If you want a taste of what going to a baseball game was like one hundred years ago, step up to the plate and step back in time at the Fenway Park tour.
A Fenway Park tour is one of those must-do experiences if you want to get a true taste of what Boston is like. Old bars ooze the stench of stale beer but at America’s oldest stadium, it’s the freshly popped kernels of corn that permeate the air. As you enter the stadium below its ancient brick and timber stands, you can feel the energy and smell the aromas of game day – except today it’s the furthest you can get from game day. It’s mid-February and there’s over a foot of snow covering the hallowed turf.
Fenway Park offers extensive stadium tours that take you places you’d never get near on game day. We start on the main concourse where we hear about the stadiums storied past. Its well-preserved superstructure and classic signage has made it the first choice for Hollywood productions like A League of Their Own, Fever Pitch, and Field of Dreams.
Out to the bleachers, you will learn about the construction of the stands and the evolution from local field to landmark. The mound and bases are buried deep in snow like a foamy white carpet which makes the infamous scoreboard, the green monster stand even more ominously.
Retreating from the subzero breezes, we climb high into the stands for a different perspective. The media boxes offer one of the best seats in the house and we’re invited to sit where the commentators ply their verbal mastery and Mensa level baseball knowledge.
Ascending higher up multiple stairs we look back towards the base plate from the top of the green monster. The Green Monster is the name for the legendary green grand stand and score board that is still completely manually operated.
One place you’d never think you’d have access to is the Boston Red Sox’s locker room. This tour gets you into the heart of it all. There’s the overwhelming aroma of sports liniment and sweaty jockstraps as we are shown the pregame massage tables and lockers where some of the Red Sox biggest stars prep or chill.
Beside the Top floor concession stands is a wall of photos capturing some of the big events Fenway has hosted. From The Who and the Foo Fighters to local faves The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the Dropkick Murphys, the town loves Fenway. It’s a part of Boston’s character and where the city comes to play and battle it out against sworn enemies like the New York Yankees.
With its pivotal role in American history, its melting pot of Irish and Italian flavors, and warm, humble population, Boston is an essential stop when traveling the east coast of the United States. Explore more great ideas to make the most of a Boston stay.
WHAT?
Fenway Park is America’s oldest operating baseball stadium and home ground of the Boston Red Sox.
WHERE?
4 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA 02215
HOW?
Take a Fenway Park tour on non-game days. Details are here. They cost $20 and run between 9 and 5.
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A great read. I’ll definitely have to pay a visit when I get to Boston, ideally for a game but encouraging to know the tour is a good plan B 🙂
Thanks. It’s worth the tour alone – but a game would be better – even if it is to see the Red Sox 😉