Seniors Out and About Twin Cities–MN Twins Games

Are you thinking of bringing a senior to a Minnesota Twins game?  The Twins stadium is a beautiful venue with excellent accessibility for people with mobility issues.  Baseball is often a great place for seniors to enjoy our great American pastime while spending time with family and friends.  Last year new rules to speed up the game reduced the average game time to just over two and a half hours.  Shortening the game brings back more fans and makes the game more enjoyable.  This year, the Minnesota Twins' home opener is against the Cleveland Guardians, on April 4th at 3:10 PM.  The team kicks off another season of games and promotions you may want to try with your favorite senior!  

New Events and Promotions

The Twins for the first time will host Bark in the Park, a night to celebrate the canine baseball enthusiasts on April 22nd. This has been a great event across town at CHS Field for years.  All of the four-legged fans in attendance will receive portable dog water bottles.  Later in the season on Aug. 3, in celebration of Joe Mauer’s initiation into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, fans can receive a replica Hall of Fame plaque and a commemorative pin. There are more games with promotional giveaways than without but they are generally only available to the first 10,000 fans–so get there early if that’s what you are looking for!  

Accessibility

Target Field is a great venue for anyone to watch a Twins Game. The Twins have rightly been lauded for making one of the most disability-friendly stadiums in the country. They have nearly 800 seats that can accommodate people in wheelchairs or those who have trouble using stairs. 

The Twins offer ADA seating throughout the ballpark and at various price points. The exception is the 300-level, which is accessible only by stairs. To ensure price equity for fans with disabilities, wheelchair spaces on the 200 level are sold at a reduced price to match the price of tickets on the level above.  The Suite Level and all individual suites at Target Field are fully wheelchair-accessible. The Suite Level can be accessed by first entering through either Ramp A or Gate 29, and then taking elevators 9-12 to the Suite Level. A guest drop-off area is located outside of Gate 29 and Gate 14 for guests with mobility issues. All gates at Target Field are ADA-accessible. If a guest who utilizes a wheelchair will be attending a game in a private suite, Target Field staff will remove an exterior chair to allow that guest access to view the game from the balcony of the suite. A 24-hour notice is appreciated to best prepare the suite for that guest.

Guests with mobility issues may use either of the Drop Off Zones along 7th Street, near both the Majestic Clubhouse Store and Gate 14. No accessible parking permit is required to use this drop-off zone, but this is strictly a drop-off zone, with no parking permitted in this zone.

Assistive Listening Devices

State-of-the-art devices that transmit ballpark audio are available during games for guests who are hard of hearing or have vision impairments. These devices are available free of charge.  Assistive listening devices are available at Guest Services Center on the Main Concourse or Terrace Concourse and the facility broadcasts ballpark audio.  

Fun fact: If you’ve ever wondered where baseball umpire hand signals come from, you can thank William Hoy. As the first deaf baseball player from 1888-1902, Hoy relied on his third base coach to signal strikes and balls with his hands, a practice that still exists to this day.

Public Transportation

Target Field is more accessible by public transit than any other ballpark in America.  Visit Metro Transit to plan your public transportation via Bus, Light Rail, or if it starts up again, NorthStar Commuter Rail. Want personal help planning your transit trip? Call Metro Transit at 612-373-3333.  When attending the game, crossing guards give priority to handicapped individuals so they can get access more easily to public transportation.

Seating

You can find out a lot of information by checking out this Twins access guide for fans with disabilities.  If you have more specific questions call the box office at 1-800-33-TWINS and discuss your needs with the ticketing representative.  Gameday tickets are often available and the box office can help with questions about access to the stadium.  

United Health Care Sensory Suite

In collaboration with the Minnesota Twins, the UnitedHealthcare Sensory Suite was first unveiled in April 2022 to help welcome neuroatypical guests of all ages and abilities, designed by health care experts. The suite, located on the UnitedHealthcare Suite Level, has breakout rooms with noise-muffling earmuffs, a controlled, outdoor area overlooking the game and aims to be a calming, sensory-friendly experience.

The Dock–New*

A new seating area will be available in 2024 called The Dock and is an innovation from Winnebago Industries.  Winnebago Industries President & CEO Michael Happe. “Like a day at the ballpark, we know the outdoors is a place to find happiness and create cherished memories with family and friends…”  The seating area includes $30 of food and access to a special lakeside-themed menu.  The area will seat up to 12 people in a "specially crafted section inspired by the open bow of a boat and comfortable 'Captain’s Chairs,'" a release from the Twins says. It'll sold to groups, starting at $1,200 ($100 per seat), and be available for designated games.  Better look into it early!  

Food

If you enter Target field via the plaza you get a wonderful treat for the senses.  Food purveyors are all around you, the smell of hotdogs wafting in the air, and the green grass of the field straight ahead.  Take it all in and you know you are at the ballpark!  

Just like every year, there is plenty of food at Target Field.  When you start here you walk past Truly On Deck.  Truly on Deck, formerly known as Bat & Barrel, is the complete remodel of what was first known as The Metropolitan Club. This brewpub-style venue is sponsored by Truly Hard Seltzer and houses the Minnesota Twins World Series Trophies along with Silver Sluggers, Gold Gloves, and other awards won by current and former players.

Named for Bloomington native and first-baseman extraordinaire Kent Hrbek, the pub is great fun, much like Hrbek himself. Hrbek's features some of #14's favorite signature basket foods, the Triple Sausage Sampler Bloody Mary, a full bar, and an outdoor patio located in section 114 of the main concourse.  

Designed to be the ultimate Minnesota Twins outdoor experience, the Budweiser Roof Deck is located in the left-field corner of Target Field and offers sweeping skyline views of downtown Minneapolis. The Budweiser Roof Deck features a partial roof canopy, bar, concessions areas, and convenient private restrooms for guests. A signature feature of the area is a large fire pit that will warm guests on cool spring and fall evenings.  Sounds good for an April home opener!  

Summit Brewing Pub is the Twins’ Hometown Craft Beer sponsor. In 2022, Twins Pils was created in honor of the hometown Minnesota Twins and launched in a light blue can inspired by the 1980s uniform that many fans still adorn when visiting Target Field.  Again this year Twins Pils fans will be able to find 16oz cans and draught at select locations throughout the ballpark, including at the Summit Brewing Pub near section 229.  

Fun Things at Target Field

For more on fun things to do at Target field check out Twins Daily

How good will the Twins be this year?  

Last season the Twins had an excellent rookie class that helped propel them to the playoffs.  The team was able to notch their first playoff series victory in more than a decade.  This season the four young players, Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner, and Louie Varland should keep improving to help the Twins better their 2023 season record with 87 wins.  Louie Varland is hopeful to keep a spot in the regular rotation and develop his skills as a major league pitcher.  Royce Lewis is coming off three consecutive seasons of injury but played a significant role in getting the team into the playoffs.  Lewis made a significant push for Rookie of the Year while demonstrating his skills in 2023.  The Twins also have several players who were close to coming into the majors but will start the season in AAA ball with the St. Paul Saints--it will be worth going to St. Paul to watch them!  The team has several veterans that will still make an impact, Correa at SS is one of the best in the game defensively and hopefully, his hitting will improve in 2024.  Max Kepler is a fan favorite and has a strong all-around game.  

Byron Buxton leads the way for veterans and the team hopes he will stay healthy and contribute both on the field and up to bat.  Buxton is a force when he is healthy and the team needs his bat in the lineup.  The Twins will miss Sonny Gray who departed for greener pastures, but the team has Pablo Lopez as their ace and 4 other starters, including Varland, who will be able to keep the team in games into the later innings.  Manager Rocco Baldelli likes to use the bullpen and his closer Jhoan Duran will lead what might be the best bullpen in the American League.  If Varland doesn't hold a spot in the starting rotation he can join this group to solidify Rocco's options in the middle innings.  

The Twins play in what is arguably the weakest division in MLB and should have a good chance to repeat as the division champion.  Should they start hot perhaps the Pohlads will look to strengthen the starting rotation with a trade later in the season.  It could be interesting if they stay healthy and players develop as anticipated throughout the organization.