The Denver Post

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SEEING A GAME AT COORS FIELD

- Stories by John Meyer

Since Coors Field opened its doors in 1995 as the home of the Colorado Rockies, baseball fans of all ages have watched thousands of innings of the old ball game at a mile high. In that time, the LoDo neighborho­od has thrived around it, endless sunsets have painted the sky, and a lot — we mean a lot — of beer has flowed. And that’s just the beginning: An entertainm­ent district and Rockies’ Hall of Fame is now planned for the surroundin­g area.

But showing up to 20th and Blake streets on game day can be overwhelmi­ng. Where to park? What to eat? Where is the best place to sit? You wouldn’t want to have a 1-2-3strikes-you’re-out situation with bad baseball experience­s. So that’s where we come in.

We have put together some of the key things to know about Coors Field along with some fun facts you can impress your friends with. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s throw out that first pitch. Address: 2001 Blake Street Capacity: 50,144

Field dimensions: Left-field line, 347 feet; left-center, 390 feet; center field: 415 feet; rightcente­r, 375 feet; right-field line, 350 feet

Ticket office phone: 303ROCKIES (762-5437) Tickets online: rockies.com Will-call window: on Blake Street between 20th and 21st streets.

Bag policy: Only soft-sided bags and containers that measure 16 inches by 16 inches by 8 inches are permitted. No glass bottles or metal cans allowed.

Autographs: Autograph-seekers are welcome to gather during batting practice between sections 116-121 and 142-146 until 40 minutes before game time or until the end of batting practice, whichever comes first. Parking: Passes in Coors Field A and B lots, which contain more than 4,300 spaces, can be purchased in advance for $18 and $16. The game-day price is $19 and $17. Those lots open 2 1/2 hours before game time. Most days there is parking in areas adjacent to the stadium for $10-$15.

Bus service: RTD operates Rockies Rides from some Park ‘N’ Ride locations, and the Union Station Light Rail stop (W, C and E lines) is only six blocks away. The A line stop at Union Station is four blocks from the stadium.

The Rooftop: A standing-room area with bars and concession­s, has tickets starting at $15, including a $6 credit for concession­s or merchandis­e.

The Rockpile: Located above center field, a limited number of $4 Rockpile tickets ($1 for children 12 and younger, adults 55 and older) are sold in advance at the Coors Field ticket office, King Soopers, City Market and Rockies Dugout Stores, or by calling the ticket office, or by online purchase. They also are sold at seven ticket windows near Gate A, opening two hours prior to game time.

SandLot Brewery: The first brewery in a Major League ballpark (1995), the SandLot brews about 1,500 barrels a year.

Jack Daniels Terrace: full-service bar with multiple TV screens located at The Rooftop.

Coors Light Silver Bullet Bar: full-service bar with big-screen TVs located at The Rooftop.

CHUBurger: Serving grass-fed Colorado beef and fresh-cut fries with a TV cube above the kitchen, located at The Rooftop.

Mountain Ranch Club, Mountain Ranch Bar & Grill: These two eateries offer dinner at tables with wait staff. The menus are akin to Applebee’s or Chili’s. The Mountain Ranch Club has TVs at each table. Both take reservatio­ns.

Buckaroos: Located at Section 149, this is a concession­s area for kids with tiny hot dogs, miniburger­s, kids’ meals, kids’ pizzas and Dinger Nuggets.

Helton Burger: Located in the outfield at Section 153, this is a popular destinatio­n for specialty “craft” burgers.

New food for the 2018 season includes Rocky Mountain Po’Boy, Mile High Mac and Cheese, and Rockies Fritters.

If you look high into the nosebleeds, you will see a row of purple seats. These upper-deck seats are exactly 5,280 feet above sea level.

An unidentifi­ed dinosaur rib bone was unearthed during the excavation of Coors Field. Because of that, the team welcomed a big purple dinosaur named Dinger as the team’s mascot.

Coors Field features a humidor to keep the baseballs moist and avoid too many homers in the mile-high stadium. Before the humidor was installed in 2002, the 1999 season saw 303 homers.

Coors Field, while still a relatively new stadium, is the thirdoldes­t ballpark in the National League.

Coors Field is the site of MLB’s coldest game in 2013, with a firstpitch temperatur­e of 23 degrees.

The bullpens sit next to section 105 and can be seen from the concourse. So pitching fans can grab some peanuts and watch the relievers and closers warm up if the in-field action starts to hit a lull.

Can’t get enough Coors Field? Tours are available most days year-round.

 ?? Michael Heiman, ?? Showing up to 20th and Blake streets on game day can be overwhelmi­ng. Where to park? What to eat? Where is the best place to sit?
Michael Heiman, Showing up to 20th and Blake streets on game day can be overwhelmi­ng. Where to park? What to eat? Where is the best place to sit?
 ??  ?? Parking close to Coors Field was pricey for a National League West wild card game in 2007.
Parking close to Coors Field was pricey for a National League West wild card game in 2007.
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