Another senior-friendly venue to get out and enjoy the Great American Pastime!
Let’s not forget there are not just one, but TWO amazing, professional baseball teams in Minnesota with great facilities for seniors to visit with the whole family.
The Saint Paul Saints play in the Lowertown area of St. Paul and have their own brand-new stadium for games. CHS Field, home of the St. Paul Saints and Hamline University Pipers Baseball teams, is a 7,210-seat ballpark in located in Lowertown Saint Paul. The ballpark opened in March 2015 for special events, and hosted its first baseball game in April 2015. Like Target Field it was built with accessibility in mind so everyone can enjoy the game. CHS Field is one of the nation’s greenest ballparks and was named the 2015 Ballpark of the Year by Ballpark Digest.
To buy tickets and/or get handicapped seating you can touch the interactive map and it will bring up a selection of seats in that area. The drink rail seating, for instance, is easy access for seniors but they have handicapped accessible seating throughout the ballpark that may better fit your needs. It might be best to call the ticket department 651-644-6659 for assistance to find the best seats available.
CHS Field is served by the Green Line light rail system and drops fans off at Union Depot Station which is less than a half mile from the field. There are level sidewalks along the way. On game days you can catch a ride on Capitol City Pedicabs, Your Saints Game Transportainment!
The Pedicabs provide shuttle service pre & post game to the Tailgate Lot, Green Line, & Lowertown Ramp. There are also many ways to arrive by car or bus.
CHS Field has some exciting vendors like Muds Barbeque, Fries and Pies, and the Dog Park, to name a few, to prevent you from going hungry. There is also the ultimate tailgating experience provided by the Saints. Tailgating in this case has changed from the days of the Vikings games at old Met Stadium but it still exists, just with more food and support from the team. There are plenty of craft brews and choices for ice cream, water or soda all around the facility.
The new and improved Lowertown Dog Park was a very important feature of the ballpark site that the community advocated for very strongly. The design team listened and made sure it was a priority for inclusion. It features a new dog-only drinking fountain, lots of space for Fido to run, a central area for dog owners to gather, lighting and will be open during typical park hours of sunrise to sunset. Chuck & Don's Dog Park is 17,585 square feet (nearly 60% larger than previous) and is handicap accessible.
If you have ever been to a St. Paul Saints game, you know there is a much different feeling compared to across the river at a Twins game. Generally, the game itself is not the event—the event is all the things that go on between innings as well as, before and after the game. After all, the team is co-owned by Mike Veeck whose father, Bill Veeck, was the creator of Disco Demolition Night in Chicago at Comiskey Park many years ago. Bill himself is in the baseball hall of fame and owned 3 major sports teams. Read more about Bill here.. Mike inherited much of his father’s flair for making the game only part of the story. Mike leads an organization that believes you need a fun atmosphere to work in, along with a culture to achieve professional and personal goals. Another notable co-owner of the team is Bill Murray. Bill enjoys the fun of baseball and has made some notable contributions to the Saints. Some of the fun events include Dog Day, Rock Reggae and Soul, Grease Sing A Long, tailgating and more.
There are some great places and spaces in Lowertown St. Paul. If you have time or the desire to go the Union Depot, it’s a wonderful space that many seniors have fond memories of as the primary point for rail travel for many years. The depot has their own events, like train days, Christmas train, etc. And has that nostalgic feel to it as it was built just prior to the great depression, completed in 1926.
Some great, award winning eateries are in this area as well including Handsome Hog, Octo Fish Bar, or the Saint Dinette, just to name a few. Mears Park is a beautiful place to sit in warmer weather and enjoy a relaxing park space in the middle of downtown.
The Saints put a very competitive team on the field every year. They have not advanced to the championship for some time but this year they are, once again, carry high hopes of a championship. With their last championship coming in 2004, the team hopes to once again rise to league dominance. The 2004 championship was one of 4 after the league was founded in 1993.
Whether you are an avid baseball fan, looking to enjoy the outdoors, or want to spend some family time at an outdoor venue, the St. Paul Saints and CHS field will surely not disappoint!
