Louisville Slugger Field: Continuing River City's baseball tradition
Baseball has been a fact of life in Louisville since 1876, when the Louisville Grays became a charter member of the National League. Louisville Slugger Field continues that fine American tradition, hosting the Louisville Bats, the Cincinnati Reds' AAA farm team, for their home games.
The baseball field, opened in 2000 in downtown Louisville, overlooks the Ohio River and seats 13,131 fans. The field is sown with — what else? — Kentucky bluegrass. The Louisville Slugger Museum and factory — for which the stadium is named — are just minutes away, and Waterfront Park is a block away.
With the distance from home plate to the backstop just 60 feet — just like Chicago's Wrigley Field — fans are delighted with the up-close view of the play. But you can check beforehand to see the view from a particular section of Slugger Field. Check the Louisville Bats' schedule for home games.
Slugger Field boasts an outfield seating berm for families, 32 private luxury suites (each costs $30,000 a year!), a children's play area — complete with a carousel — and two full-service restaurants (open year round) in addition to the concession stands. The latter all provide a clear view of the action on the field. The carousel costs a mere $1 per ride.
You can take a tour of Louisville Slugger Field for just a $1. Check the Tours webpage for dates and details. To schedule a tour, call Jodi Tischendorf at (502) 212–2287 or email her at jtischendorf@batsbaseball.com.
Louisville Slugger Field owes its distinctive look to an old train shed dating to 1889 that stood on the site and was incorporated into the $27.8 million new structure. The sides of the original Brinly-Hardy building survive in the baseball stadium.
Tickets begin at $6 for lawn seating, located just beyond the wall and left of center field. The most expensive tickets — reserved seats in the upper deck — cost an affordable $11. You can buy tickets by calling (800) 745-3000 or by visiting Slugger Field's ticket office in person Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 10 a.m. through the end of the game on weekday game days, noon through the end of the game on Saturday game days, and noon through the end of the game on Sunday evening game days (one hour earlier for afternoon games). Children 3 to 12, senior citizens, active-duty members of the military with an ID and groups of 20 or more get $1 off per ticket. Call (502) 212–2287 and ask for group sales. Kids 2 and younger get in free.
No glass bottles or cans can be brought into Slugger Field, although one unopened clear-plastic bottle of water per customer is permitted. Neither coolers nor lawn chairs are permitted. Slugger Field is wheelchair accessible.
HelloLouisville tip: Season ticket holders get first crack at Slugger Field's 650-car parking lot, located east of the stadium. Other fans aren't allowed in until 15 minutes before the game begins. Two parking garages are nearby, and street parking in Louisville is always free on Sundays.
- by Ivonne Rovira, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro
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Ivonne RoviraA graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.
