Our brother-in-law Jeff is a huge Mariners fan (since he’s from the area), so we have visited this stadium multiple times (as both Safeco Field and T-Mobile Park). We’ve adopted Seattle as our AL team and love catching a game when we visit the family. The beautiful Space Needle skyline view, retractable roof “umbrella,” phenomenal culinary selection, and integration of Mariners legends into their many amenities make this one of our favorite parks to frequent.

Design

The “retro-modern” design features a brick façade and a retractable roof. The retractable roof makes the stadium look somewhat intergalactic (fitting with the Space Needle nearby), and is very practical serving as an “umbrella” to keep out the Seattle rain.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Left field has a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline with the spectacular Space Needle as the prominent pinnacle and the two magnificent white arches of the Seahawks CenturyLink Field framing the T-Mobile sign. Be sure to sit in the upper decks along the right field portion of the first baseline to include the Space Needle in your view. The sunsets from the park are magical with all the colors that a unicorn (and Charley) could imagine.

• 

• 

The Safeco sign that used to be in left was iconic to the field whereas the new magenta T-Mobile sign just seems out-of-place. I love the teal paint used throughout the stadium to match the team colors, and not really digging all the T-Mobile pink (although I’m sure my niece loves it).

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Here’s a 360 view from our seats!

For the nerds (like Scott), they have technology that allows fans to monitor special game-time features with Nintendo DS receivers and charge their mobile devices (T-Mobile installed 19 high-speed charging areas throughout the park, including free lockers). T-Mobile also provides free high-speed WiFi at the game, which Scott even clocked at 81 Mbps download & 14 upload. All of the technology improvements provided by T-Mobile are definitely a nice perk. T-Mobile customers also can get fast track entry into the game and get into the ‘Pen 30 minutes before gates open (lucky for us we are T-Mobile customers 😀). The big baseball glove out front is fun to peak through (reminds me of the large glove at Target Field).

The view from the field for tours is also fantastic (although you can’t see the Space Needle from the lower decks).

One of our visits was during the Edgar Martinez retirement day so his retired number 11 was in center field, Edgar was mowed into center grass, and there was an Exce11ence banner.

• 

• 

• 

• 

They have their division & league championship flags displayed (still rooting for them to win a WS!). It’s imperative that you take a seat next to the legendary Dave Niehaus announcer statue. During our most recent trip, we got to see the newest statue (unveiled in 2017) of Ken Griffey Jr. outside the Home Plate Gate.

• 

• 

• 

I loved the bat chandelier art at the main entrance.

The upper level doesn’t go all the way around in order to allow for the view of Seattle. The bottom level does wrap all the way around and was pretty crowded including in the ‘Pen area. To get to the upper levels, you do have to walk up a lot of stairs (or take an escalator if you are lucky to find one). There are several adult only areas that can only be accessed if you are 21 (IDs required) including the Hit it Here Cáfe and Edgar’s Cantina.

The stadium features the second largest video board in the MLB (aptly named Mariners Vision). This screen made it really easy to see scores, stats, replays and activities. The hat dance was really fun and one of the most challenging ones I’ve seen despite the size on the screen. The custom designs on the screen were really neat during the fireworks night. There is also a small traditional green manual scoreboard in left field.

• 

• 

Location

T-Mobile is located in Seattle’s SoDo (South of Downtown) District adjacent to CenturyLink Field. The location provides optimal views of the Seattle skyline and Space Needle with the perfect setting for unforgettable sunsets. SoDo is primarily an industrial area, and it’s a long walk (10 minutes) or drive (20 minutes) to get to the majority of the venues near the stadium. The Pyramid Alehouse is one of the few decent restaurants right next to the stadium. Nearby (7-20 minute drive from T-Mobile depending on traffic) is the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and the famous Pike Place Market (featuring the original Starbucks). Scott loves coffee so we stop by these every time we are in town.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Driving in Seattle is pretty rough due to the traffic. We have always carpooled with family, which has made it a little more tolerable (thanks Jeff!). Parking is very pricey ($20-40 depending on how willing you are to walk). Definitely carpool, Uber/Lyft, or take public transit (Sound Transit’s Link light rail, County Metro Transit). The surrounding area seemed safe, but there unfortunately are a lot of homeless people.

Concessions

The culinary options are extremely unique and provide flavor explosions for all tastebuds. Since this is along the coast, there are quite a few seafood options; my personal favorite is the Ichiroll from Hiroshi’s sushi (in honor of one of our favorites, Ichiro Suzuki). Other seafood options include Ivar’s Seafood & Chowder and Way Back Crab Shack.

The most unique snack is the chapulines (fried grasshoppers in chile-lime salt seasoning) served at Paseo. I even got Scott, my niece, and neighboring Cards fans to try them. They are nice and crunchy, but were a little too salty for my taste. They were fun to experience, but I don’t think I’d try them again.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Scott and Jeff’s favorite are the garlic fries, which are the “garliciest” Scott’s ever tasted.

• 

• 

• 

Edgar’s Cantina is a two-level restaurant and bar (named after Edgar Martinez & took the place of a portion of centerfield bleachers) and features a “Northwest Mex” menu (created by local celebrity chef Ethan Stowell) and handcrafted cocktails (created by Seattle legend Anu Apte, owner of the Rob Roy lounge). An ID is required to enter this fun hangout area.

• 

• 

• 

Paseo (right next to Edgar’s in the ‘Pen) has amazing Caribbean inspired food including nachos, roasted corn, sandwiches, and black beans & rice. The service unfortunately was really slow at Paseo (possibly understaffed during the holiday game we attended), but the Caribbean nachos and roasted corn were still exceptional.

• 

• 

Charley and I love the dingleberries (now named the berry kabob – I wonder why).

There are a number of other culinary creations from Ethan Stowell, which focus on using natural products and local producers to provide unique stadium food experiences. These include features at Ballard Pizza Co., Way Back Crab Shack (crab sandwich, crab fries, Old Bay fries, and clam chowder), and Dynamite Chicken. Other fan favorites include Uncle Charlie’s cheesesteaks, Hempler sausages, and the Lil Woody’s ’95 Slide–a combination of hand-cut fries with a side of soft serve ice cream for dipping.

The Hit it Here Café & Bar provides a restaurant-style meal prior to or during the game. Tickets can be reserved or seating may be available by walk-in. Again this is a 21 and above area and requires ID to enter.

There was a good mix of beverage options from coffee at The Grounds Crew Espresso or adult beverages to meet everyone’s needs including mixed drinks & vodka lemonades at Heritage, wine at 1st Base Vine (serving northwest wine from Columbia Winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, and 14 Hands) or beer from numerous venues (Good Hops Beer, Champion Northwest, Lookout Landing Bar, or Hop Valley). The following are a few of the local beers that stood out: Maritime Pacific Old Seattle Lager, Pike Place Pale Ale and Dru Bru Pacific Crest Ale.

Unique cocktails available at Edgar’s include the Zac Paloma with grapefruit soda, the .312 (Martinez’s career batting average) with Campari and soda, and the Martinez Michelada, with Mexican beer, lime, pineapple juice and a dash of cayenne pepper. The Magenta Mojo (available at multiple venues) is another unique cocktail created by Anu Apte, which combines Lillet liqueur, Pamplemousse rose liquor, hibiscus, Peychaud’s aromatic bitters, soda water, and vodka.

Tickets were a little pricey for the 4th of July Fireworks Night (~$50 each for upper level), but probably inflated due to the holiday weekend. Food/beverage prices were pretty typical. Overall, the cost was average.

Amenities

The Mariners has several other unique areas apart from Edgar’s. The “King’s Court” is a special seating area available for every Felix Hernandez home start and includes a King’s Court t-shirt. Felix fans raise their yellow K cards and root for the King to strike out every batter, chanting K-K-K-K-K. In our first Mariners game, we just missed seeing Felix pitch his perfect game. We also got a ball from him at Kauffman Stadium.

The ‘Pen is an amazing hangout area near centerfield (open 2.5 hours before game start) with a great view of the field and bullpens. It includes a fire pit, cocktail lounge (Caught Looking Lounge), Coors Light Rail Bar, and concessions (Li’l Woody’s, Fat’s Chicken and Waffles, Ballard Pizza Co., Edgar’s Cantina, and Paseo). There is also a Terrace Club and suites available.

• 

• 

• 

• 

There is a Kids Play Area featuring a playground, Moose’s Munchies concessions, the Seattle Children’s Hospital Wishing Well, and the Kid’s Clubhouse Store. There’s also a Kids Corner with free timed run, hitting, and pitching challenges. There’s a fun area where you can “steal a home run.”

The restrooms were plentiful and good quality. The seats were typical with plenty of leg room.

The authentics and regular team store are all in one large two-level store. The Mariners Hall of Fame is co-located with the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest on the Main Concourse. It features displays for some of our favorites – Randy Johnson, Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez, and Ken Griffey Jr.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Culture

Fans were pretty enthusiastic at the games we attended, but we were with family and also went to special events (Edgar’s retirement ceremony, 4th of July fireworks); thus, the atmosphere was probably a little more energized than typical. The fans chanted “Edgar” during the retirement ceremony for Edgar Martinez. For the Cards/Mariners Fireworks game, there were a lot of Cards fans and the “Let’s Go Cards” chants were abundant. Although our brother-in-law Jeff combatted these cheers with his own and heartily danced to all the fun music played with our niece & nephew in hopes of making an appearance on the big screen. Despite the split amount of fans, the Mariners fans were still very loud. I’d expect no less from the town with the remarkable 12th Man fans, which have twice set the Guinness Word Record for loudest crowd at a sporting event. Fireworks were abundant during the homeruns, and obviously at the end of the game for the 4th of July celebration. All the Mariners fans were super nice, and always helpful when looking for suggestions for food/drinks.

• 

• 

• 

There wasn’t a significant amount of franchise history integrated into the game itself (mostly featured throughout the stadium in places like King’s Court, Edgar’s Cantina, and statues like Griffey & Niehaus).

The Mariner Moose mascot was out and about before and during the game, taking pictures with fans in the concourse and in the stands. Fans can get a picture with him in Moose Den in center field (which he frequents several times throughout the game).

During home runs and wins, fireworks go off over the Safeco/T-Mobile sign. We got to attend a special 4th of July Fireworks night when the Mariners played the Cardinals. This was amazing and really showcased the capabilities for fireworks and the large video screen.

• 

• 

• 

Summary & Scoring

Dates Visited: July 3, 2019; August 12, 2017; August 13, 2012 (Tour & Game)
Games Played: Cardinals 5, Mariners 2; Angels 6, Mariners 3; Mariners 2, Rays 0. The Cards/Mariners game we went to was a blast, and there were a shocking number of Cards fans there (enough to get Lets Go Cards & Yadi chants going). The come from behind victory with the rookie Tommy Edman’s pinch hit 3-run homerun made for a fun win for us and a nail biter for Jeff. The Angels/Mariners game featured our old buddy Pujols with a two-run double. The Mariners/Rays game’s only runs came from a 2-run shot by Morales, and is the only win we’ve seen by the Mariners.

Design: – Retractable roof with gorgeous view of Seattle skyline (Space Needle and CenturyLink)
Location: – Pyramid Alehouse nearby but most other Seattle options are decent walk/drive away
Concessions: – Unique culinary options including chapulines (grasshoppers), garlic fries, and many custom creations by Ethan Stowell & Anu Apte
Amenities: – Amazing ‘Pen hangout, Hit it Here Café, Edgar’s Cantina, and “King’s Court”
Culture: – Extremely enthusiastic & friendly fans (including our brother-in-law) with great music throughout game & fireworks celebrations over the skyline
Overall: – A unique, modern design, an amazing skyline (especially for sunsets!), delicious concessions, plentiful amenities, and delightful fans make this one of our top stadiums overall.