Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to go see the Houston Astros play multiple games at Minute Maid Park.
Most of my visits to this park have definitely not been planned events and only came together within hours of the start of the game. When I first began attending, I was traveling to the city from out of state and the Astros games became last minute add-on events while in the area.
Here are my thoughts on Minute Maid Park.
Pros
One of the better parts of going to Minute Maid Park is the stadium itself. The retractable roof stadium design isn’t something that is used a lot in baseball but it does prevent the occasional rain delay or hot day in the sun.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in the ball park were the activities in the concourse. They have a lot of things for families bringing kids to the game. So if you are a baseball family, this ball park is very friendly to your needs.
There are a lot of food options within the ball park ranging from the traditional choices to specialty foods. Minute Maid Park also has $1 hot dog night on Wednesdays so if you’re attending with your family or lots of friends this might be a night to choose.
The pricing of food or tickets were not that expensive so that also comes in as an added plus for Minute Maid Park. They are also a public service sponsor so they offer ticket discounts to members of the Armed Services, Law Enforcement and EMT. Also if you work for a government agency and have a .gov email, you can sign up for a GovX account and access the government rate ticket discounts.
One of the hidden gems of Minute Maid Park is the monuments and plaques outside of the Left Field gate entrance. You will see statues of Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell as well as pennants and ceremonial bricks by the fans.
Cons
This stadium was built in a very high traffic area of the city. Within a half mile radius of the ballpark, there is Toyota Center, BBVA Compass Stadium and George R. Brown Convention Center.
When heading to the ballpark, you have to check to see if any other events are going on at the same time. Houston is the Nation’s 4th largest city so studying the traffic is important to get to your destination on time.
Parking at the stadium can also be expensive based on the other events going on near the stadium. Street parking isn’t free until after 7pm and general parking in the lots within walking distance of the park range from $20 to $50. If you are visiting the park from out of town, Lyft and Uber will be your best option.
Overall Game Day Experience
I would give Minute Maid Park an 8 out of 10. Large venue with a lot of great seating options to view the game. The food choices are plentiful and affordable. They also cater to families with the amenities the stadium provides.
The Astros also have three organizational grown players such as Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Dallas Keuchel that may end up in Cooperstown when it’s all said and done so they provide an attraction within itself.
