Washington Nationals
Nationals Park, Washington, DC
- Capacity
- 41,339
- Roof
- Open Air
- Surface
- Natural Grass
- Opened
- 2008
- Tickets
- $12+
- Parking
- $20+
- Beer
- $8.99+
- Food
- $7+
- Est. total
- $47.99+
Against the other 29 MLB ballparks, Nationals Park is the 20th cheapest game day: 19th for tickets, 25th for parking and joint 21st for food and drink, compared on market ticket medians and published lot and menu prices in US dollars. See the full ranking.
Prices are estimates. See our methodology.
What to Expect
Nationals Park sits on the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of southeast Washington, DC. The park opened in 2008 and hosted the 2018 All-Star Game and the Nationals' 2019 World Series run. The Navy Yard area has transformed from industrial to one of DC's hottest neighborhoods, breweries, restaurants, and waterfront parks surround the ballpark. The Presidents Race (giant-headed mascots of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt racing around the warning track) is the mid-game highlight. The Metro Green Line drops you a 5-minute walk from the gates.
View Seating GuideTips & Fan Reports
Game Day
Lots open two hours and fifteen minutes before first pitch, which is later than most ballparks.
The Navy Yard neighbourhood around the park has its own parking when the club's garages are full.
There is no tailgate to plan: it is barred in every Nationals garage and lot, so the Capitol Riverfront is the pregame.
Parking & Directions
Don't buy parking online - it is cheaper to just buy at the garage on game day. Use the MLB Ballpark App for mobile ordering and try coupon codes like BUD or BUDHAPPY. They sometimes still work a day after they expire.
Navy Yard station is one block from the ballpark, while Capitol South is about a 15-minute walk.
Garage C exits south over Frederick Douglass Bridge for I-295 or Suitland Parkway; Geico Garage traffic goes north on South Capitol Street.
Food & Drinks
The Nationals have the most liberal outside food policy in professional sports. You can bring anything that fits in a clear 16 inch bag plus sealed water bottles. Save a ton of money this way.
Roaring Rooster inside the park is solid if you want to eat inside. Otherwise eat outside at one of the Navy Yard restaurants before the game and just bring snacks in with you.
The half-smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl is the must-eat item, DC's signature sausage with chili. Available inside the park.
Seating
Terra Club seats sit a few feet from the batter's box, the closest in the ballpark.
The PNC Diamond Club includes food, draft beer and house wine, which changes the arithmetic against a cheaper seat plus concessions.
Netting height and coverage vary by section, so check the specific section rather than the level.
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags may not exceed 16 x 16 x 8 inches; a non-clear clutch may not exceed 5 x 7 x 0.75 inches.
Backpacks, including clear backpacks, and non-clear drawstring bags are prohibited; diaper and medical bags may use the ADA or Family lanes, and all bags are searched.
- Gate opening
Nationals Park gates open 80 minutes before most home games and 75 minutes before games beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Published gate times are subject to change.
- Venue payments
Nationals Park does not accept cash for tickets, concessions, or retail purchases; cash remains accepted for 50/50 raffle tickets.
Convert cash to Nats Bucks at Advance Ticket Sales behind Sections 103/104 or Guest Services behind Section 131; Apple Pay is accepted at most locations.
- Re-entry
Guests may not leave and re-enter Nationals Park with the same ticket unless a gate supervisor authorizes the departure before they exit.
Speak with a Guest Experience or Event Security supervisor before leaving if an exceptional need arises.
Guides for Nationals Park
- Game Day Guide
8 steps from arrival to first pitch, and 22 venue rules checked against official sources. 3 bars, patios and plazas to fill the hours before doors, and what to bring.
- Parking & Directions
2 lots and garages with distances and entry routes, from $20. Plus driving, transit, rideshare and walking routes.
- Food & Drinks
18 concession stands and 27 items researched from the venue's own menus, cheapest food $7 and drink $6.
- Seating Guide
7 seating areas at Nationals Park, with the level names printed on the ticket.
- Cost Calculator
Build a total for your own party using Nationals Park's stored figures.
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.
- Venue facts
Wikipedia / Official Venue Page
- Venue policies
Nationals Park policy, accessibility, cognitive-services, bag, dietary, digital-ticket, guest-conduct, and parking guidance reviewed for entry, family, payment, food, parking, and accessibility rules.
Not yet checked against a published source
These figures are estimates. Most venues no longer publish the numbers behind them (concession and ticket pricing moved to dynamic marketplaces), so we hold them as estimates rather than dating them as verified.
- Ticket prices: Secondary market averages (SeatGeek/StubHub)
- Parking prices: Never checked against a published rate: the venue's parking page, read 2026-09-05, publishes none: the cited source is a police traffic advisory from April 2024 that names two garages and prices neither. The 2026-07-26 figures were compiled from third-party listings (was: "Nationals Park 2026: official parking $20-$49 by game tier; Garage B/C attached to the stadium $54, other official options $37-$39").
- Food prices: Team Marketing Report FCI + venue research
- Drink prices: Never checked end to end against a published rate. MLB.com, read 2026-10-17, confirms the 16-ounce domestic beer at $8.99, and the stored $9 now reads $8.99. The Nationals' concessions and ballpark guides publish no drink prices, so the craft beer, frozen cocktail, soft drink and water figures have no published source. The 2026-08-14 stamp rested on a WJLA report quoting the club on the beer and compared nothing else.