Baseball's a unique sport for many reasons, including the unabashed love of architecture and nuance that informs some of MLB's best ballparks. Half the fun of going to a game is being wowed by everything going on around you, and these next 6 stadiums are guaranteed to be worth every last penny you spend to get there.
6. Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs
One of the true monuments of the sport, Wrigley Field has an atmosphere that only tradition and history can create. The ivy walls, retro scoreboard and minimal bleachers, though uncomfortable, all make Wrigley a bucket-list experience for baseball fans. Now that they have one of the best teams in the league after over 100 years of losing, the atmosphere will be that much more athletic.
5. Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals
There is no better gameday atmosphere than the one in St. Louis. It'll remind you of being in a college town for a Saturday football game, but with a unique, friendly charm that makes it one of a kind. The mixture of modern and retro elements in the ballpark construction makes it a much prettier sight than television can do justice, and the sea of red in the crowd will play tricks on your eyes -- in a really good way.
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
The original shrine of the modern "retro" ballpark movement, Camden Yards remains the best of that lot. The warehouse in right field provides the perfect backdrop, and the team's boisterous fan base makes the ambiance that much better. What seals the deal, however, is some of the most diverse and nap-inducing stadium food in all of Major League Baseball. You'll feed your stomach and your baseball heart to the brim if you can get down to Camden Yards at least once.
3. AT&T Park, San Francisco Giants
Perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing ballpark in all of Major League Baseball, there's something truly mind-blowing about being able to watch 50,000 fans lose their collective minds with the San Francisco Bay as the backdrop. Home to the winners of three of the last six World Series, the draw of quality baseball, great food, and amazing scenery is too much to resist.
2. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates
PNC Park boasts the best city skyline view in all of United States professional sports. Aside from feeling like you're right smack dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown Pittsburgh, the stadium is built with all of its seats angled right towards the action on the field. The ambience and crowds are great and the baseball team has a chance to be one of the game's best, so there's really nothing to complain about when checking out a game at this modernly "retro" marvel.
1. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
It's Fenway -- one of the very few religious experiences left that can unite people from all walks of life for the love of a game. You'll feel the ghosts of every heartbreaking and jubiliant moment in Red Sox history just walking onto the concourse, and the intimate seating makes it feel like you're in on a secret with the rest of the fans there. This is a bucket list visit, regardless of your team affiliation.
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