The family and I recently had the opportunity to catch a game and received a VIP private tour of the new Marlins Stadium Marlins Park. You know the one with the fish tank behind home plate? That seems to be what people most remember when talking about the new Marlins Stadium I will be honest and let you know right up front that we are Mets fan (on yeah and one Yankee fan), however I am officially now a fan of Marlins Park. I highly recommend Marlins Park for “What to do in South Florida?” I really didn’t know what to expect during our tour after all it is just a ballpark right?
Alex, our informative and great tour guide, took the family and I through many aspects of the park and gave us some insight into its creation. Our first stop (where we met up) was the Diamond Club. Can I just say right now I was so sad that we would not be sitting in the Diamond Club area LOL! With your purchase of a Diamond Club ticket you receive some special treatment. You are able to eat in a very nice indoor eating area, where the food is abundant. In fact it is all you can eat!
The Diamond Club seats are what you would expect more comfortable and field level right behind home plate, the premium spot to be when attending any baseball game. You also have a front row view to the many aquariums that line area behind home plate. In the words of a child, “That is SOOO Cool!”
You also get to watch the players while they warm up and take batting practice. This is behind a mirror like wall so you are not distracting the players. I would love to splurge on these tickets just once as a special date night with my husband.
After sadly leaving the Diamond Club area we took a behind the scenes tour of the new Marlins Stadium where we saw where the players entered and got ready (no we did not go inside the locker rooms). There is another special seating area for third base dugout seats, that when games are not being held, parties can be booked. I thought this would make for a fun birthday party for some lucky boy.
We then made it onto the Promenade level, which was where our seats were located, and seemed to be the main area for visitors. The first thing you notice is how different this area is compared to the Sun Life Stadium where the Marlins games were held in the past. The Sun Life Stadium is also where the Dolphins games are held so it was a constant back and forth between baseball and football. The difference is in the Sun Life Stadium when you leave your seat to get snacks or use the rest room you are basically walking out of the stadium, as in you no longer have a view of the game. You walk through a small archway into the corridors where you can purchase food, souvenirs, and use the rest room. In the new Marlins Park the entire area is open. You can continue to see the game from all levels. The field is the center of the stadium and the building is an extension of the field, you no longer feel cut off from the action, should you need to leave your seat.
While in the snack line there are televisions set up so you can still see what is going on, on the field while you are placing your order. In the restrooms the game is played over the intercom system so you don’t miss a play.
When you visit a ballpark what do you usually expect to find to eat? I’m guessing hotdogs, peanuts, popcorn right? What if I told you that in addition to these foods you can get fried shrimp, Cuban sandwiches, and pulled pork. The Taste of Miami is a special dining section at Marlins Park that includes four local vendors brought in to give you the flavor of Miami. In fact Alex mentioned this is one of the “must go to” spots in the new Marlins Stadium and is often crowded.
Another, often crowded area is “The BobbleHead Museum” this is a one of kind large case of baseball bobbleheads. The case boost over 700 players and is a huge attraction to visitors. You will notice when viewing the bobbleheads that they actually do bobble. This is because the floor under the case has a small vibration running through it to cause this effect.
So what would you not expect to find in a ballpark? How about a nightclub and swimming pool? The Clevelander, a hot spot in Miami, has staked their claim as one of the coolest places to hangout while catching a Marlins game. What better way to catch a game then to be lounging in a pool, or dancing it up with your friends, all while inside Marlins Park.
This I had to see! Alex took us into the nightclub, which did indeed have a swimming pool and bar. In addition you can purchase seats right there at field level in the outfield. I have never seen anything like it.
Sunday’s, which use to be the slowest days for Marlin games, have no become one of their busiest days. Sunday’s are “Family Days” at Marlins Park.
This was very evident as we walked down the corridors. Each quadrant of the corridor is a specific color. This makes it easy to not only find your seating but to know what exit you are parked at, as each quadrant color correlates to a parking area. The green quadrant is known as the “family” section. The food in this area is geared more towards children. The gift shop is a youth gift shop and there are many activities set up for kids. We saw a clown, face painting, balloon animals, and even Radio Disney was there with Olivia Holt from Kickin’ It as their special guest.
When I dressed for our outing at the Marlins Park I decided to wear a tank top because this is South Florida and it is pretty much hot right now 24/7. I was expecting it to be super hot and muggy. Little did I know, I was not going to have to deal with the heat or hot muggy air. I knew the new stadium was equipped with a retractable roof, however I assumed that was for rainy days. It turns out the roof is kept closed for not only rainy days but for days where the temperature is over 80 degrees. In August in South Florida there isn’t a day that goes by where the temperature is below 80. So we enjoyed our game inside an air-conditioned ball field and it was wonderful.
Besides the aquarium one of Honey’s favorite features was the large water feature at the edge of the outfield. The water feature (for lack of a better word) singles when the Marlins have hit a home run. I wish I could tell you exactly what it does but during the game it never got a chance to go off. I’ve heard it spouts water and moves. I was really hoping the Marlins would hit a home run while we were there just so I could see what my daughter thought.
Throughout the entire stadium you will find original pieces of arts as well as memorabilia from the original stadium that use to occupy on the land “The Miami Orange Bowl”. The owners of the stadium are very much into art, we were told, and commissioned different artist to create paintings, and artistic walk ways throughout the stadium. Just outside the stadium attached to one of the parking garages are some pieces of art that were taken from The Miami Orange Bowl to keep a piece of history for all to see. A large original piece of artwork creates visitors as the enter the new Marlins Stadium.
We had a wonderful time attending a Marlins game and touring Marlins Park. After doing so I feel confident we will want to attend another game in the future. In fact I’m considering purchasing some tickets to the Mets game in early September. If you haven’t been and are in the area I urge you to visit the new Marlins Stadium and take in the sights, smells, and life of Miami and catch a fun ball game in the process.
Miami on Dwellable
Disclaimer: I received a VIP private tour and family pack of game tickets at no cost to me by the company or representing PR agency. All opinions are my own and mine only. You may read more of my disclosure here.
