A Guide To Attending A Baseball Game At Coors Field In Denver
(CBS4) - Coors Field is a 76 acre ballpark at 20th and Blake Streets in Denver's Ballpark neighborhood. It's a special to place to experience the national pastime and offers a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains as a bonus.
The Colorado Rockies have a 30-year lease agreement with the Denver Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District to play at Coors Field. If you're heading there to watch the Rockies play, it's a good idea to plan ahead for your visit and keep the following information about the stadium in mind.
The History
Coors Field opened in 1995 after the Colorado Rockies played their first two seasons at Mile High Stadium. The Rockies beat the New York Mets 11-9 in their home opener on April 26.
The stadium was the host of the 1998 and 2021 MLB All-Star Games.
The first 1-0 game at Coors Field was on July 9, 2005. It happened after Major League Baseball allowed the Rockies to start using a humidor on May 15, 2002. The humidor was implemented because pitchers complained the thin air at Denver's elevation wouldn't allow for ball movement on pitches, letting the hitters get an upper hand.
Coors Field was home to Games 3 and 4 of the 2007 World Series when the Colorado Rockies faced the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox swept the series.
In 2018, the Rockies unveiled their new and improved scoreboard in honor of their 25th anniversary season. The board stands 8,369 feet tall and features one large LED video display from top to bottom. It's fully-HD and features 6.8 million LED lights. It's the size of 784 60-inch televisions.
The Grandstands
Most fans choose to sit in seats behind home plate or along either side of the playing field. However, Coors Field has some special areas that include the Rooftop and Rock Pile.
The Rooftop is a 38,000 square foot bi-level rooftop patio that's open to anyone who has a ticket to a Rockies game, regardless of where they're sitting. The 52-foot-80-inch bar on the Rooftop is called the Coors Light Silver Bullet Bar with Colorado beers on tap. From the former right field upper deck the mountains and the Denver skyline are laid out right in front of fans. Fans can chow down on burgers, milkshakes and fries. Fans don't have to worry about missing any of the action because there are television monitors everywhere. The space is also welcome to non-baseball fans as well. In addition to regular game tickets which get fans into the patio, patio-only tickets are also available.
The Rock Pile, located in straightaway center field, has become a fan favorite. The semi-circular shaped 2,300-seat bleacher section was designed after the Rock Pile section in the old Mile High Stadium. The original Rock Pile tickets only cost $1 and prices still remain very low to this day. Rock Pile visitors get a great view of the bullpen as well the downtown Denver skyline.
On the Mezzanine level, you'll find a great center-field view of the game in an area called the Captain's Deck. It's a semi-enclosed area above Sections 201-203 with floor-to-ceiling gass to give additional protection. It includes a full service bar, concessions and nearby restrooms. Groups, individuals and walk-ins can use the area if it's available.
Coors Field offers three types of party suites, six Summit Party Suites, six Mezzanine Suites and the Warning Track Party Room. The Summit Suites accommodate 12 to 75 people. The Mezzanine Suites are for 22 to 60 people and have indoor and outdoor seating. You can rent all six of them together. The Warning Track Party room is at field level under the out-of-town scoreboard and accommodates groups of 30 to 90.
Tickets
Coors Field's maximum operating capacity is 50,398, and that includes around 1,000 accessible and companion seats. You can buy tickets on the phone, online at coloradorockies.com or in person at the ticket office or any of the Rockies Dugout Stores. And don't forget those Rock Pile tickets -- a limited number are available for advanced sale.
Bag Policy
You can only take soft-sided, single-pocket bags and containers no longer than 16"x16"x8". Those bags are subject to search both on entry and while you're in the ballpark. You cannot bring in backpacks or bags or purses with multiple pockets.
Water Feature
That outfield water feature that draws the eye is a Colorado native with Colorado Spruce, Bristlecone Pine, Con Coloro Fire, Limber Pine, Gamble Oak and Curl Leaf Mahogany trees. The rocks are Navajo ruby sandstone and granite marble river boulders. Those seven fountains shot water almost 40 feet in the air and three 10 foot waterfalls run into a pond which is recycled.
Dinger
During the construction of Coors Field, crews discovered a number of dinosaur fossils, which led to picking the team's mascot, Dinger, who is a purple triceratops.
Dinger can regularly be seen roaming the field or the stands during games and rallying up fans.
Picnic Areas & Playgrounds
You'll find four picnic areas in the ballfield. The Platte River area is under the Rockpile and has chairs and tables for groups of 20 to 250. That's also where you'll find Dinger's Playground where the littlest fans can burn off some energy. The Jack Daniel's Pregam Deck is on the upper level of The Rooftop and the Club Level area is $90 a person which includes the cost of a Club Level ticket along with a private buffet and soft drinks.
You'll find another playground on the Main Concourse behind Section 147.
McGregor Square
The Colorado Rockies have built a new entertainment destination in the West Lot of Coors Field at 19th and Wazee called McGregor Square. The team hopes to bring more people to the Lower Downtown (LoDo) area even outside of baseball season. It is a 655,000 square foot residential, commercial and open public space with restaurants, a hotel, retail stores, and multiple entertainment spaces.
Parking And Public Transportation
For those that choose to drive to the game, parking info is listed here on the Rockies website, and it includes a map. There are also numerous private parking options, for varying prices. For fans opting for public transportation, multiple bus and rail lines can be taken to Union Station, which is only a few blocks from Coors Field. Local bus lines also drop off at Park and Blake, 22nd and Blake, and 20th and Larimer, and 22nd and Larimer. Rideshare options like Uber and Lyft also have dropoff points near the stadium. If you ride a bike, you'll find areas to lock it up near Gates A, B and E. Don't lock them to any fencing, railing, meters or trees, because they could be impounded and/or ticketed.
Fun Facts
The right field wall at Coors Field is 6 feet higher than the left field wall.
Every year before the Rockies home opener, road crews in Denver paint a purple stripe down Blake Street from 22nd to 19th right in front of Coors Field.
The longest home run in Coors Field history was hit by Giancarlo Stanton on Aug. 6, 2016. It traveled an estimated 504 feet. The longest by a Colorado Rockies player was Trevor Story in 2018 (487 feet).
A baseball travels 9% faster at 5,280 feet than at sea level.
LINK: mlb.com/rockies/ballpark