Busch Stadium Game Day Guide
St. Louis Cardinals · St. Louis, MO
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Bags, purses, and soft-sided coolers no larger than 10 x 8 x 10 inches are permitted and inspected at entry.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- Medical bags and diaper bags accompanying a child may receive exceptions to the size limit.
- Gate opening
Gates open 90 minutes before games Monday through Thursday and two hours before games Friday through Sunday.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- Gate times are subject to change.
- Mobile tickets
Cardinals tickets are delivered through the MLB Ballpark app and a mobile barcode must be displayed on a mobile device for entry.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- Print-at-home tickets are not accepted; load tickets before arrival or add them to Apple Wallet in case connectivity is limited.
- Re-entry
Guests who want to leave and return must obtain a hand stamp at Gate 1 or Gate 4 before exiting.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- A guest with the hand stamp and valid ticket may re-enter at any gate until 90 minutes after scheduled first pitch and must repeat bag inspection and metal-detector screening.
- Prohibited items
Busch Stadium prohibits alcohol, non-alcoholic beer, glass and aluminum containers, oversized bags, hard-sided coolers, weapons, fireworks, drones, noisemakers, laser pointers, and other listed items.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- Luggage, wrapped packages, aerosol cans, tripods, monopods, stun guns, and most face-covering costumes are also prohibited; review the full official list before arrival.
- First aid
First Aid stations are on Level 1 behind Section 147 and on Level 4 at Section 351.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- A parent or legal guardian must accompany a guest younger than 18 who receives treatment.
- Nursing and lactation
Private nursing accommodations are in the Family Pavilion Nursing Suite, Family Rooms near Sections 160 and 348, and First Aid.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- The accessible Family Pavilion Nursing Suite includes a baby-changing table, and nursing is also allowed in any public area where the parent is otherwise authorized to be.
- Family restrooms
Family and all-gender restrooms are near Sections 107, 134, 139, 154, 171, 211, 237, 248, 269, 358, and 439, and in the Family Pavilion.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- Tickets for children
Children age 3 and younger do not need a ticket for admission to Busch Stadium.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- Children age 4 and older need a valid ticket for admission to a Luxury Suite.
- Guest services
Guest Relations Centers are on Level 1 behind Section 148, Level 4 behind Section 340, and in Ford Plaza near the Sensory Room.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- For discreet in-game assistance, text the issue and location to 314-300-1000.
- Service animals
Service dogs and other service animals expressly authorized by law are welcome when trained to perform work or tasks for a person with a disability.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- Smoking and vaping
Tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, and vaporizers are prohibited inside Busch Stadium.
Applies to: St. Louis Cardinals games
- A designated smoking area at Gate 1 allows access in and out from gate opening through the end of the eighth inning.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Busch Stadium, hour by hour.
Arrive downtown
Take the MetroLink to Stadium Station or drive into the downtown garages. Ballpark Village opens early and starts filling with red-clad fans.
Pregame at Ballpark Village
Budweiser Brew House, Cardinals Nation restaurant, and the rooftop deck are buzzing. Grab a Budweiser (brewed locally) and enjoy the pregame atmosphere.
Enter Busch Stadium
Walk through the gates and see the Arch framed beyond center field. Explore the Cardinals Hall of Fame museum on the main concourse.
Watch batting practice
Head to the outfield sections for BP. The left field bleachers offer the best chance at catching home run balls.
Find your seat
Settle in and watch the pregame ceremonies. The Cardinals video board shows lineup introductions against the Arch backdrop.
Play ball
Nine innings of Cardinal baseball. The crowd is knowledgeable and engaged. Don't be surprised if your neighbor explains the infield shift strategy.
Stand up and stretch
The crowd sings along to 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.' Grab a final round of toasted ravioli and a Schlafly craft beer.
Ballpark Village after hours
Walk next door to Ballpark Village for post-game drinks. The Budweiser Brew House stays packed after wins. The MetroLink runs late on game nights.
Tips & Fan Reports
Take a walk around the whole stadium once you are inside. The view from directly behind home plate is incredible. The Budweiser Terrace in right field has a party vibe and $5 beers before game time.
St. Louis is one of the best baseball towns in America. The fans are knowledgeable, respectful, and genuinely care about the game.
The Gateway Arch framed beyond center field is the signature Busch Stadium view. Try for outfield or right-field seats for the best Arch backdrop.
Ballpark Village (adjacent) is the best game-day entertainment complex in MLB. It stays packed whether the Cards are winning or not.
MetroLink Stadium station is right at Busch Stadium. $2.50 and connects from the airport.
Ballpark Village is the pregame and post-game destination. The Budweiser Brew House is the anchor bar, but the rooftop has the best views.
The MetroLink Stadium Station is directly adjacent. Use it. Parking downtown is easy but more expensive.
Lots open five hours before first pitch, which is unusually early for a ballpark that does not permit tailgating.
No barbecue in the lots — the parking terms rule out tailgating activities, so Ballpark Village is the pregame.
Gates are 90 minutes out Monday to Thursday but two hours Friday to Sunday.
Before the Game
Busch Stadium's parking terms are explicit that licensees may not have barbecues or other tailgating activities, so the pregame here is Ballpark Village next door rather than a lot. The lots themselves open unusually early — five hours before first pitch — and close an hour after the game. Stadium gates open 90 minutes before game time Monday to Thursday and two hours Friday to Sunday. The club sells its own game-day parking at three named sites, all delivered digitally through the MLB Ballpark app.
Where to Go Before the Game
Ballpark Village
The entertainment, dining and residential district next to the stadium, with restaurants, bars and its own tickets to watch the game from beyond the left-field wall. This is the pregame, given the lots permit none.
Known for Next to the stadium · Restaurants and bars · Watch from beyond left field
The All-Star Lot, 611 S. 8th Street
One of three sites where the club sells individual game-day parking directly, with the pass delivered digitally through the MLB Ballpark app.
Known for 611 S. 8th Street · Club-sold · Digital pass
One Cardinal Way Garage, 269 S. Broadway
The garage option among the club's own parking, on South Broadway, again sold directly and delivered through the app.
Known for 269 S. Broadway · Covered · Digital pass
The Bus and Oversized Vehicle Lot, 1001 S. 6th Street
Where coaches and oversized vehicles park, on South 6th Street, sold the same way as the other two.
Known for 1001 S. 6th Street · Buses and oversize vehicles
Pregame Rules
What Busch Stadium allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Under the parking terms and conditions, licensees may not have barbecues or other tailgating activities.
- On gamedays the parking lots open five hours prior to the scheduled first pitch and close one hour after the event concludes.
- Busch Stadium gates open 90 minutes before game time Monday to Thursday, and two hours before game time Friday to Sunday.
- Individual gameday parking is sold by the club at the All-Star Lot (611 S. 8th Street), the One Cardinal Way Garage (269 S. Broadway) and the Bus/Oversized Vehicle Lot (1001 S. 6th Street).
- All parking passes are delivered digitally via the MLB Ballpark app.
Weather
Busch Stadium is open air, so these are the conditions you sit in.
Across the MLB season the warmest month is July, with an average high of 89°F, and the coldest is April, when the average low is 45°F. July is the wettest month at 5.0 inches and October the driest at 3.0 inches.
That April low ranks 15th coldest of the 30 MLB venues, and July here ranks 6th wettest.
April
4.6 inchesMay
4.8 inchesJune
4.3 inchesJuly
5.0 inchesAugust
3.1 inchesSeptember
3.4 inchesOctober
3.0 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Guests may bring most food and factory-sealed clear plastic non-alcoholic beverages no larger than 2 liters.
- A card or a phone wallet
Busch Stadium concession stands, kiosks, and retail transactions are cashless and accept credit or debit cards.
- A warm layer for after dark
April nights average 45°F at Busch Stadium.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
July highs average 89°F at Busch Stadium, with no roof over the seats.
- A rain layer
July averages 5.0 inches of rain here.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: Gates open 90 minutes before games Monday through Thursday and two hours before games Friday through Sunday.
- Pregame
St. Louis Cardinals official site: Busch Stadium parking, Terms and Conditions for Parking, and the Gameday Guide
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Busch Stadium policy, security, accessibility, dining, parking, family-admission, and mobile-ticket pages reviewed for entry, family, payment, food, and accessibility rules.