Busch Stadium

The Cardinals' downtown ballpark

Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, an open-air, natural-grass ballpark at 700 Clark Avenue in downtown St. Louis with a listed capacity of 44,383, including 3,706 club seats and 61 luxury suites. It opened in April 2006, replaced Busch Memorial Stadium next door, and is the third St. Louis ballpark to carry the Busch name. The Cardinals won the World Series in its first season, clinching at home in Game 5 in October 2006, and won again here in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series.

The Cardinals play 81 home dates from late March or early April through September, with October baseball in playoff years. Outside the season the park has hosted the 2009 MLB All-Star Game, the 2017 NHL Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks, international soccer friendlies, college football and stadium concerts. Ballpark Village, a dining and entertainment district built on the old stadium's footprint, sits across Clark Avenue beyond the outfield.

Busch Stadium seating chart: levels and section numbers

The ballpark is a classic three-deck design with a separate club layer, and the section numbers tell you which level you are on. The Cardinals' own accessibility guide places sections in these ranges:

• Level 1, the 100 level: the field-level seats wrapping the infield and outfield, plus the lower outfield bleachers and pavilions. This is the main concourse, with Guest Services behind section 148.
• Level 2: the UMB Champions Club behind home plate and the party suites. This is premium, all-inclusive space rather than general seating.
• Level 3, the 200 level: the loge seats and the Redbird Club and National Car Rental Club areas, a short climb above the field level with a strong angle on the infield.
• Level 4, the 300 level: the upper terrace, the least expensive seats in the building, including the Budweiser Terrace, a general-admission standing and bar area in the right-field upper deck.

Two orientation points help when reading the map. The Cardinals' dugout is on the first-base side, along Broadway on the east side of the park, and the visitors' dugout is on the third-base side, toward 8th Street. The outfield opens toward the northeast, which is why the skyline and the Gateway Arch fill the view beyond center and left field from the seats behind home plate and down the first-base line.

Best seats at Busch Stadium, and what to avoid

Best overall view

The infield sections of the 100 level, between the dugouts, put you close enough to hear the game and see pitch movement. Rows in the middle of those sections are often the better buy than the first few rows: the protective netting and the people walking the aisle in front of the dugouts both cut into the view from the lowest seats.

Best value

The 200-level loge seats behind the plate and along the baselines are the sweet spot. They are low enough to feel close and high enough to read the whole field, and they cost far less than comparable 100-level infield seats. In the 300 level, the lower rows on the infield are a better buy than seats deep in the outfield corners, where the angle to home plate is long.

Sun and shade

St. Louis summers are hot and humid, and shade decides a lot of day-game purchases. Because the field opens to the northeast, afternoon sun tends to fall on the first-base and right-field seats, while the third-base side and any seats under an overhang shade first. For a July day game, a third-base seat higher in the 100 level, or a seat covered by the deck above, is usually the most comfortable choice. Night games largely remove the problem after the first inning or two.

Seats to think twice about

• Deep outfield corners on the 300 level: the cheapest seats in the house, but home plate is far away and the corner angle cuts off part of the field.
• Low rows near the foul poles: the angle points you toward the outfield, so you turn your head for every pitch.
• Bleachers in midsummer day games: fun and lively, but exposed to the full afternoon sun.

Parking at Busch Stadium and getting downtown

Busch Stadium is one of the easier big-league parks to reach without a car, because MetroLink light rail stops right beside it.

MetroLink

The Stadium station sits on 8th Street next to the Westin hotel, a short walk from the gates, and both the Red and Blue lines serve it. According to the Cardinals, trains typically run until about midnight, and service continues until the downtown platform clears when a game runs past midnight.

Parking

As of the 2026 season, the Cardinals operate three official lots: the All-Star Lot at 611 S. 8th Street, the One Cardinal Way Garage at 269 S. Broadway, and a bus and oversized-vehicle lot at 1001 S. 6th Street. Passes are delivered digitally through the MLB Ballpark app. Private garages and surface lots fill the surrounding blocks as well; prices rise for weekend games, rivalry series and playoff dates, so buy a pass in advance when you can. ADA parking for the All-Star Lot is under the I-64 bridge. Check the Cardinals' ballpark A-Z guide for current lots and rates.

Rideshare and walking

Many downtown hotels are within walking distance. Rideshare traffic is heaviest on Clark Avenue and Broadway right after the final out, so walking a few blocks away before requesting a car usually saves time.

Busch Stadium bag policy and entry rules (2026)

Busch Stadium does not use the clear-bag-only rule common at NFL stadiums. Instead, as of the 2026 season, the Cardinals allow bags, purses and soft-sided coolers no larger than 10 by 8 by 10 inches. Hard-sided coolers, foam coolers and soft coolers larger than that limit are not allowed, and every bag is inspected at the gate along with metal-detector screening.

• Outside food and drink: unlike most ballparks, Busch allows outside food and non-alcoholic drinks, including water and soda in factory-sealed clear plastic bottles no larger than 2 liters.
• Gates: gates open 90 minutes before first pitch Monday through Thursday and two hours before on Friday through Sunday, subject to change. The Gate 3 entrance on the west side, with its arch modeled on the Eads Bridge and the Stan Musial statue outside, is the best-known entry point.
• Cashless: concessions take cards only; fans paying with cash can convert it to a debit card at no charge at Market locations inside the park.
• Re-entry: allowed through Gates 1 and 4 with a hand stamp, from gate opening until 90 minutes after the scheduled first pitch.
• Smoking: only in a designated area at Gate 1.

Bag and entry rules change from season to season, so check the venue's current policy before you go.

Food, clubs and accessible seating

Concessions mix standard ballpark fare with St. Louis staples such as toasted ravioli and pork steak sandwiches, and local craft beer is poured alongside Budweiser. All-inclusive spaces range from the UMB Champions Club behind home plate to family-oriented patio areas in the outfield. Accessible seating is sold on every level and in every price category; the Cardinals' disability access guide lists sections near elevators, escalators and ramps, and the West Ramp along 8th Street and the East Ramp along Broadway serve all levels. Every GoodSeats order carries a 100% guarantee, so the tickets you buy are the tickets that scan.

A short history of the three Busch Stadiums

The name goes back to 1953, when Cardinals owner August Busch Jr. renamed Sportsman's Park after himself. Busch Memorial Stadium, a round multipurpose stadium, followed in 1966 and also housed the football Cardinals until they moved to Arizona. The current park, designed by Populous (then HOK Sport) and built for 365 million dollars, opened with a minor league exhibition on April 4, 2006, and hosted its first major league game on April 10, 2006. Its retro brick-and-steel design, open concourses and skyline views were a deliberate break from the enclosed concrete bowl it replaced. The stadium's single-game baseball record is 48,581, set against the New York Yankees on August 6, 2022.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Busch Stadium
• St. Louis Cardinals – Busch Stadium A-Z Guide
• St. Louis Cardinals – Disability Access Guide
• Ballparks of Baseball – Busch Stadium