City: Baltimore, MD

Category: Spectator Sports

Address: 333 West Camden Street

Description: Unable to root, root, root for a home team until recently, many Washingtonians support the Baltimore Orioles. Although the Nationals’ arrival and the lackluster performance by the Orioles have caused attendance to slide, a trip to Camden Yards is a treat for any baseball fan.Going to see an O’s game is much easier and more enjoyable than it used to be for Metro Washingtonians. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a good half-hour closer than Memorial Stadium, the team’s home for 38 years, and it sits in a wonderful attraction-filled area easily accessed by rail, bus, and automobile.From Northern Virginia, Suburban Maryland, and the District, just take the Baltimore/Washington Parkway north into Baltimore and the stadium is right there looming in front of you as you near the downtown area. It’s a straight shot and the route is well marked. You also can take I–95 into Baltimore, but this route is a bit longer and subject to more traffic hassles. Want to ride the train? Just take Metrorail to Union Station, where you pick up a MARC (Maryland’s passenger railroad system) train to the Baltimore station literally right next to the stadium; the trip takes about 45 minutes.Camden Yards seats about 48,000 people, a perfect size for baseball, and offers a great view from virtually every seat. Modern yet old-fashioned in an architectural sense, it’s truly a ballpark designed for the way baseball was meant to be played, on real grass, with the city skyline as a backdrop. (The seating areas are smoke-free, by the way; smoking is permitted only on the concourse.) Even the stadium’s location is interesting. Camden Yards sits in a historic area of downtown Baltimore and masterfully incorporates the nearly 100-year-old B&O Warehouse, which looms just beyond the right-field wall. Refurbished during construction of the stadium, the warehouse now houses office space for the team, along with a cafeteria, lounge, and the exclusive, members-only Camden Club. During the early 1900s, a piece of land that’s now part of the outfield was the site of a watering hole called Ruth’s Cafe, operated by the father of baseball’s immortal George Herman “Babe” Ruth, a Baltimore native.Tickets generally go on sale during the winter for the following season. Periodic bargain nights feature left-field upper reserved and bleacher seats for a reduced price. Kids ages 12 and younger can join the O’s Dugout Club. The membership fee includes a membership card, hat, ball, and a general admission ticket to ten pre-selected games. Call the information number above, or get more information online.