Some time ago, I blogged about the fun of adding a ballpark tour to your road trip itinerary.
If you haven’t yet taken a ballpark tour, you might want to check out that post to see what you’re missing. I hope it’ll convince you to check out some stadiums in this unique way this season and beyond. It’s not an exaggeration to say that a ballpark tour can be just as fun as attending a game itself, albeit for different reasons. You’ll learn a lot of new things about the park, have an opportunity to check out a bunch of off-limit areas and not have to worry about crowds of people getting in your way when you snap a cool selfie.
Thinking about making a ballpark tour a priority during your next trip? I’ve got some tips for you.
Here are a handful of things I’ve learned over the years that can help you make the most of your tour experience.
Get There Early
Being early for things is arguably more of a life tip than a ballpark tour tip, but you should try your best to be punctual when you book a tour. I’ve had a couple of opportunities over the years to chat with the tour guide for several minutes before the tour began — and, in one case, before any other people showed up. This can be an exciting chance to pepper the guide with questions rather than cut into other peoples’ question-asking time later on.
Keep Pace
MLB ballpark tours tend to move at a steady pace, but there will be times that the tour slows for a few minutes so that people can check out certain areas. As long as your guide is moving, you’ll want to do the same. Don’t be the straggler who is always being reminded to keep up. If you’re consistently lagging behind, you’ll have trouble hearing the information that the guide is sharing along the way — which may cause you to ask questions about things that have already been addressed. Tours have to follow a pretty tight schedule, which means that if the group is consistently lagging, you won’t get to spend as long at the various stops along the way.
Take Note of Things to Check Out Later
One of the things that I enjoy on guided tours is the chance to notice things that I can check out later on when I revisit the park for the game. Whether it’s an interesting historical display or a unique concession stand, it can be fun to spot things during the tour and take a mental note that you’ll revisit them. It’s easy to miss seeing certain areas when the stadium is packed, but this won’t be an issue on your tour — especially because you can count on the guide pointing out many things as you make your way around the park. I often book my tours early in the afternoon on game days, so it’s easy to make a mental note of a few things that I can check out when I return to the park just a few hours later.
Don’t Be “That Guy”
On most of the tours I’ve taken, there has been at least one loudmouthed participant who has to make a comment every time the guide says something. You probably know this type of person; maybe you work with one or even have one in your family. Please, please don’t be this individual. You won’t win any fans among your fellow tour participants, and the guide will tire of you very quickly, too. While it’s fine to ask questions when you have them, biting your tongue when you feel the need to say something stupid is a good idea.
Heed Off-Limit Signage
Tours don’t tend to have a lot of rules, but there are a few signs that you’ll come across. Occasionally, you’ll see signs that prohibit photos in specific areas. In other cases, signs will point out off-limit zones. I’ve been on tours where someone (typically the guy who has to comment about everything) ignores these signs and usually gets scolded by the guide as a result. If a sign tells you not to walk down a hallway, don’t take a few strides past it “just to see what’s down there.” This is a simple tip, but it’s one that is worth mentioning.
Sit When You Can
Ballpark tours tend to be an hour or slightly longer. If you have a physical health condition that makes walking and standing for this amount of time unpleasant or even difficult, try to sit when you can. A tour will stop several times along the route, and seating options are available in most of these spots. Whether it’s a grabbing a stadium seat when you’re in the seating bowl, a bar stool when you’re on the suite level or a rolling chair in the press box, you’ll feel better being able to get off your feet for a few minutes.
Hold Doors for the Group
As your tour winds its way through the ballpark, it will go through a lot of doors. When you walk through the suite level, for example, you’ll commonly have glass doors at each of this area, and potentially additional doors along your route. Generally, your guide will open each door and lead the group through, but it falls upon the tour participants to keep the doors open. Practice good manners by holding doors open and allowing people to walk through, rather than hustling to keep up with the guide.
Tip Your Guide
Plan in advance to have some change handy so that you can tip your tour guide — especially if you feel they did a good job. Most of the tour participants probably won’t tip, but there are always a handful who do. It’s nice to count yourself among this group. There are different schools of thought about how much you should tip. Lots of websites suggest between 10 and 20 percent for tour guides, but this can seem a little low on an affordably priced tour. I don’t mind exceeding 20 percent if I’m really happy with the guide.
Buy Your Souvenirs Before Leaving
Tours often end in or around the stadium team shop — sorta tacky, I know — but since you’re already in this location, it’s a good chance to buy any souvenirs that you want. When you return to the park for a game later in the day or the following day, the team shop will be considerably more crowded. This means that it will be harder to grab the items you want and you’ll likely have to stand in line to check out. It’s a fun experience to browse the team shop while it’s nearly empty.