Touch 'Em All

We made a whirlwind trip down to Miami to see our Phillies play the Marlins, arriving in Miami on Friday morning and returning home on Saturday night. It was a short trip, but we had just enough time to do the “Little Havana Food Tour”, take in a ballgame, and do some gator spotting in the Everglades.

This was ballpark #5 for us. Following is the list of all active ballparks that we’ve visited at the time of this writing:

1 — Baltimore Orioles (1992; date unknown)
2 — Philadelphia Phillies (2004; date unknown)
3 — Pittsburgh Pirates (July 30, 2022)
4 — Atlanta Braves (May 28, 2023)
5 — Miami Marlins (July 7, 2023)

loanDepot Park is located on the former site of the Orange Bown in the Cuban community of Little Havana. Litle Havana itself is known for its active street life, music, restaurants, and cultural activities. Unfortunately, those things didn’t seem to be located within walking distance of the ballpark. Instead, the ballpark was located in a predominantly residential neighborhood that doesn’t have a lot to offer in terms of pregame & postgame entertainment. You’ll have to drive to another part of town if that’s what you’re looking for.   

We arrived by car and were directed to one of several parking garages surrounding the stadium. Parking cost a reasonable $20, and traffic in & out was a breeze. Once we parked, we exited the garage, took a short walk across an entry plaza, and entered the stadium.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have an opportunity to explore the exterior before the game because of a poorly timed torrential downpour. What we did observe is that the design of this ballpark strays away from the traditional stadium designs you see in most other cities. Being different makes it cool in our opinion. It’s contemporary, almost futuristic looking, and feels right for Miami. We hope to make a return visit in the future so that we can inspect the exterior a little more thoroughly. 

This was our first experience in a domed stadium. We were thankful for the air conditioning and the roof cover that protected us from to Florida heat & rain. However, we absolutely prefer the atmosphere of an outdoor game. The atmosphere here felt sterile and lifeless, like watching a game in a giant fancy airplane hangar. 

The concourse was open, meaning you can follow the game while on your way to concessions or the restroom. It was brightly lit and had tall ceilings. However, it wasn’t overly spacious. I’d imagine that it could feel somewhat cramped during a well-attended game.

The concourse wraps around the entire playing surface and has a number of interesting things to check out. 

First, we saw the Marlins Hall of Fame just off the main concourse in the left field corner. This area had tons of Marlins memorabilia including game-worn jerseys from momentous occasions, and the Marlins 1997 & 2003 World Series Trophies.

We also really enjoyed the “Bobblehead Museum” in center field. It contains bobble heads from every MLB team. We had a blast looking at them all, and even saw a few that we have in our own personal collection.

When in the left field portion of the concourse, you have to take in the stunning view of the Miami skyline. It is visible through a large retractable glass wall. Our photo below is not great and does not do the view justice. It truly was a spectacular view!

Another observation we made while walking around the outfield is that many of the seats located closets to the concourse have obstructed views due to the overhang of the upper deck. If you are sitting in one of these seats, you won’t be able to track any fly balls to the outfield. Be aware of this when purchasing tickets. 

Since the dome is closed most of the year, they play on turf. Even the grass berm beyond the outfield wall is turf, and it looks especially fake. We understand why turf is necessary in a domed stadium, but we’re purists to a fault, and just aren’t fans of the fake grass.

The scoreboard here is enormous, easy to read, and has crystal clear picture quality. It contains a ton of useful in-game information. Although it doesn’t have an overly special design aesthetic, it fits nicely into the overall contemporary aesthetic of the stadium.

This game was a meaningful division rivalry. Both the Marlins & the Phillies were in contention at this point in the season. The crowd that was there was really into the game. However, it was a small home crowd that was clearly outnumbered by Phillies fans. In fact, the stadium was at its loudest when the Phillies Cristian Pache hit a go-ahead game winning home run in the top of the 9th inning. I don’t say this as an insult to Marlins fans…the ones that were there were really into it and cheered loud for their team. It’s just a shame that they can’t pack the stadium out…it would create such a better vibe. Our interactions with fans and staff were excellent. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and helpful.

Unfortunately, this stadium rates lower than the others we’ve visited. While the exterior architecture is cool and unique, the neighborhood it’s located in is uninspiring, the poor attendance creates a disappointing atmosphere, and the interior feels a bit too sterile for our liking.

Miami was fun though! If you’re visiting from out of town, I would definitely recommend the Little Havana Food Tour, and a trip to the Everglades to see some gators!

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