Oracle Park continues to top our list of favorite ballparks, so when we were back in town, we jumped at the chance to visit the newly rebranded stadium. Set right in downtown San Francisco with stunning views of the bay, its location alone is hard to beat. Giants fans brought incredible energy, and it was easy to get swept up in the chants as they cheered their team to decisive victories during both of our visits. The park itself is packed with unique amenities for all ages—slides, a real cable car, and even a thriving garden—and the concessions are equally impressive, featuring fresh seafood and California wines. One of the most memorable sights comes after the final pitch, when a flock of seagulls swoops in to claim the empty stadium. Our experiences at Oracle Park have been nothing short of unforgettable, and it’s a place we can’t wait to revisit.

We assessed the ballpark Design, Location, Concessions, Amenities, and Culture and finished with a Summary and Scoring

Design

The stadium design is stunning, with the Bay Bridge peeking out beyond left field—a gorgeous backdrop that’s visible from certain areas of the park. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in view from our upper deck seats behind home plate during our first visit, but we enjoyed an amazing vantage point the second time around. The most iconic feature of Oracle Park is the right field wall, which opens to McCovey Cove, where kayakers eagerly wait to catch home run balls. In left field, the Coca-Cola bottle and giant glove add a whimsical touch and double as part of the kids’ play area. The rolling hills in the distance complete the beautiful, scenic atmosphere that makes this ballpark truly special.

Red brick is used throughout the stadium, blending seamlessly with the surrounding architecture and complementing the Giants’ orange team colors. While the upper-level overhang is fairly simple in design, the ballpark thoughtfully includes adjustable wind covers along the back fence to help block the gusty bay breezes.

Statues of Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, and Willie Mays as well as plaques & stepping stones are proudly displayed around the stadium, celebrating Giants legends and offering fans a glimpse into the team’s rich history. A light-up sign near the waterfront adds a fun touch, simulating a home run ball soaring into McCovey Cove.

We were able to easily access all the main areas of the stadium, giving us the chance to explore everything Oracle Park has to offer. The main concourse is the only level that fully wraps around the field, as the upper levels are intentionally cut off to preserve the open bay views.

The design surrounding the scoreboard is stylish and visible from most parts of the stadium. Unfortunately, the actual score display is quite small and can be difficult to read from a distance.

Location

Oracle Park is perfectly positioned along the bay in the South Beach neighborhood of downtown San Francisco, offering remarkable views of the Bay Bridge. The scenery around the ballpark is equally beautiful, with palm trees lining the entrances and adding to the vibrant, coastal atmosphere.

The surrounding area is bustling with great restaurants and popular tourist attractions, making it an exciting place to explore before or after the game. While the area feels generally safe, it’s important to stay aware due to the visible homeless population throughout San Francisco.

Because the stadium is located in downtown San Francisco, parking can be both challenging and expensive. Fortunately, we stayed downtown and were able to walk to the stadium. For those coming from farther out, options like ferries, trains, or rideshare services (such as Uber) offer convenient alternatives to battling for a parking spot.

Concessions

There were a large variety of tasty treats, with many popular to the SF area. Some of the best choices included garlic fries, Outta Here cheesesteaks, Crazy Crab’z seafood and crabcakes, chowder in a bread bowl, Orlando’s Caribbean BBQ Cha Cha bowl, Mission Street Taqueria, Ghirardelli chocolate stands, Sheboygan brat in sourdough bun, and Tony’s Pizza Slice House. Our first visit we tried the latter two.

On our second trip, we sampled several stadium favorites: the Crazy Crab’z crab sandwich, Gilroy garlic fries, a Super Duper burger, and a Ghirardelli ice cream sundae. Overall, everything was pretty tasty. The crab sandwich was a standout—one of the best ballpark foods I’ve ever had—with a rich, flavorful crab filling served between toasted, buttery garlic sourdough bread and topped with fresh tomato slices. The Ghirardelli sundae, while still enjoyable, was a bit disappointing; there was mostly chocolate syrup on top, and the vanilla ice cream came from a third-party supplier rather than Ghirardelli itself. The garlic fries were crispy and flavorful, but unfortunately cold by the time we received them—Seattle still holds the crown for the best garlic fries we’ve had at any ballpark.

The Anchor Plaza is a prominent gathering spot located directly behind the scoreboard, featuring a variety of seafood stands and serving as the home of the Anchor Tap Room Bar.

There were plenty of great drink options throughout the stadium, including a wide selection of California wines, Bayside Brews, and even coffee—something we’ve rarely seen at a ballpark! We made sure to fuel up with a cup from Peet’s Coffee, a beloved local favorite. We also sampled the Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer and a Camelot Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which were excellent additions to the game-day experience.

Amenities

There were plenty of family-friendly activities scattered throughout the stadium. One highlight is an old cable car set up in the outfield, where kids can climb inside, play, or snap some goofy photos (like the one below).

The Coca-Cola Fan Lot offers several fun activities, including a giant Coke bottle with slides inside, a massive glove structure to crawl under, as well as T-ball, a batting cage, and a speed pitch area.

As a gardening enthusiast, I was especially enamored with the Garden Table and Hearth and their impressive hydroponic garden system. They grow many of their herbs and vegetables onsite to use in dishes served at the restaurant.

The Triples Alley is a special on-field area that fans can get early access to hang out during batting practice and then are released to their seats across the field on the first base side.

They even have a social media cafe called the @Café next to Peets. There are free cell phone charging stations and WiFi.

There are plenty of luxury suites for an additional price.There are a surplus of small team stores throughout the stadium and a large team store accessible from outside the stadium. There were plenty of restrooms, and there was sufficient leg space in our seats. Here’s the Giants A-Z Guide for more detailed info on additional stadium offerings.

Culture

At our first game, we caught an exciting matchup between the Giants and their interstate rivals, the LA Dodgers. The stadium was packed, and the atmosphere was electric as chants of “Beat LA” echoed throughout the stands. For our second game, the Giants shut out the Phillies, with Madison Bumgarner carrying a no-hitter through six innings. Although mid-week attendance was a bit lighter, the fans remained just as enthusiastic.

We were lucky enough to see home runs in both games, which sent the crowd roaring. However, the home run celebration—a simple water spray—felt a little underwhelming; a full water jet would have been much more impressive! The Coca-Cola bottle lights up after a home run, but it’s mainly visible during the day. See the Belt home run we saw in our first game.

We also loved the “Splash Hit” counter along Levi’s Landing, which tracks the number of balls hit directly into McCovey Cove. We haven’t witnessed a Splash Hit yet… but it gives us the perfect excuse to keep coming back!

The Giants theme song “Bye, Bye Baby!”, added a fun and spirited touch to the game-day experience. Lou Seal, the team’s mascot, made a few appearances throughout the stadium—and he’s every bit the charming, mischievous little character fans love.

One of the biggest surprises was the flocking of seagulls immediately after the game. According to a stadium attendant, the seagulls are practically “on a timer,” knowing exactly when the final out is called and it’s time to swoop in for a feast on ballpark leftovers.

Summary & Scoring

Date Visited: Thursday, August 8, 2019; Sunday, April 10, 2016
Games Played:
Giants 5, Phillies 0. Giants shutout the Phillies and Bumgarner had a no-hitter through 6 innings. Box Score
Giants 9, Dodgers 6. A high scoring game made for a very cheery crowd and lots of home run celebrations. Box Score
Design:  – The brickwork and layout paired with sweeping bay views are absolutely gorgeous. Team history is showcased beautifully through player statues and milestone displays both inside and outside the stadium. Minor drawbacks include the basic upper-level overhangs and a small, hard-to-read scoreboard.
Location: – Perfectly set in downtown San Francisco, offering stunning waterfront views along the bay.
Concessions: – Outstanding selection featuring local favorites like Ghirardelli desserts, Crazy Crab’z seafood, Gilroy garlic fries, and a strong lineup of California wines.
Amenities: – Packed with unique features such as the @Cafe, Hearth Garden Table, and family-friendly attractions like a cable car and Coca-Cola Fan Lot.
Culture: – Packed with passionate, high-energy fans, creating an electric game-day atmosphere.
Overall: – One of our favorite stadiums to-date—a winning combination of incredible fans, a spectacular bayfront location, delicious concessions, and remarkable amenities.

See more pictures.