minute maid park guide
Minute Maid Park is home to the Houston Astros, and it is named after a juice company. While it is no Astrodome, this is a pretty nice facility. This guide is going to focus on the smartest way to catch a game which will save you time and money, but you can find the official site here for Minute Maid Park.
parking
One great rule for parking in downtown Houston, or anywhere for that matter, is bring cash. Its always nice to have some coins if you need to feed a meter, or if you find a great cash only lot. The great news is parking is pretty plentiful around Minute Maid Park if you know what you are doing.
If you want to park for free, or nearly free, you need to get there early as usual. If this isn't practical for you, we will discuss other options in a minute. If you are travelling to see the game, or have time on your hands, being early to a game can really allow you to soak in some atmosphere. The metered parking in Houston is in effect until 6pm unless otherwise posted. As in many cities, this is a great option if you are arriving early. There are metered spots right next to Minute Maid Park which you should avoid, these spots will tow after 6pm on a game night because of their proximety to the stadium. Your best bet is to shoot for parking meters at least a few blocks away. If you get there around 5 pm (or 2 hours early) you should be able to feed the meter a buck or two to get you past 6 o'clock, at which point you are good.
Another option depending on which direction you are coming from is the light rail system. Houston's light rail has various park and ride locations where you can park for free or really cheap, and then pay a couple of bucks to ride into downtown. The stop you are looking for is Main st. which is about 6 blocks from the stadium.
Here is a link to the park and ride map
If you are planning on paying a little bit to park, you can definitely do it for 5 dollars. I would still recommend sticking to the plan of arriving early, because not all parking is created equal. Once great lot with a pretty limited availability sits on Avenue of the Americas right next to the Convention Center. This lot was only $7 in 2008 and you can't get much closer to the stadium. Either way, there are an estimated 25,000 spots within walking distance, so I would look on the street first, and then drive some blocks in search of $5 lots. I would say that greater than 80% of the time you can get it done for $5 or less.
tickets
The cheapest seats at Minute Maid Park are $7, which is pretty good. Personally, I think the rest of the ticket prices shoot-up pretty quickly from there. Most of the upperdeck seats are $15, and to get down on the field level or second level its going to be 35 - 50 bucks. I have said plenty of times that the best value is not always the cheapest seat, but in this case I think it is. If you are going with the $7 seats, I would go for sections 405 - 407 in left field. Those last few sections are wrapping around the edge of the stadium and provide a nice view of the action. You also get an easy view of the scoreboard and the big screen, which I love. The jumbotrons provide so much good information and fun between innings that you can really miss alot if you don't see it during a game, so for me its a must have. If you sit in the outfield seats in right, all of that is behind you which is inconvenient. Another cool thing from here is a view of the train behind left field which is a unique feature of Minute Maid Park.
Every once in a while you want to have a better seat to the game, but try to avoid paying full price. Last year the Astros had a coupon code that would get you 50% off Monday games bought through the team website. More than likely Minute Maid Park will have some similar special offers this year to get you more bang for your buck. If you go to buy tickets online, I would check this link here for coupons or just do a google search before you buy. You might come up empty, but a few seconds could save you a chunk of money.
Premium Games
If the Astros don't stink this year (not likely), and there are some games with hard to find tickets, I have some advice for you: Wait. What I mean is, you tend to find a better deal the closer you get to the game. This is especially the case if you know its a big game far in advance. As a guy who has bought and sold many tickets over the past several years, I have learned a couple of things. First, there are tons of people trying to make extra money by buying and selling tickets. Second, most of them think that prices will go up the closer you get to the event. So what happens is close to the event Stubhub and eBay are flooded with tickets which usually drives the prices down. If you feel that you must go to this game, this may be a little scary to do. The best scenario is if you have the mentality of "I really want to be there, but if not I will just watch it on t.v." That will allow you to be more picky, and when you find the right seller or auction about to lose their shirt, you can pounce. If you are selling extra tickets online, do the opposite. You will find less competition early and likely get a higher price. Here are a couple of auctions ending with bids under $50
parking
One great rule for parking in downtown Houston, or anywhere for that matter, is bring cash. Its always nice to have some coins if you need to feed a meter, or if you find a great cash only lot. The great news is parking is pretty plentiful around Minute Maid Park if you know what you are doing.
If you want to park for free, or nearly free, you need to get there early as usual. If this isn't practical for you, we will discuss other options in a minute. If you are travelling to see the game, or have time on your hands, being early to a game can really allow you to soak in some atmosphere. The metered parking in Houston is in effect until 6pm unless otherwise posted. As in many cities, this is a great option if you are arriving early. There are metered spots right next to Minute Maid Park which you should avoid, these spots will tow after 6pm on a game night because of their proximety to the stadium. Your best bet is to shoot for parking meters at least a few blocks away. If you get there around 5 pm (or 2 hours early) you should be able to feed the meter a buck or two to get you past 6 o'clock, at which point you are good.
Another option depending on which direction you are coming from is the light rail system. Houston's light rail has various park and ride locations where you can park for free or really cheap, and then pay a couple of bucks to ride into downtown. The stop you are looking for is Main st. which is about 6 blocks from the stadium.
Here is a link to the park and ride map
If you are planning on paying a little bit to park, you can definitely do it for 5 dollars. I would still recommend sticking to the plan of arriving early, because not all parking is created equal. Once great lot with a pretty limited availability sits on Avenue of the Americas right next to the Convention Center. This lot was only $7 in 2008 and you can't get much closer to the stadium. Either way, there are an estimated 25,000 spots within walking distance, so I would look on the street first, and then drive some blocks in search of $5 lots. I would say that greater than 80% of the time you can get it done for $5 or less.
tickets
The cheapest seats at Minute Maid Park are $7, which is pretty good. Personally, I think the rest of the ticket prices shoot-up pretty quickly from there. Most of the upperdeck seats are $15, and to get down on the field level or second level its going to be 35 - 50 bucks. I have said plenty of times that the best value is not always the cheapest seat, but in this case I think it is. If you are going with the $7 seats, I would go for sections 405 - 407 in left field. Those last few sections are wrapping around the edge of the stadium and provide a nice view of the action. You also get an easy view of the scoreboard and the big screen, which I love. The jumbotrons provide so much good information and fun between innings that you can really miss alot if you don't see it during a game, so for me its a must have. If you sit in the outfield seats in right, all of that is behind you which is inconvenient. Another cool thing from here is a view of the train behind left field which is a unique feature of Minute Maid Park.
Every once in a while you want to have a better seat to the game, but try to avoid paying full price. Last year the Astros had a coupon code that would get you 50% off Monday games bought through the team website. More than likely Minute Maid Park will have some similar special offers this year to get you more bang for your buck. If you go to buy tickets online, I would check this link here for coupons or just do a google search before you buy. You might come up empty, but a few seconds could save you a chunk of money.
Premium Games
If the Astros don't stink this year (not likely), and there are some games with hard to find tickets, I have some advice for you: Wait. What I mean is, you tend to find a better deal the closer you get to the game. This is especially the case if you know its a big game far in advance. As a guy who has bought and sold many tickets over the past several years, I have learned a couple of things. First, there are tons of people trying to make extra money by buying and selling tickets. Second, most of them think that prices will go up the closer you get to the event. So what happens is close to the event Stubhub and eBay are flooded with tickets which usually drives the prices down. If you feel that you must go to this game, this may be a little scary to do. The best scenario is if you have the mentality of "I really want to be there, but if not I will just watch it on t.v." That will allow you to be more picky, and when you find the right seller or auction about to lose their shirt, you can pounce. If you are selling extra tickets online, do the opposite. You will find less competition early and likely get a higher price. Here are a couple of auctions ending with bids under $50
where to eat
Minute Maid Park is not very budget friendly when it comes to food and drink rules. They don't permit you to bring in any food or drink, which is pretty rare in MLB ballparks. Concession prices are always high at Minute Maid Park, but there isn't a shortage of bars and restaurants around the stadium which can save you some money. If you search the area and find a place you want to try, I would give them a call beforehand to see if they have parking or a free shuttle to the game as some places in the area do.
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 Minute Maid Park (77002) to see what restaurants are nearby. The is one opportunity for a freebie when you are inside the stadium. If you sign up to be a designated driver they give you a certificate for a free soda. I don't know if it's worth it for you, but it exists.
view from the right field stands.
where to stay
If you are going to Houston with the sole purpose of going to an Astros game, you might want to find a hotel near the stadium. That sounds a little obvious but the benefit is while you will have to pay for parking at the hotel, you can walk to the game so you save a little time and money there.
The other option that I recommend for any city is Hotwire.com. I have had nothing but great experiences with them. Some people are scared because it doesn’t give you the name of the hotel until after you have bought it, but I would never use another travel site. Their ratings are trustworthy, and you can get a really good idea of the area you are staying on their map. A couple of personal examples: I got a room at the Intercontinental on Michigan Ave. in Chicago for $79 per night. I also had a room at the Hilton in St. Louis, with a view of the arch for $89 per night. In my experience; the hotel you get will have you a room available, but when you check in they ask what kind of room you want. If the person is cool, they give you one of the nicest rooms available. I will use no other travel site for hotels.
After saying all of that, if you can find a 3 star place in the same vicinity as Minute Maid Park, I would take it.
You may or may not know about couchsurfing.com, but this is a pretty cool network where you can find people who will let you sleep on a couch or in a guest room for free. If Minute Maid Park is one destination on a big baseball trip, this could save you some serious money. I think the risks are obvious, but to me if you use your head by making sure the person has plenty of references and pictures, you are pretty safe.
For others who may want free accommodation, I would recommend Home Exchange. You may have seen this in the movies, but basically you pay $100 to join and then you can swap houses with other families for a vacation. The safety record of this is literally unblemished, and if you are taking a baseball trip or just a vacation to the area, you might find somebody to trade places with you for a week. Its an option. Either way, enjoy your time at Minute Maid Park
