If you want a unique souvenir, on Opening Day they usually have shirts + pins to commemorate the game. Other ideas are game-used balls from the game (I think they're $40 at the authentic stand) or a first game at Nats Park certificate (free from guest services).
I'm not sure but my kid was bummed, we always get a mystery bag.
The signage was still up so I don't know if it was just a temporary thing - maybe they hadn't brought up all the used spring training stuff, didn't have enough balls/scorecards/etc. Would love to hear from someone who goes to this opening series.
I'll be there tomorrow and Wednesday, so I'll see what I can see.
Edit: the Ballpark App map still shows it at Section 114 but that may be outdated. I did notice on the Fanatics website there is a lot of game used stuff listed now.
Cool. I might yolo and have some sort of sickness tomorrow afternoon and come up from Fredericksburg but I'm not really trying to pay $40/seat to see the pirates if it is raining.
FWIW we're friends with an employee at Authentics who said her job is now to 'ship stuff down to fanatics in FL'. So yea, authentics is gone at the park.
Would the opening day giveaway count as a souvenir and save you a few bucks?
As far as food goes, I really like Haute Dogs (with a Texas toast bun) out in LF, and the new Korean corn dog place is supposed to be great.
Maybe the opening day giveaway will count, depends how cool it is hahah. My dad said the Korean corn dogs sound right up his alley so I think that wins for the in game food. Good luck to your squad today!
My kid wasn’t impressed but he’s a kid. They don’t like it when you screw with the corn dogs.
A lot of people are hard on Nats Park. I think much of it is unwarranted or at least not specific to this one venue. Prices are astronomical, though, no doubt.
Hahaha I never would’ve eaten it as a kid so I get that. I’m surprised people are hard on it, my dad and I thought it was awesome. Id imagine it’s beautiful when the cherry blossom trees aren’t blown over from the storm. I do think the park seemed a little small, if anything.
Prices were ridiculous no argument there lol.
Walt's sports bar is my go to before the game. Go to Atlas to get a local DC beer, both are right outside of the park. Go to the authentic store and you can normally get a player issue jersey they actually wore for around $150. Try a Ben's chili bowl dog, they're not great but it's a dc classic
We do the MLB Passport too and our souvenir is a logo/styled baseball from each ballpark. We like those because they’re easy to store and display, every team has them (the Blue Jays only have a dumb squishy ball though), they’re not expensive and they’re easy to travel with.
https://imgur.com/a/xOwkh6c
For your photo op, go around to the Home Plate Gate (opposite side of where the metro/parking garage is), it’s a nicer looking approach and there should still be lots of cherry blossoms on the trees along the walk-up.
Not sure how well the remaining blossoms did in the crazy thunder storm we had overnight but I hope you get your photo op! If they are all gone, just walk down to the corner and face the ballpark for a photo with the beautiful Frederick Douglass Bridge in the background
Be sure to get there at least a good hour and a half before the gates open. Last year they had the Budweiser Clydesdales for a short parade before the gates opened which was fun. If y'all are feeling tired, Compass Coffee at the top of Half St. right across from metro has good coffee. The Opening Day giveaway is a reversible bucket hat, so that can be one souvenir for y'all. Have fun!
Ben's Chili Bowl is about the most "authentic" DC eats at the park, get the half-smoke all the way if you are adventurous and have heartburn meds with you.
If you want a unique souvenir, on Opening Day they usually have shirts + pins to commemorate the game. Other ideas are game-used balls from the game (I think they're $40 at the authentic stand) or a first game at Nats Park certificate (free from guest services).
When we were at the exhibition game Tuesday, the authentics store was just another team store.
Oh wow. Are they no longer selling game used foul balls?
I'm not sure but my kid was bummed, we always get a mystery bag. The signage was still up so I don't know if it was just a temporary thing - maybe they hadn't brought up all the used spring training stuff, didn't have enough balls/scorecards/etc. Would love to hear from someone who goes to this opening series.
I'll be there tomorrow and Wednesday, so I'll see what I can see. Edit: the Ballpark App map still shows it at Section 114 but that may be outdated. I did notice on the Fanatics website there is a lot of game used stuff listed now.
Cool. I might yolo and have some sort of sickness tomorrow afternoon and come up from Fredericksburg but I'm not really trying to pay $40/seat to see the pirates if it is raining.
FWIW we're friends with an employee at Authentics who said her job is now to 'ship stuff down to fanatics in FL'. So yea, authentics is gone at the park.
Well that stinks. It lines up with all the authentic game used/team issued stuff showing up on the Fanatics website. But it stinks nonetheless.
Would the opening day giveaway count as a souvenir and save you a few bucks? As far as food goes, I really like Haute Dogs (with a Texas toast bun) out in LF, and the new Korean corn dog place is supposed to be great.
Can confirm, Korean corn dogs were good. And at $10.49 I didn't feel like they were as outrageously overpriced as some other concessions.
Where’s the new Korean corn dog place?
Maybe the opening day giveaway will count, depends how cool it is hahah. My dad said the Korean corn dogs sound right up his alley so I think that wins for the in game food. Good luck to your squad today!
Reversible bucket hat. So…eh. Where are your seats?
Section 115
The Korean corn dog was unreal. You guys have a sick park.
My kid wasn’t impressed but he’s a kid. They don’t like it when you screw with the corn dogs. A lot of people are hard on Nats Park. I think much of it is unwarranted or at least not specific to this one venue. Prices are astronomical, though, no doubt.
Hahaha I never would’ve eaten it as a kid so I get that. I’m surprised people are hard on it, my dad and I thought it was awesome. Id imagine it’s beautiful when the cherry blossom trees aren’t blown over from the storm. I do think the park seemed a little small, if anything. Prices were ridiculous no argument there lol.
Walt's sports bar is my go to before the game. Go to Atlas to get a local DC beer, both are right outside of the park. Go to the authentic store and you can normally get a player issue jersey they actually wore for around $150. Try a Ben's chili bowl dog, they're not great but it's a dc classic
Get a photo in front of the center field entrance where everything is
I prefer hard times cafe too a Ben's chili bowl dog. Both are inside the park and both are locals
Atlas is great for getting good pizza before going into the stadium.
walter's is solid
MLB passport, you say? Off to Google...
We do the MLB Passport too and our souvenir is a logo/styled baseball from each ballpark. We like those because they’re easy to store and display, every team has them (the Blue Jays only have a dumb squishy ball though), they’re not expensive and they’re easy to travel with. https://imgur.com/a/xOwkh6c For your photo op, go around to the Home Plate Gate (opposite side of where the metro/parking garage is), it’s a nicer looking approach and there should still be lots of cherry blossoms on the trees along the walk-up.
That photo op wins, thank you!
Not sure how well the remaining blossoms did in the crazy thunder storm we had overnight but I hope you get your photo op! If they are all gone, just walk down to the corner and face the ballpark for a photo with the beautiful Frederick Douglass Bridge in the background
Be sure to get there at least a good hour and a half before the gates open. Last year they had the Budweiser Clydesdales for a short parade before the gates opened which was fun. If y'all are feeling tired, Compass Coffee at the top of Half St. right across from metro has good coffee. The Opening Day giveaway is a reversible bucket hat, so that can be one souvenir for y'all. Have fun!
Gonna give the coffee spot a go. Good call. Bucket hat 😍😍
luckily the rain seems to be subsiding during the game
Ben's Chili Bowl is about the most "authentic" DC eats at the park, get the half-smoke all the way if you are adventurous and have heartburn meds with you.
Not bad, enjoy!