Step Inside: Busch Stadium – Home of the St. Louis Cardinals

Stadium History | Parking & Admission | Seating & Capacity | Food & Concessions

Busch Stadium is located in St. Louis, Missouri, in the downtown area of St. Louis. The area around the stadium is known as Ballpark Village. Busch Stadium is home of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball and is also known as “New Busch Stadium” or “Busch Stadium III.” It’s the third stadium in St. Louis to have the name Busch Stadium, most recently replacing Busch Memorial Stadium. The new stadium offers iconic views of the St. Louis skyline and the St. Louis Arch.

The stadium opened on April 4, 2006, with an exhibition game between the Memphis Redbirds and Springfield Cardinals, two minor league affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals played the first Major League baseball game in the venue on April 10, 2006, a 6–4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

What events are coming up at Busch Stadium?

See upcoming events and buy tickets for Busch Stadium right here on Ticketmaster.

Busch Stadium History

Cardinals ownership began lobbying for a new ballpark in downtown St. Louis in 1995. The previous Busch Stadium, Busch Memorial Stadium, served as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League baseball from 1996 to 2005. It also served as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League from 1996 to 1987 when the franchise moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and the St. Louis Rams for part of the 1995 season after the team’s relocation from Los Angeles, California.

The Rams left Busch Stadium for the Edward Jones Dome, which served as their home for 20 years. After the move, Busch Stadium was retrofitted to be a baseball-only stadium.

After securing financing through private bonds, bank loans and a loan from St. Louis County, the Cardinals decided to move forward with constructing the New Busch Stadium. In addition to the new stadium, an area known as Ballpark Village was constructed adjacent to the stadium — Clark Street, between the 200 and 300 blocks. Ballpark Village features restaurants, a marketplace and event venue, and retail outlets, including an authentic apparel team store for the Cardinals.

The new stadium was an immediate success with fans, with every game selling out in its debut season. The first season in 2006 saw the Cardinals reach the playoffs, and ultimately reaching and winning the 2006 World Series against the Detroit Tigers. The 2006 World Series title was the first for the franchise since 1982. The Cardinals later hosted and won the World Series again in 2011, this time beating the Texas Rangers 4–3 in a seven-game series.

The 2009 MLB All-Star game was held at Busch Stadium with the American League beating the National League 4–3. Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby with a total of 23 home runs, defeating Nelson Cruz 6–5 in the final round.

Besides baseball, Busch Stadium has hosted other sporting, and non-sporting events. In 2013, the stadium hosted Manchester City and Chelsea United in an exhibition soccer game, during which Manchester won 4–3 in front of 48,263 spectators. The United States Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Teams have both also played friendly matches at Busch Stadium.

In 2017, the NHL® Winter Classic was held at Busch Stadium with the St. Louis Blues® beating the Chicago Blackhawks 4–1. In 2019, Busch Stadium hosted a watch party during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup® Finals when the Blues beat the Boston Bruins® 4–1 to win the Stanley Cup®, the first ever in the history of the franchise.

Busch Stadium has hosted several concerts in its history, with the first show featuring Dave Matthews Band in their Summer 2008 Tour. Other artists include The Eagles, U2, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, and Luke Bryan.

The first college football game played at Busch Stadium was the College Classic between Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri State of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) on September 21, 2013. Southern Illinois won the game 36–19.

Parking and Admission at Busch Stadium

When planning to attend a game at Busch Stadium, you’ll want to account for travel. If you plan to travel by car, there are plenty of parking options.  Parking rates depend on the event and lot that you choose. Parking passes for the Starr Lot and One Cardinal Way garage can be purchased as part of your overall ticket purchase and are delivered digitally via the Ballpark app. Busch Stadium recommends purchasing your parking passes prior to arriving at the stadium.

Public transit options for Busch Stadium include MetroLink. There are 21 free Park-Ride lots along the MetroLine so fans can take the train to Stadium Station, which is located right across the street from the ballpark. Bus options include the Redbird Express and MetroBus with stops located conveniently downtown.

Busch Stadium rules are in place to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all guests at the stadium. Prohibited items are in accordance with MLB policy. Gates open 90 minutes before first pitch on Monday through Thursday, and two hours before first pitch on Friday through Sunday. Gate open times are subject to change.

Busch Stadium policy requires that all fans enter the stadium by walking through metal detectors. If the device detects something, you will be required to check your pockets before additional screening with a handheld metal detector.

In accordance with MLB policy, Busch Stadium recommends fans do not bring any bags. According to those rules, the only bags permitted inside Busch Stadium are bags that do not exceed 16″x16″x8″. Possible exceptions include:

• Diaper bags
• Single-compartment drawstring bags
• Other bags used for medical reasons

All items are subject to search and all other bags will be denied.

Busch Stadium Capacity & Seating Options

When you visit Busch Stadium, you have plenty of seating options to enjoy the game. Busch Stadium capacity is 45,494. When the stadium originally opened in 2006, capacity with standing room was 47,514. The attendance record for baseball is 48,581. The largest capacity for a non-sporting event was U2’s 360° tour with 52,273 attendees.

Other Busch Stadium seating options include club seats, suites and VIP seating. Busch Stadium offers premium seating with 3,706 club seats and 61 luxury suites. Club options include the UMB Champions Club, National Car Rental Club, Premium Legends Club, and Perficient Red Jacket Club. Additional options include all-inclusive tickets with a full buffet and bar service, and the Cardinals Club located directly behind home plate for the most premium experience Busch Stadium has to offer.

What are the best seats at Busch Stadium?

The best seats at Busch Stadium vary depending on the event and personal preferences. Check out Busch Stadium seating charts and find your favorite seat today.

Food & Beverage Options at Busch Stadium

Busch Stadium concessions cover all the ballpark favorites along with local and specialty offerings. Find a breakdown of food and beverage vendors at Busch Stadium below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Delaware North Sportservice (@delawarenorth_sportservice)

Food & Beverage Concession Vendors by Section at Busch Stadium

Section 101

• Freddy’s Frozen Custard

Section 102

• Outfield Grill

Section 103

• Intentional Wok

Section 107-108

• Broadway Market

• Frozen Slushies (Non-Alcoholic)

• Kids Corner

Section 109

• Broadway BBQ

Section 130

• Coca-Cola Corner

Section 131

• El Birdos Nachos

Section 132

• Gashouse Grill

Section 133

• Topp Dog

Section 134

• Gate 1 Bar

Section 135

• Big Chicken

Section 136

• Crumbl Cookies

Section 138

• Ben & Jerry’s

• Dippin’ Dots

Section 139

• Dizzy’s Diner

• Mini Market

• Stella Artois Portable

Section 141

• 1764 Craft Bar

Section 142

• Jack Daniel’s Bar

Section 146

• Bottled Beverage Stand

• Gashouse Grill

• Mini Market

Section 147

• Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog

• Kohn’s Portable

• Stuie’s

Section 148

• Crowd the Plate

• Redbird Carvery

Section 149

• Ben & Jerry’s

• Mini Market

Section 150

• Back Stop Bar

• Session Taco

Section 152

• Dingers Donuts

• El Birdos Nachos

Section 153

• 8th Street Market

Section 154

• Dippin’ Dots

• Gashouse Grill

Section 158

• Mini Market

Section 161

• Dizzy’s Diner

• Island Freeze

• Mini Market

Section 162

• Ballpark Favorites

Section 168

• Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog

• Mayo Ketchup by Plantain Girl

Section 169

• Ballpark Favorites

• Supreme Nacho Fries

Section 171

• Hot Dog Portable

Section 189

• Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog

• Top of the 5th

Section 193

• Nona’s Italian Beef

Section 197

• 1876 Bar

Section 198

• Gashouse Grill

• Mini Market

Section 199

• Dippin’ Dots

Section 230

• Dippin’ Dots

Section 233

• Ballpark Favorites

• Gashouse Grill

• Supreme Nacho Fries

Section 235

• Jack Daniel’s Bar

Section 240

• Hot Dogs

Section 245

• Redbird Club

Section 248

• Redbird Club Pretzelry

Section 249

• Sandwich Showdown Carvery

Section 250

• Redbird Club Bar

• Redbird Club Favorites

• Redbird Club Grill

Section 251

• El Birdos Nachos

• Redbird Club Market

Section 252

• Redbird Club Pretzelry

Section 260

• Mini Market

Section 263

• Hot Dogs

Section 264

• Left Field Pavilion

• Mega Pizza Slice

Section 265

• Ben & Jerry’s

• Cantina Bar

• Cotton Candy Vending Machine

• Redbird Club Bar

Section 266

• Dippin’ Dots

• Left Field Pavilion

• Supreme Nacho Fries

Section 358

• Big Chicken

Section 428

• Terrace Bar

• Terrace Grille

Section 432

• Freddy’s

Section 437

• Ballpark Favorites

Section 440

• Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog

• Nona’s Italian Beef

Section 441

• Dippin’ Dots

Section 442

• Mini Market

Section 446

• Ben & Jerry’s

• Dizzy’s Diner

• Kohn’s Portable

Section 450

• Gashouse Grill

• Supreme Nacho Fries

Section 451

• Dippin’ Dots

• Terrace Market

Section 452

• El Birdos Nachos

• Terrace Market