We’ll see if they use the criticisms to improve the current design flaws.
Seeing a World Series Game was at the top of our baseball bucket list, but we never wanted to pay the outlandish prices that the top teams charge for tickets. Seeing a World Series Game at Tropicana Field made our dream feasible. Though it wasn’t the most riveting baseball game we’ve seen, it was thrilling being a part of baseball history. If attending a World Series Game is on your bucket list, keep a close eye on major vs. small market teams and ballparks, and be prepared to seize the day.
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