Visit Dates: August 3, 2023; July 2, 2026

Philadelphia is perhaps the most important city in the history of our great nation, as I’m sure most people from there will quickly remind you.  There are plenty of things to like about it: Independence Hall, some awesome museums, Reading Terminal Market, the cheesesteaks, and Rocky, to name a few.  If you view the city from a completely objective lens, though, I think you’d reach the conclusion that Philadelphia is also a dump.  Even if I put my personal animosity against the Flyers and Phillies aside, when I think back on all the US cities I’ve visited, this one absolutely ranks as my least favorite.  It’s filthy, it smells bad, drivers are insane, and most importantly, I’ve never felt more unsafe in a downtown area (although San Francisco is a close second in this regard).  All this is to say that Philadelphia is very much a mixed bag, and you need to prepare yourself accordingly should you ever try to go.

In my two visits to Citizens Bank Park, I’ve been a bit nervous about what to expect, particularly on my most recent trip since my hometown Pirates were the visiting team.  The City of Brotherly Love isn’t exactly the most hospitable or tolerant place, and this is especially true when it comes to their sports teams.  The cross-state rivalry between our two cities felt like it would set things over the edge.  Luckily, having been to the stadium once before, I knew how to navigate it, giving me one less thing to worry about.

Speaking of navigation, Citizens Bank Park is quite easy to access whether you’re in the heart of the city or commuting from elsewhere.  Sharing the South Philadelphia Sports Complex with Lincoln Financial Field, Xfinity Mobile Arena, and Stateside Live!, the ballpark is nestled between Interstates 76 and 95.  The complex is bordered by Broad Street to the west, which offers a SEPTA metro train that can take you from downtown and put you only a couple blocks away from all the sports facilities.  Since the NRG Station is the last stop on the line, it’s simple to navigate.  You might encounter some full trains getting back to the city, but it’s a convenience that not all cities have.  Having utilized public transportation on my first visit and my own car on my second, I think both are great options.  You’ll have no trouble finding a parking spot and will probably get out a little faster with a car, but I highly recommend the metro to save money and avoid the traffic headaches if you’re coming from nearby.

On the topic of parking spots, don’t expect to have much to do pre-game in the areas around the ballpark other than tailgate.  The entire sports complex is a sea of parking lots.  As has been true in my other reviews, I have to deduct a few points for this outdated approach.  While it is a great positive that I didn’t have to struggle driving in, I wish they would tap into the ballpark village trend and replace some of this with restaurants, shops, and bars.  I suppose that Stateside Live! somewhat offers this since it has a few places to eat and drink, but it’s clear that it’s a separate entity instead of feeling cohesive with the stadiums.  Since gates opened at 10:35am on my most recent visit, this space wasn’t even open yet, rendering it pretty useless for weekday day games.  I think the complex would benefit from more commercial real estate, which would entail converting some of the lots into garages.  To me, it’s worth the slight uptick in traffic that would come with it.

When Citizens Bank Park was proposed ahead of its 2004 opening, team officials and local lawmakers initially envisioned a downtown location either near the Amtrak Station or north of the convention center.  While I think some of the best MLB ballparks thrive because they’re near the heart of the city, I don’t necessarily think that it’s a horrible downgrade for CBP to have ended up in South Philly.  Like I said before, it’s easy enough to access, and it’s certainly easier on drivers to avoid Center City.  But since the city is about 3.5 miles away, you largely lose out on the views.  If you get a seat behind home plate in the upper deck (particularly sections 319-322 or 419-422), then downtown forms a beautiful background in the distance.  If you’re on the lower concourse, though, you’ll more than likely miss out on this completely.  It’s a shame that the skyline isn’t more integrated into the experience, but it is what it is.

One thing that jumps out at me right away is the stadium’s octagonal design.  This layout, which is unique to Citizens Bank Park, is meant to create the best sightlines possible so that more seats face directly towards the field.  I think this works rather well, so it’s something that I wish more teams would implement in future ballparks.  I find that the architecture here stands out amongst other MLB venues.  The use of red brick to form the concourses and around the outfield is fantastic, although not uncommon.  But the reason other retro-classic stadiums like Camden Yards or Busch Stadium incorporate this same element is because it works so well.  The outfield (and the city beyond it) are framed by the slanted/pointed upper deck on each side, and I think this adds to the visual appeal.

While the lower level makes a complete loop, the upper deck is a bit difficult to navigate, particularly if you’re someone with accessibility concerns.  Along the first base line, there is an odd split where, to stay on the 300-level, you must continue up an escalator.  This then forms a new 400-level directly above the 300s, which wraps around home plate and down the entire third base line.  Functionally, this exists so that the suite entrance can sit directly under this escalator, but it’s wonky to navigate.  Honestly, this is a good word to describe the challenge of changing levels throughout the entire stadium, which features a heavy use of ramps and bridges to get around.  Be prepared to factor this into your visit, especially if you need to find an elevator instead.

It was obvious that the Phillies place a lot of emphasis on the fan experience.  My most recent visit was a hot 104°F day, and shade is at a bit of a premium here, with the best spots behind home plate and along the third base line, as well as within the lower concourse.  I was amazed that the team was offering free bottles of water to all fans upon entering the stadium!  It was such a nice act of goodwill and a fantastic surprise, even if I had already brought in a few waters of my own.  There were also plenty of water bottle filling stations throughout the ballpark, so I never had to pay to quench my thirst.  There were a few misters in use too so that fans could stay cool.  Another exciting offer (at least for me) was that you could spend $10 on a team yearbook and receive a Cristopher Sanchez bobblehead for free with your purchase.  I never pass up on a good bobblehead deal, especially for a star player, so I was overjoyed by this discovery.

For a 12:35pm first pitch on a Thursday, I was able to enter the stadium as early as 10:35am, although that came with a caveat.  For that first half hour, fans could not enter the upper deck, the concourse directly behind home plate, nor some of the seating areas near the foul poles.  Luckily, the outfield was fair game.  Speaking of the outfield, this is probably the best place in the stadium to hang out.  Starting in Coca-Cola Corner in left field, there is a concession stand serving traditional ballpark fare and a BBQ place.  While there is some seating around the patio, it was pretty bare-bones and rather lackluster.  As you make your way under the scoreboard, you’ll find two bars, one under the stands on the main level and another larger one upstairs.  The walkway in center field is known as Ashburn Alley, which has a team store, a few cheesesteak stands, a bar behind the batter’s eye, and the bullpens, which have an awesome tiered setup.  In the right field corner is The Yard, a kids play area featuring a miniature field.  Overall, I think the outfield is the best part of Citizens Bank Park, and the 52-foot Liberty Bell that rings for every home run and victory is the icing on the cake.  Luckily, for my Pirates game, the bell didn’t ring a single time.

The worst seats in the stadium (and the cheapest) can be found above Ashburn Alley and directly below the Liberty Bell in an area known as the Rooftop Bleachers.  Do not buy these tickets!  I already think bleachers are rough as it is since they can get so hot from the sun.  But these are close to 500 feet from home plate, and large chunks of the outfield are obstructed from view.  I could imagine that the environment out here could be fun, but if you actually care about the game itself, sit literally anywhere else.  Although I’ve never sat in the Wrigley Rooftops in Chicago, I would think this is a pretty similar experience with the added bonus of actually being in the ballpark, unlike with the Cubs.

There has been a more recent development at Citizens Bank Park that leaves me disappointed as well, although much less so.  One of my favorite features was the analog clock out in center field, a replica of the one above the scoreboard in historic Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, the former home of the Philadelphia Athletics and the Phillies.  To make way for signage for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, this clock was removed and apparently won’t be coming back.  I found this to be a signature icon of CBP, so it’s a bummer that it’s gone for good.

The concourses of this ballpark are fairly wide and well-shaded, at least on the lower level.  I didn’t find myself encountering any pinch points, but regardless, crowds can easily be avoided by getting in the lane closer to the field and away from the concessions.  And whether you’re upstairs or downstairs, the field is always in view as you walk around, another nice plus.  In my two visits, I’ve found the food options to be pretty pedestrian.  There are a few local chains serving up their own versions of Philly cheesesteaks, but these are run-of-the-mill.  When I asked an usher for recommendations, he suggested Campo’s for the cheesesteak (which ran me almost $20, an absurd price to pay) and Federal Donuts (which I’ve eaten elsewhere so decided to skip, especially after paying for the sandwich).

I thought the third base gate had the best amenities.  The team store at that entrance was huge and looked recently modernized compared to ones I’ve seen at other stadiums.  This is part of the larger third base plaza, which featured a statue of legendary third baseman Mike Schmidt and another Liberty Bell display before entering through the gate.  There’s also Pass and Stow, which doubles as an indoor sports bar and outdoor beer garden.  Since this area is shaded by trees, it’s a very popular spot to hang out during the game.  Again, the fan experience is at the forefront.

Overall, there’s nothing that truly wows me about Citizens Bank Park, but it’s still a good stadium that checks off a lot of boxes.  It’s a fun place to watch baseball, plain and simple.  Win or lose, there’s always going to be a lot of energy in the building.  They care about their fans and want them to come back, and they usually have the product on the field to back that up.  I think it stays out of the top tier of stadiums because there isn’t anything too exceptional about any of its offerings and there is so much untapped potential in the surrounding area.  If the ballpark were downtown, I think that would bump it up a few places.  When it comes to Philadelphia, I don’t throw compliments around lightly.  Somehow, someway, I think this is one of those things about the city that’s actually nice.  In a city full of pride, sometimes for things that don’t always make the most sense to be proud of, Citizens Bank Park gives the City of Brotherly Love something to cheer for.

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Thank you for visiting Small World Travel Blog!  We hope you enjoyed the 10th review in our MLB Stadium Tour series.  What has your experience been like at Citizens Bank Park?  Did you view it as positively as we did?  Additionally, would you like to see any articles about Philadelphia travel tips?  Let us know in the comments, along with which stadium you’d like us to review next!