Family Insider Tips for Enjoying Padres Baseball

There's nothing quite like catching a San Diego Padres game at Downtown San Diego's beautiful Petco Park — and the fun is multiplied when you bring the whole family along!

Named America's No. 1 ballpark by USA Today, Petco Park has so much to offer, from its stunning location by San Diego Bay to its yummy food and beverage options to its great activities for kids. And there's plenty for families to do at the ballpark even when the Padres aren't in town.

Check out these insider tips for making the most of your family visit to Petco Park.

Gallagher Square

Courtesy of a $20 million glow-up, Gallagher Square — Petco Park's central gathering spot, perched just behind center field — is better than ever for families. Not only are its grassy expanses a perfect place to picnic and relax, but the square now includes an expanded kids’ playground and play area, designed to accommodate a wider range of ages and abilities. Its centerpiece is a soaring, 35-foot-tall baseball bat constructed from steel and wood, and custom-made for climbing.

Gallagher Square also boasts a fenced, off-leash dog park (in partnership with Petco, the ballpark’s namesake); an improved Play Ball Field, the ballpark's mini-baseball field for kids; and the Tony Gwynn Terrace viewing deck and picnic space, not far from the beloved statue honoring the late, great Padres legend, On non-gamedays and during the offseason, the area is also now even more accessible as an open public park.

Younger kids will love pursuing playground adventures or taking a whack at a Wiffle ball and running the bases at Play Ball Field.

KidFest Sundays

The younger members of your household won't want to miss KidsFest, a family celebration in Gallagher Square that starts two hours before every Padres Sunday home game and includes bounce houses, interactive games, face painters, balloon artists and much more.

Sundays bring a fantastic postgame option, too: Kids Run the Bases, an activity open to all game attendees age 14 and under. Families can begin lining up in Gallagher Square after the end of the eighth inning for a chance to sprint around the Petco Park basepath just like big-leaguers.

Theme Games, Concerts and More

Throughout the season, the Padres host a range of fun, family-friendly theme events — from Star Wars Weekend to Bark at the Park, which lets you take in a game from Gallagher Square with a canine family member.

For an inside look at the ballpark and San Diego Padres history, your family might also want to check out the range of Petco Park tours on offer — some of which come with the added bonus of catching Padres batting practice.

Throughout the year, Petco Park hosts an impressive variety of top concerts — on the Sycuan Stage at Gallagher Square and (for the biggest acts) venue-wide. Petco's cozy confines provide great excellent sight lines for even the biggest shows.

What to Eat

Savoring all the great food and beverage offerings at Petco Park is an activity all its own: Check out our Grub Guide for a comprehensive look at the options. Bonus tip: If your youngest family members are clamoring for a sweet treat, check out such kid-favorite snack options as Mister Softee ice cream or Cravory Cookies.

Padres Swag

Depending on the time of year you're visiting and the place you're sitting in Petco Park, either sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats or blankets and sweaters might be advisable, so remember to bring those items along. But if you forget those things — or, better yet, just want to pick up some great Padres swag — don't leave Petco Park without checking out the San Diego Padres Official Team Store, which is located on the ground floor of the Western Metal Supply Building (incorporated into the ballpark) and carries loads of Padres merch, from hats to uniform jerseys to branded blankets.

Accessibility

For family members on the autism spectrum, Petco Park and the Padres offer several accessibility options, including sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones, fidgets and other items (via a partnership with KultureCity), plus a Sensory Story, Sensory Map and more. For additional information on services for the disabled in San Diego, check out our accessibility guide.

More Petco Park Tips

The San Diego Trolley is a quick, inexpensive and low-hassle way to get to a Padres game — and special transit deals make it even cheaper when traveling with the family. Both the Trolley's Blue Line and Green Line have stations close to the ballpark. On Saturdays and Sundays, up to two children ages 12 and under can ride free with a fare-paying adult on all Metropolitan Transit System routes. And children 5 and under can ride free at all times with a paying passenger on all Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District routes.

For easy and hassle-free access to the ballpark, consider parking at the Old Town Transit Center (which has ample parking areas) and hopping on the Trolley for a quick jaunt to the game.

(Source: Sandiego.org)