Take Me Out to the Ball Game

24 out of 30 Major League Baseball Venues are Accessible by Rail

Metro North’s Yankees - E. 153rd Street station, opened in 2009, is served by regular Hudson Line trains and specials to home games from the Harlem and New Haven lines. MTA photo.

Today is Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and there is no better way to get to the game than taking the train. Of the 30 stadiums that host Major League Baseball 24 are served by rail transportation that ranges from Amtrak intercity services to streetcars. Many rail carriers run special trains to home games.

Sports venues and rail service go hand in glove (pun intended) in other professional sports, as well. The best-known arenas you can get to by train are New York’s Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks and Ranger and sitting atop Pennsylvania Station, and Boston’s TD Garden, above North Station, where the Celtics and Bruins play home games. Both are served by Amtrak, commuter rail, and subway lines.

In New York, “Subway Series” has been part of the vernacular since the Yankees played the Giants in the 1921 World Series. New Yorkers regard subways as the preferred way to get to the game.

Taking the train saves time and money, and it is more environmentally friendly and safer than driving. One train can carry 1,000 passengers or more, which makes them well suited to carry large crowds to and from events. In addition, depending on where you live, fares can be much lower than stadium parking, and you don’t get stuck in traffic on the highways that lead to the ballpark or trying to leave.

Living on Long Island I grew up taking trains to see the Mets play. I remember my father taking me to my first Mets game in 1962. We rode the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station and then two subways to reach the Polo Grounds. In 1969, while coming home from a New York – St. Louis double header at Shea Stadium, I met Bob Gibson, the Cardinals’ ace starting pitcher, who had won the first game and was riding in the same car back to the team’s hotel in Manhattan.

Amtrak runs direct to seven ballparks around the country. It also connects with transit lines in most Major League cities.

In 1987, while riding the Coast Starlight to Seattle, I met a woman in the lounge car who boarded in Portland and was taking her son to Seattle to watch the Yankees play the Mariners at the King Dome, a few block south of King Street Station. I checked into my hotel, took a cab to the stadium, bought a ticket, and watched the game from a mezzanine-level seat behind home plate.

Here is a list of Major League ballparks throughout the United States and Canada with directions for getting to the game by train. It includes stadiums not served by rail, as well:

Anaheim, CA, Anaheim Angels, Angel Stadium. The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) is located at the rear of the stadium parking lot. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink’s Orange County Line serve the station. Metrolink’s Angels Express provides direct roundtrip service to ARTIC from Los Angeles Union Station, Oceanside, and Riverside Downtown station for weekend home games and the September 3 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Arlington, TX, Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field. No rail service.

Baltimore, MD, Baltimore Orioles, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Camden Station is adjacent to the ballpark. It is served by MARC’s Camden Line (commuter rail) and the Baltimore LightRail Link. In addition, it is a six-block walk from Metro SubwayLink’s Charles Center Station – West.

Boston, MA, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park. By MBTA commuter rail take Framingham / Worcester Line to Landowne station. By subway take Green Line B, C, or D trains to Kenmore station . E train passengers can transfer to B,C, or D trains at Park Street, Arlington, Boylston, or Copley station. Commuter rail North Station passengers should transfer to B, C, or D Green Line trains at North Station. South Station passengers should take the Red Line to Park station and transfer to Green Line B,C, or D trains.

Bronx, NY, New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium. Metro North’s Hudson Line stops at the Yankees – E. 153^rd Street station. In addition, special “Yankee Clipper” trains run to the stadium from the Harlem and New Haven lines for weekday evening and weekend Yankee home games. Opening of Grand Central Madison station lets fans from Long Island connect with Metro North trains. The 161^st Street – Yankee Stadium subway station is served by the 4, B, and D trains, however, the D train skips the stop during peak hours.

Chicago, IL, Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field. Take Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line to Addison station.

Chicago, IL, Chicago White Sox, Guaranteed Rate Field. Take CTA Red Line to Sox 35^th Street, one block from the stadium, or Green Line to 35^th Street Bronzville ITT station, three blocks from the stadium.

Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Reds, Great American Ball Park. Take the Cincinnati Bell Connector (streetcar) to The Banks stop. This train is free.

Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Guardians, Progressive Field. Use the Tower City station, which is served by all RTA rapid transit lines.

Cumberland, GA, Atlanta Braves, Truist Park.       Not served by rail. Five public bus routes serve the ballpark.

Denver, CO, Colorado Rockies, Coors Field. Coors Field is three blocks north of Denver Union Station, which is served by RTD’s A, B, G, and N commuter rail lines and the E and W light rail lines. Amtrak’s California Zephyr stops there, as well.

Detroit, MI, Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park. Use the Grand Circus Park station on the Detroit People Mover or the Montcalm Street stop on the QLine streetcar.

Houston, TX, Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park. Take the METRORail SE or EE light rail lines to the Convention District stop.

Kansas City, MO, Kansas City Royals, Kauffman Stadium. No rail service. One bus route serves the stadium.

Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles Dodgers, Dodger Stadium. No rail service. Dodger Stadium Express Bus Rapid Transit line stops at Los Angeles Union Station.

Miami, FL, Miami Marlins, LoanDepot Park. Miami-Dade Transit Metrorail Rapid Transit serves LoanDepot Park from the Civic Center and Culmer stations both of which are around one mile from the venue. Brightline provides complimentary shuttle service for ticketed passengers between Miami Central Station and LoanDepot Park.

Milwaukee, WI, Milwaukee Brewers, American Family Field. No rail service.

Minneapolis, MN, Minnesota Twins, Target Field. Both Northstar commuter rail and the Metro Blue Line and Green Line light rail routes stop at Target Field station. Northstar will provide extra service for Twins weekend and weekday afternoon home games.

Oakland, CA, Oakland Athletics, Oakland Coliseum. Take Amtrak Capital Corridor trains to Oakland Coliseum station or BART Blue Line, Orange Line, and Green Line trains to Coliseum station. The A’s plan to move to Las Vegas in 2028.

Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank Park. The NRG station on the SEPTA Broad Street subway line is an eight-minute walk from the stadium.

Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park. Use the North Side station on the Pittsburgh Regional Transit light rail line.

Queens, NY, New York Mets, Citi Field. Take the Long Island Rail Road Port Washington Line or the NYC Subway 7 train to Mets – Willets Point station.

San Diego, CA, San Diego Padres, Petco Park. The stadium is served by the San Diego Trolley Gaslamp Quarter station on the Green Line and the 12^th and Imperial station on the Blue, Green, Orange, and Silver Lines. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and North County Transportation District Coaster passengers can transfer at Santa Fe station to the Blue or Green Line or walk to the ballpark.

San Francisco, CA, San Francisco Giants, Oracle Park. Oracle Park is a nine-minute walk from Caltrain’s San Francisco terminus at Fourth and King. MUNI’s N Judah and T Third Street light rail line also stop near the facility, which is a 20-minute walk from BART’s Embarcadero or Market Street station. BART passengers can also choose to transfer to MUNI light rail trains at those locations.

Seattle, WA, Seattle Mariners, T-Mobile Park. The ballpark is a 13-minute walk from King Street Station, which is used by Amtrak’s Cascade, Coast Starlight, and Empire Builder lines and Sound Transit’s Coaster commuter rail service. Sound Transit’ Link Light Rail 1 Line stops at Stadium station, one block east of the stadium.

St. Louis, MO, St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium. Both the Red and Blue light rail lines serve MetroLink’s Stadium station. Amtrak’s St. Louis station, which is served by the Texas Eagle, Lincoln Service and Missouri River Runner lines, is a 19-minute walk or nine-minute light rail ride to the ballpark.

St. Petersburg, FL, Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field. No rail service.

Toronto, ON,  Toronto Blue Jays, Rogers Centre. Toronto Union Station, which is used by GO Transit, VIA Rail Canada, and Amtrak, is a 13-minute walk to Rogers Centre. Toronto Transportation Commission’s 1 Line (Yonge – University) has a Union Station stop, as well.

Washington, DC, Washington Nationals, Nationals Park. Use the Navy Yard – Ballpark station on Washington Metro’s Green Line, which is one block from the stadium. Coming from Union Station take the Red Line two stops west and transfer at Gallery Place station to the Green Line.