PNC Park Game Day Guide
Pittsburgh Pirates · Pittsburgh, PA
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Each guest may bring one soft-sided bag up to 16 x 16 x 8 inches, including a purse, fanny pack, or backpack.
All bags are searched; diaper and medical bags are permitted after screening under the published exceptions.
- Gate opening
PNC Park gates generally open 90 minutes before first pitch.
For 6:40 p.m. games, gates open 60 minutes early Monday through Thursday and 90 minutes early Friday and Saturday; Home Plate Club opens two hours early.
- Mobile tickets
Pirates tickets use a mobile barcode in the MLB Ballpark app that must be displayed for scanning at entry.
Print-at-home tickets are not accepted; open each ticket's barcode in the app or add supported tickets to Apple Wallet.
- Re-entry
PNC Park does not permit re-entry after a guest exits.
- Prohibited items
PNC Park prohibits weapons, fireworks, outside alcohol, glass bottles, cans, drones, laser pointers, and hazardous or disruptive items.
Balloons, Bluetooth speakers, electric scooters, footballs, flying discs, hoverboards, inflatable balls, and motorcycle helmets are also prohibited.
- First aid
First Aid is near Section 115 on the Main Concourse and Section 315 on the Upper Concourse.
Both locations have a family restroom.
- Nursing and lactation
PNC Park has a Mamava nursing pod on the Highmark Riverwalk near the STEM Zone and a nursing room in Main Guest Relations.
Open the spaces with the Mamava app or request the access code from Guest Relations.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are available throughout PNC Park, including beside both First Aid locations.
Child changing tables are in all restrooms, and an adult changing table is in the family restroom behind Section 112 in the Crows Nest.
- Tickets for children
Children age 24 months and younger may enter free when seated on a parent or guardian's lap.
Guests age 25 months and older require a ticket, and complimentary-admission children do not receive promotional items.
- Guest services
Main Guest Relations is at the bottom of the Home Plate Rotunda, with assistance kiosks near Sections 116, 135, 147, and 319.
For anonymous security or operational help, text SECURITY and the seat location to 61592.
- Service animals
Guests with disabilities may be accompanied by a service animal at PNC Park.
- Smoking and vaping
PNC Park prohibits tobacco products of every kind, including e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at PNC Park, hour by hour.
Arrive downtown or North Shore
Park downtown or on the North Shore. The bars and restaurants along Federal Street on the North Shore are starting to fill.
Walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge
The bridge closes to traffic on game days and becomes a pedestrian walkway lined with vendors and fans. The walk with the ballpark framed ahead and the city behind is iconic.
Enter PNC Park
Walk through the gates and take in the view: the Pittsburgh skyline beyond right field, the river below, and the bridges connecting the city. It's stunning.
Watch batting practice
Head to the outfield sections for BP. Home run balls occasionally land in the Allegheny River beyond right field.
Find your seat
Settle in and enjoy the pregame view. The video board runs lineup introductions against the skyline backdrop.
Play ball
Nine innings of Pirates baseball with the best backdrop in the sport. PNC Park plays as a slight pitcher's park, the spacious outfield dimensions keep home runs honest.
Great Pierogi Race
The Great Pierogi Race features costumed pierogies racing around the warning track, a Pittsburgh institution since 1999. Pick your pierogi and cheer.
Walk back across the bridge
Stroll back across the Clemente Bridge with the lit-up city skyline behind you. Federal Street bars stay open for post-game drinks.
Tips & Fan Reports
PNC Park is the smallest MLB ballpark. There isn't a bad seat in the house. The skyline view is stunning from every section.
The North Shore riverwalk connects PNC Park to nearby restaurants and the Andy Warhol Museum.
The Great Pierogi Race in the 5th inning is a Pittsburgh tradition. Jalapeño Hannah, Cheese Chester, Oliver Onion, and friends race around the warning track.
Walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge from downtown - it's closed to cars on game days and the views of PNC Park are iconic.
Walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge on game day. It's closed to traffic and the walk is one of the best pregame experiences in sports.
PNC Park is regularly ranked one of the most beautiful ballparks in MLB. The downtown Pittsburgh skyline beyond center field is stunning.
Tailgating stops when the game starts: you leave the lot rather than carrying on through the first innings.
When the Pirates and a football game share a day, every North Shore lot opens at 10:00 a.m. and fills accordingly.
You can pay by card on arrival, but buying the pass with your tickets in the MLB Ballpark app is the smoother route.
A 6:40 p.m. game Monday to Thursday opens gates only an hour before, half the usual notice.
Before the Game
Tailgating is permitted on the North Shore before a Pirates game, with one firm condition: fans must leave their parking area once the event starts. The North Shore is shared ground: on days when the Pirates and a Pitt or Steelers game overlap, all the lots open together at 10:00 a.m. for both sets of fans. Gates at PNC Park open 90 minutes before most start times, dropping to an hour for 6:40 p.m. games Monday to Thursday and back to 90 minutes Friday and Saturday. Parking can be bought with your tickets in the MLB Ballpark app, online, or by card on arrival.
Where to Go Before the Game
North Shore lots 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D
The numbered surface lots on the North Shore, among the choices the club names for anyone approaching from the north.
Known for Surface parking · Tailgating permitted · Named by the club
The River Road surface lots
Surface parking along River Road, another of the North Shore options the Pirates list for fans coming from the north.
Known for Surface lots · On River Road
NOVA Place garage and Blue 10 Garage
The two covered options among the North Shore parking the club names, for weather or for a shorter walk.
Known for Covered parking · North Shore
The shared North Shore on double-event days
When a Pirates game and a football game fall together, every North Shore lot opens at 10:00 a.m. for both crowds, the day to arrive early or not drive at all.
Known for Lots open 10:00 a.m. · Shared with football · Arrive early
Pregame Rules
What PNC Park allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Tailgating is permitted prior to events on the North Shore, but fans must leave their parking area once their event starts.
- Gates open 90 minutes before most start times. For 6:40 p.m. games gates open one hour before Monday to Thursday, and 90 minutes before Friday and Saturday.
- For special events on the North Shore, all North Shore parking lots open at 10:00 a.m. for both baseball and football attendees.
- North Shore parking is available in surface lots and garages, including lots 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D, the River Road surface lots, the NOVA Place garage and the Blue 10 Garage.
- Parking passes can be bought with gameday tickets in the MLB Ballpark app, online at pirates.com/parking, or with a credit card on arrival.
Weather
PNC Park 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 85°F, and the coldest is April, when the average low is 39°F. July is the wettest month at 3.6 inches and October the driest at 2.8 inches.
That April low ranks 6th coldest of the 30 MLB venues, and July here ranks 21st wettest.
April
3.2 inchesMay
3.5 inchesJune
3.5 inchesJuly
3.6 inchesAugust
3.3 inchesSeptember
3.2 inchesOctober
2.8 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Guests may bring food and one clear, sealed, disposable plastic water bottle up to 24 ounces into general PNC Park areas.
- A card or a phone wallet
PNC Park is cashless and accepts credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
- A warm layer for after dark
April nights average 39°F at PNC Park.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
July highs average 85°F at PNC Park, with no roof over the seats.
- A rain layer
July averages 3.6 inches of rain here.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open with the North Shore lots, or 10:00 a.m. on shared event days.
- A setup you can clear away entirely once the game starts, since you must leave the lot
- A parking pass bought in the MLB Ballpark app, or a card for paying on arrival
- An early start on days the North Shore is shared with a football crowd
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: PNC Park gates generally open 90 minutes before first pitch.
- Pregame
Pittsburgh Pirates official site: Where to Park at PNC Park, North Shore Traffic and Parking, and Know Before You Go
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Pirates information, accessibility, gate, dietary, digital-ticket, game-day, and parking guidance reviewed for entry, family, payment, food, parking, and accessibility rules.