Touch 'Em All

Citizens Bank Park is my home ballpark, and it holds a special place in my heart. The Phillies run deep in my family. My dad grew up going to games with my grandfather at Connie Mack Stadium, I grew up going to games with my dad at Veterans Stadium, and my kids grew up going to games with me at Citizens Bank Park. 

Richie Ashburn and Harry Kalas were the soundtrack to my childhood. I’ve had the chance to see many Phillies greats play, including Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, John Kruk, Darren Daulton, Curt Schilling, Jim Thome, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, Bryce Harper, and on and on and on. I’ve seen great playoff runs, World Series seasons, very lean years, and everything in between.

I know this ballpark like the back of my hand. I’ve sat everywhere from the Diamond Club behind Homeplate to the upper deck in the left field corner. For my money, the Hall of Fame Club is the best place to sit, specifically along the first base line. You’re slightly elevated above the lower concourse, giving you a great view of the action on the field, and a picturesque view of the Philadelphia skyline in the distance beyond.

In addition, the climate-controlled Hall of Fame Club concourse includes access to tons of memorabilia from the Phillies past, including Cy Young Awards, World Series Trophies, game-used baseballs from momentous occasions, game-worn jerseys & hats from memorable players, and scale architectural models of both Connie Mack Stadium and Citizen’s Bank Park. It’s more than just a club level seating area, it’s truly a museum to Phillies’ history.

If you’re looking to catch a game on a budget, don’t overlook the value of a standing-room-only ticket. This ballpark has many quality places to watch the game from if you choose to go this route. The entire main level concourse has a ring of stand-up bars at the top of the lower bowl of seating. I love parking myself at the stand-up bar right behind Homeplate to catch a million-dollar view of the game for a fraction of the price. The other great standing-room option is Ashburn Alley in Center Field.

Ashburn Alley starts right next to the scoreboard in left field and extends all the way over to center field. It is a bustling spot that contains premier concessions options such as P.J. Whelihan’s, Toney Luke’s, Manco & Manco Pizza, Campo’s, and Chickie’s & Pete’s. It also has a picnic area with a view over centerfield, a red white & blue illuminated Liberty Bell that moves & rings when the Phillies hit a home run or win, a kids’ wiffleball field known as “The Yard”, rooftop bleachers paying homage to Connie Mack Stadium, and an up-close view of the visitor’s bullpen.

This is a very popular spot, and while quite spacious, does get very crowded. Lines for the concessions out here tend to be very long. Ashburn Alley connects directly to the main level concourse, allowing you to walk all the way around the ballpark uninterrupted. The concourse is open to the field, meaning you can keep your eye on the game as you’re walking around the ballpark.

It is spacious and doesn’t tend to feel overcrowded. All-in-all, the Phillies knocked it out of the park with their concourse design. It offers many special experiences, while also allowing you to keep your eye on the game.

Citizens Bank Park upgraded its scoreboard in 2023, and I have mixed emotions. The former scoreboard was smaller and allowed the adjacent light tower to be a more prominent architectural expression. I thought the old version was more aesthetically pleasing than the new one. It still looks decent, just not as good in my opinion.

The new larger scoreboard has amazing picture quality and can display much more in-game information. The backside of the scoreboard is home to the Phillies Wall of Fame, recognizing many of the Phillies greats throughout history. They induct new members every summer.

The exterior façade of this ballpark uses a traditional combination of concrete, brick, and steel. There are a few cool brick features such as thin recessed slots on each pilaster, and an interesting use of contrasting brick to create a band of baseball diamonds along the top of the wall. A concrete base helps to bring the scale down to the human level. Distinct glass towers define the first and third base entrances. These facades are handsome and well-proportioned. They are simplified interpretations of traditional brick ballpark detailing. I would say the aesthetic is transitional (somewhere between traditional & contemporary).

The home plate entrance is located at the intersection of Pattison Avenue and Citizens Bank Way. This entrance breaks from the brick masses that occur elsewhere. It is defined by a steel & glass facade that appears as a void space between the two flanking brick masses. Large steel light towers frame the entry point and are integrated well into the overall design aesthetic. A large green Citizens Bank Park sign is centered at the top of the facade.

The exterior architecture along the outfield is much more understated and reads as the back of the building. It is low height for a reason as it opens views of the Philadelphia skyline from within the ballpark, but it is not overly interesting to look at from the outside.

To me, the most disappointing thing about Citizens Bank Park is its location. I am partial to downtown ballparks that are stitched into urban neighborhoods and have lots of entertainment options to offer before and after games. This ballpark is located in the sports complex next to the Eagles stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) and the Sixers & Flyers arena (Wells Fargo Center).

There is nothing else around except a sea of parking. They did try to offer an entertainment venue by locating Xfinity Live across the street. In my opinion, it was a weak attempt and pales in comparison to true downtown ballparks.

When traveling to Citizens Bank Park, traffic congestion gets worse as game time gets closer. If you arrive early and tailgate or visit Xfinity Live, you won’t have too much trouble. However, if you are coming closer to game time, you will have to wait in traffic that backs up onto I-95. The traffic congestion lasts all the way through paying for and finding parking. Leaving the parking area is a nightmare.

Everyone leaves at the same time, and they are all trying to get onto the same two highways (I-95 or the Schuylkill Expressway). Prepare to sit in stand-still traffic for 30–60 minutes on busy nights. I try to arrive early and back into a parking space adjacent to a vehicular exit, near Broad Street, to improve my chances of getting out more quickly. Parking at Citizen’s Bank Park costs $25.

This seems to be average compared to other ballparks across the country. Not nearly as high as parking garages not operated by teams for downtown ballparks, but more expensive than some smaller markets. The distance from the parking lot to the stadium is not bad at all since the stadium is surrounded by parking. At most, prepare for a 5-minute walk from the furthest parking space to the gate.

The best part of this ballpark to me is the atmosphere created by the fans. I’ve been to several other ballparks, and very few fanbases are as passionate as Phillies fans. Phillies fans pack the ballpark daily, they hang on every pitch, they boo when you underperform, and they shake the foundation when you do something great. I get how it could be uncomfortable as a fan of the opposing team in Philly.

However, the great majority of us have no ill will towards visiting fans. We are there to passionately root for the Phillies and to create an intimidating atmosphere for whoever the Phillies are playing. I attended a sold-out Sunday night game in Atlanta earlier this year, and I got to experience being on the other side of this. They passionately cheered for the Braves, they booed everything the Phillies did, and I took some razzing. I wouldn’t have had it any other way 😊

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