comerica park
Comerica Park took over for the classic Tiger Stadium in 2000. It makes for a pretty cool ballpark and is worth a trip from out of town; if you can get past the fact that it resides in Detroit. Another wonderful thing for the budget conscious fan is that the Tigers offer some incredible values in just about every aspect of coming to a game. This guide will summarize some of the discounts that they offer, and some more clever ways to save money when going to Comerica Park.
parking
One of the biggest areas to park for free near Comerica Park is at the Greektown Casino. Sometimes this involves going in the casino for parking validation, which really isn’t a big deal. In fact, they have 2 garages, one of which is right off of I375 and it doesn’t even need a ticket or validation; it’s just free. From the Interstate take the East Lafayette exit and make an immediate right into their parking garage.
Back to my point of validation not being a problem, you literally walk in the casino and find a validation machine and insert your ticket. Obviously if you are a gambler you could make a night of it and try to fill an inside straight or pull a one-armed bandit. You will be about a 10 minute walk from Comerica Park at the Greektown parking structure.
Another cheap option is to park at a sports bar which offers a free shuttle to the game. Nemo's Bar is one such place where you can park for about $3 and they will take you on a shuttle to Comerica Park. This place was voted the #3 sports bar in America by Sports Illustrated at some point, so you can definitely grab some drinks and food before or after the game. You will pay less than ballpark prices, and you will save on parking and traffic.
The Detroit Tigers also have this $5 theme going on for this season at Comerica Park. This includes a $5 parking lot which isn’t much further than the $15 lots. The green lot below is the $5 parking, it is still a decent walk away so I would probably park at the casino first because its safe and free.
One final free parking option near Comerica Park that was submitted by a Tiger fan is behind the condos on Woodward, just north of I75. There are side streets behind them where you can park for free without issue. The best part is your are only about 5 or 6 blocks from the park.
parking
One of the biggest areas to park for free near Comerica Park is at the Greektown Casino. Sometimes this involves going in the casino for parking validation, which really isn’t a big deal. In fact, they have 2 garages, one of which is right off of I375 and it doesn’t even need a ticket or validation; it’s just free. From the Interstate take the East Lafayette exit and make an immediate right into their parking garage.
Back to my point of validation not being a problem, you literally walk in the casino and find a validation machine and insert your ticket. Obviously if you are a gambler you could make a night of it and try to fill an inside straight or pull a one-armed bandit. You will be about a 10 minute walk from Comerica Park at the Greektown parking structure.
Another cheap option is to park at a sports bar which offers a free shuttle to the game. Nemo's Bar is one such place where you can park for about $3 and they will take you on a shuttle to Comerica Park. This place was voted the #3 sports bar in America by Sports Illustrated at some point, so you can definitely grab some drinks and food before or after the game. You will pay less than ballpark prices, and you will save on parking and traffic.
The Detroit Tigers also have this $5 theme going on for this season at Comerica Park. This includes a $5 parking lot which isn’t much further than the $15 lots. The green lot below is the $5 parking, it is still a decent walk away so I would probably park at the casino first because its safe and free.
One final free parking option near Comerica Park that was submitted by a Tiger fan is behind the condos on Woodward, just north of I75. There are side streets behind them where you can park for free without issue. The best part is your are only about 5 or 6 blocks from the park.
tickets
Sticking to the $5 theme, the Tigers offer tickets to Comerica Park for $5 even to premium games. This is only for one section in the outermost part of the left field upper deck, and I guess it provides the view you would expect for $5. Cheap Fan ContestDon’t get me wrong $5 is a good bargain to see a Major League game, but I would say that the best value seats at Comerica Park are in the Kaline’s Corner. This again is just one section, but its on the field level behind the right field foul pole. These are only $10 a piece and if you get down in the lower rows you are very close to the field. The other nice thing is these seats don’t sit at an awkward angle as you are facing straight ahead to home plate. The outfield box seats right next to you cost $32 a piece, and do sit at an angle that is not as comfortable in my opinion; especially if you are a ‘plus sized’ individual.
There are sometimes coupon codes for Tiger tickets, but from what I can tell they are typically for a particular series or a short period of time. Either way I would do a coupon code search before purchasing through Tigers.com, because when the team puts a spot to enter a coupon code, that means there are some out there. The most recent coupon was from the D-Saver for $5 off at the Red Sox series, you should expect something similar.
Tickets are always available on eBay as well. Here is my advice for ticket buying on eBay; wait until the last minute. I know that sounds crazy, and you would think that closer to the event the prices would shoot up; but that is not the case. I have bought and sold plenty of tickets on eBay and I have found that when I sell them early I get top dollar because there is less competition. As the event gets closer, everybody in America who is selling tickets begins to list them at auction. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when the market is flooded with supply the price is driven down. I don't know if there are any published numbers to back me up, but I have seen it time and time again. So if buying on eBay, buy late. Here are a couple of auctions ending soon with a current bid under $50.
Sticking to the $5 theme, the Tigers offer tickets to Comerica Park for $5 even to premium games. This is only for one section in the outermost part of the left field upper deck, and I guess it provides the view you would expect for $5. Cheap Fan ContestDon’t get me wrong $5 is a good bargain to see a Major League game, but I would say that the best value seats at Comerica Park are in the Kaline’s Corner. This again is just one section, but its on the field level behind the right field foul pole. These are only $10 a piece and if you get down in the lower rows you are very close to the field. The other nice thing is these seats don’t sit at an awkward angle as you are facing straight ahead to home plate. The outfield box seats right next to you cost $32 a piece, and do sit at an angle that is not as comfortable in my opinion; especially if you are a ‘plus sized’ individual.
There are sometimes coupon codes for Tiger tickets, but from what I can tell they are typically for a particular series or a short period of time. Either way I would do a coupon code search before purchasing through Tigers.com, because when the team puts a spot to enter a coupon code, that means there are some out there. The most recent coupon was from the D-Saver for $5 off at the Red Sox series, you should expect something similar.
Tickets are always available on eBay as well. Here is my advice for ticket buying on eBay; wait until the last minute. I know that sounds crazy, and you would think that closer to the event the prices would shoot up; but that is not the case. I have bought and sold plenty of tickets on eBay and I have found that when I sell them early I get top dollar because there is less competition. As the event gets closer, everybody in America who is selling tickets begins to list them at auction. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when the market is flooded with supply the price is driven down. I don't know if there are any published numbers to back me up, but I have seen it time and time again. So if buying on eBay, buy late. Here are a couple of auctions ending soon with a current bid under $50.
All in all, Comerica Park tickets offer pretty solid value. Most of the tickets better than the bleachers start jumping up in the $20 range. Because of that, you might want to splurge a little and go for the $27 club seats right behind the plate in the upper deck. The seats are a little wider and there are only a few rows in each section. The lack of rows provides another great advantage; people aren’t constantly walking in front of you. That annoys the crap out of me at a game, and I would certainly sit in the Comerica club seats before I paid more for anything on the lower level. I personally thing you get a better view being a little higher up anyway.
One final thought that I typically mention for these ballparks is to remember that the jumbo tron is in left field. So if you sit in the outfield seats in left, you will have the screen and scoreboard behind you which can be a little inconvenient. This is especially true if you are taking a family, you should probably go for something with a good view of the scoreboard which provides a lot of between inning entertainment.
food
You can take soft sided coolers into the stadium with your own food and snacks. This is a great way to save money as always. You can also take sealed bottles of unflavored water, so no alcohol or soda can be brought into Comerica Park. Concession prices are pretty typical at a Detroit Tigers game, but it’s nice to know that you don’t have to pay them when you can bring your own food.
Another option that I consistently recommend is Restaurant.com Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Comerica Park (48201) to see what restaurants are nearby. At the time of my writing this, there are several places within a 1 mile radius of that zip code. This includes the restaurant at the casino that we discussed earlier as a great place to park. You could parlay free parking and a cheap dinner at the casino to save some money on your trip to a Tigers game.
As far as food in the stadium, I am going back to the $5 theme that they have going on. The Tigers offer a value meal for kids and adults that only costs $5 in Comerica Park. In both cases these include a hot dog, chips, and a Pepsi. That equates to a pretty solid bang for your buck in the stadium. These values are offered at all “big league grille” stands in the stadium, of which there are 11 throughout the ballpark – so it shouldn’t be too tough to find. Click here to add your own tips.
One final thought that I typically mention for these ballparks is to remember that the jumbo tron is in left field. So if you sit in the outfield seats in left, you will have the screen and scoreboard behind you which can be a little inconvenient. This is especially true if you are taking a family, you should probably go for something with a good view of the scoreboard which provides a lot of between inning entertainment.
food
You can take soft sided coolers into the stadium with your own food and snacks. This is a great way to save money as always. You can also take sealed bottles of unflavored water, so no alcohol or soda can be brought into Comerica Park. Concession prices are pretty typical at a Detroit Tigers game, but it’s nice to know that you don’t have to pay them when you can bring your own food.
Another option that I consistently recommend is Restaurant.com Here you can buy $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. You can also do a google search for "Restaurant.com coupon codes" and almost always get an extra 60 - 80% off that. I often buy these $25 certificates for $2. That is the best way to eat a decent meal before or after the game and save a chunk of change. When you follow the link, just type in the zip code of Comerica Park (48201) to see what restaurants are nearby. At the time of my writing this, there are several places within a 1 mile radius of that zip code. This includes the restaurant at the casino that we discussed earlier as a great place to park. You could parlay free parking and a cheap dinner at the casino to save some money on your trip to a Tigers game.
As far as food in the stadium, I am going back to the $5 theme that they have going on. The Tigers offer a value meal for kids and adults that only costs $5 in Comerica Park. In both cases these include a hot dog, chips, and a Pepsi. That equates to a pretty solid bang for your buck in the stadium. These values are offered at all “big league grille” stands in the stadium, of which there are 11 throughout the ballpark – so it shouldn’t be too tough to find. Click here to add your own tips.