It’s a day late, but fans will finally get the chance to head to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the return of baseball later today. The Orioles open their home season against the Yankees at 3:05, though the annual opening day party will get started hours earlier at establishments surrounding the stadium.
A fair bit has changed this season at Camden Yards. Games will be shorter thanks to a new rule that limits how long pitchers can take between offerings. They’re also liable to be more exciting/chaotic, because pitchers are now limited in how many times they can attempt to pick off base runners, and those runners are dashing toward bags that are slightly larger, which can make a big difference in close plays. The Orioles set a major league record with 10 steals in their first two games.
The food vendor at Camden Yards has also changed, and Dempsey’s Brew Pub and Restaurant has been replaced by SuperBook Bar and Restaurant.
But the experience of visiting one of baseball’s best stadiums has remained mostly consistent over the last 31 years. So we asked members of the staff for their tips on how to make the best of a trip to the yard.
Remember: You can bring your own food
For home chefs, Camden Yards’ lenient outside food policy presents a special creative opportunity. Guests can bring in food and sealed nonalcoholic beverages, as long as they fit in an approved bag (one per person). Last year, my partner Jack and I enjoyed two Ziploc bags full of spaghetti seated above left field, much to the delight of the internet. “Spaghetti O’s” have been showing up to Camden Yards ever since, if the Orioles subreddit is any indication. We’ll be bagging our food in again this year — dumplings, salad, more pasta and maybe some roast chicken to bring the bird to Birdland.
— Alissa Zhu
The best seats and cheapest eats
The best-value seats at Camden Yards (according to my husband) are in the first half of the upper deck between home plate and first base (sections 322-328). Among the benefits: The view of the game is excellent; it’s more likely to be in the shade in the summertime; you don’t have to worry as much about foul balls (which is helpful when people in your party, aka me, aren’t actually paying attention to the game); and the tickets are among the lowest-priced in the stadium.
Also, I always buy my hot dog from one of the street vendors outside the stadium. It’s typically much less expensive than buying one inside the stadium, and it’s generally of comparable quality.
— Rachel Mull
How to get there, where to park and a hidden gem for drinks and grub
If you’re taking the light rail from the southern suburbs, get on at North Linthicum rather than Cromwell Station-Glen Burnie. Every train goes south to North Linthicum, but it splits past that and half go to BWI and half go to Cromwell. So it’s worth driving five minutes farther north and going to North Linthicum.
For parking, my go-to was always the parking garage attached to the Renaissance hotel, with the entrance on Calvert Street between Pratt and Lombard. You can walk out of the exit on the Light Street side of the garage. It’s a bit of a walk, but the garage doesn’t usually get full or backed up.
As for pre-game drinks, I like Peter’s Pour House on Water Street. Cheap giant cups of domestic beer. Their food is better than you’d expect, too.
— Pamela Wood
Crab dip worth the walk; be kind to the locals
I like the Corner Bistro & Wine Bar at 213 Penn St. It’s a 10-minute walk from Camden Yards. I used to live a few houses down from this restaurant, so I’ve eaten way too much of their delicious crab dip. The staff and patrons are really friendly and it’s a chill place to grab a bite and a glass of wine before the game. Plus, it’s a few steps away from the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum!
I don’t have recommendations for parking but as a former Ridgely’s Delight residential parking permit holder, I would encourage people not to park in the neighborhoods lest they want to be towed or face the ire of residents. They should take the light rail!
— Jamyla Krempel
Stop in for a local craft beer
There are two — yes, two! — fantastic local breweries within easy walking distance of Camden Yards. Suspended Brewing, in Pigtown, is a marvel. I’ve loved everything I’ve ever had from them; they’re all impeccably crafted. I’m in awe of the range, too, from great farmhouse ales to juicy IPAs to complex stouts. Plus, the space is beautiful.
Checkerspot, in Sharp-Leadenhall, has some of the best hazy IPAs I’ve tasted this year — and anything else you could want. They’ve got a honey Kölsch honoring the O’s called Bird Is the Word on tap right now.
Both breweries are women-owned, too, and you’ll be supporting local workers.
— Chris Korman
