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Coors Field - Buy Colorado Rockies tickets for Coors Field at TickCo.com!

Coors Field / Colorado Rockies

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Year Opened	1995
Capacity	50,445
Architect	HOK Sport + Venue + Entertainment
Dimensions	347L, 390LC, 415C, 375RC, 350R
Last Visit	2004
Web Site	colorado.rockies.mlb.com
Online Broadcasts	Yes
Online Ticket Sales	Yes
Phone	303/ROCKIES
Ticket Prices (2008)	Club Level Infield, $52-100; Club Level Outfield, $47-75; Infield Box, $47-100, Midfield Box, $40-70; Outfield Box, $38-70; Lower Reserved Infield, $32-60; Lower Reserved Outfield, $16-40; Right Field Box, $26-50; Upper Reserved Infield, $20-40; Lower Reserved Corner, $16-25; Right Field Mezzanine, $24-50; Pavilion, $24-50; Upper Reserved Outfield, $16-25; Upper Reserved Corner, $16-25; Lower Right Field Reserved, $10-15; Upper Right Field Reserved, $10-15; Rockpile, $4.
League	National League
Parking	There are 3,800 spots adjacent to Coors Field in two separate lots. Parking at Lot A is $10 and Lot B for $7. There are many other parking spots in the general vicinity of Coors Field, however, many within a short drive of the ballpark.
Directions	2001 Blake St., Denver. The best way to to Coors Field is to make your way to I-25 from I-76 or I-70. On I-25, head south to exit #213 (Park Avenue West), where you'll see signs to the ballpark. If you're coming north on I-25 from the south, take exit #207A (Broadway/Lincoln) and follow the signs to the ballpark.
Written by:	Kevin Reichard
Rating

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Spend some time in Denver's LoDo District and you'll soon realize how homogenous the area is: the former warehouse area surrounding the train station is on a human scale (most buildings are three or four stories high), with darker brickwork the dominant architectural element.

So the challenge facing the designers of Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies, was to build a ballpark on a scale that fit into LoDo while at the same time containing all the revenue-generating activities a major-league baseball team needs. By and large, Coors Field succeeds on both accounts: the ballpark doesn't dominate the surrounding neighborhood, but it features all the bells and whistles you'd expect in a MLB park built in the last 15 years.

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The decision to place the playing field below grade helped address the scale issue: as you can see from the photo below, the ballpark sits low enough so you can view the Denver skyline from the centerfield concourse, which also scales the whole complex to the neighborhood.

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As you might expect from a ballpark built within the last 10 years, there's a concourse ringing the entire ballpark, with lots of areas for folks to stand around and watch the game. In particular, the outfield concourse is a great place to catch a view of the game as well as meet with friends.

There are also a few elements that make Coors Field a unique environment. First off is the decorative wildlife area making up part of the batters eye. True, it's common these days for outfield areas to contain these decorative touches, but the displays fits in well with the Rocky Mountain ethos. In general, the decor at Coors Field is understated: the scoreboard is large but doesn't dominate things, and it's complemented by a right-field manual scoreboard and a video board in left field.

There are plenty of price points for fans of all financial means, ranging from 4,500 club seats and suites to the center-field section called the Rockpile (as shown below, with the view from the Rockpile shown below as well), where tickets still go for $4. Now, as far as cheap seats go, these are halfway decent: they're probably 500 feet from home plate, but on a sunny day they're a good place to grab some rays. Plus, to be honest, they'll get you in the ballpark, and after the third or fourth inning you can head down to the bleachers or the grandstand and squat in some real seats.

Of course, no discussion of baseball at Coors Field would be complete without a mention of the offensive slugfests fans regularly witness. If you love a 9-8 ballgame with multiple homers, then Coors Field is the place for you: the thin Rocky Mountain air that gives you a headache after a walk to the ballpark is also responsible for the ball flying all over and out of the yard. (You are literally a mile high here: there's a ring of purple seats in the 20th row of the upper deck showing the altitude 5,280 feet above sea level.) In 10 years there's been only one no-hitter in the ballpark's history, and that came from a visiting pitcher, Hideo Nomo. The Rockies have attempted to address this by putting baseballs in a humidor before games, but in the end there will be only one way to address the problem: stress pitching in the minor-league system and be patient while awaiting the results. Young pitchers like Jeff Francis have shown some promising pitching at Coors Field; in the end, they are the future saviors of the franchise.

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Concessions
The food selection at Coors Field is abundant and fairly diverse. One of the specialties of the house is a Rockie dog, a foot-long hot dog with the works (fresh and grilled onions, grilled red and green peppers, sauerkraut and mustard). Can't say I was overly impressed: the veggies were mushy and the dog was cold.

Luckily, I was able to wash it down with a Fat Tire beer, which can be found throughout the ballpark. Craft and specialty beers are brewed onsite at the Blue Moon Brewing Company at the Sandlot, but there are daiquiris and margaritas available for those who want a fruitier drink

In addition to the standard ballpark fare (dogs, nachos, burgers, popcorn, hand-dipped and soft-serve ice cream, pizza, pop, novelties), you can find garlic fries, grilled chicken sandwiches, kosher hot dogs, foot-long bratwurst, and a deli stand in section 137 that features deli sandwiches, veggie wraps and gardenburgers.

And then there are the Rocky Mountain oysters, that peculiar delicacy of the West, sold at a stand behind Section 153, . Rocky Mountain oysters are testicles removed from calves, peeled and then pan-fried with a coating of flour. Now, they're not always calf testicles -- in a pinch, turkey or sheep testicles can be used -- but we assume the Rocky Mountain oysters served at Coors Field is made from the finest calf testicles.

There are special concessions on the club level, including iced coffee, fresh pasta and hand-carved sandwiches.

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Parking
There are 3,800 spots adjacent to Coors Field in two separate lots. Parking at Lot A is $10 and Lot B for $7. There are many other parking spots in the general vicinity of Coors Field, however, many within a short drive of the ballpark.

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For the Kids
The kids play area is located down the left-field line on the main concourse, behind section 147. Parents can still see the game while watching their kids in action.

Kids of all ages will enjoy the Coors Field Interactive Area, located behind Section 120. The various games focus on baseball skills -- there's a video batting cage, a pitching video game, a speed gun to test your arm speed, and a home-run derby. Younger kids can test their skills in a T-ball cage. Two other activities are appropriate for anyone: a special computer allows you to place a personal message in a photo of the scoreboard of any MLB ballpark, while a fantasy broadcast booth lets you call the fame for a half inning and take home a record of your announcing process.

What to Do Before/After the Game
Coors Field is located on the edge of Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo) district. There are plenty of diversions there for adults and kids. All of these establishments are within an easy walk of Coors Field.

Though the food selection at Coors Field is pretty decent, we'd recommend eating before or after the game -- the wealth of great restaurants in the area makes that an easy decision.

We dined before our Rockies game at the Vesta Dipping Grill, where the food presentation is simple: you choose from an extensive list of sauces, aiolis and chutneys, as well entrees to dip. It's fusion at its most extreme -- our dips included chocolate mole, smoked tomato sage, rosemary ginger sauce, Asian peanut sauce and harissa sauce -- and the always-crowded dining room and bar makes Vesta the place to see and be seen in LoDo. Reservations are recommended. (Vesta Dipping Grill, 1822 Blake St., Denver 80202; 303/296-1970)

We also dined and drank at the Wynkoop Brewing Company, one of the first businesses that helped revitalized the area. The bar is renowned for its microbrewed beer, but the food is good as well. (Wynkoop Brewing Company, 1634 18th St., Denver 80202; 303/297-2700.)

The Wazee Lounge and Supper Club isn't quite as old as it looks -- it dates back only to the 1970s -- but almost all the architectural elements of the place have a long provenance in Denver: the back bar was removed from Denver's American Hotel shortly before its demolition, while the benches came from the downtown Denver Elks Club before it relocated. The food is basic pub grub -- burgers, sandwiches, and pizza -- but you go to the Wazee for the atmosphere, not the food. Plus, it serves Pabst Blue Ribbon by both the glass and the pitcher. (Wazee Supper Club, 1600 15th St., Denver 80202; 303/623-9518)

Shopper will also delight in LoDo. Two establishments stand out: the Tattered Cover bookstore and Rockmount Ranch Wear.

The Tattered Cover is one of the great independent bookstores still remaining against the onslaught of Borders and Barnes & Noble. Located in an old downtown warehouse, The Tattered Cover is also a pleasant place to just hang out and leaf through the extensive periodical collection. (Tattered Cover, 1628 16th St., Denver 80202; 303/436-1070)

In many respects Denver is a big ole' cowtown, with Western influences throughout. That's what makes Rockmount Ranch Wear, which has done business in LoDo since 1946, so special. Jack Weil, the company's founder, is still around (he's now 104 years old) and helped create a distinct Western look: shirts with piping and snaps,  bolo ties, and more. If you ever wanted to emulate the Western look, this is the place to shop. (Rockmount Ranch Wear, 1626 Wazee St.. Denver 80202; 303/629-7777, 800/7-ROCKMO)

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