My MLB Stadium Challenge: Visiting All 30 Major League Ballparks

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I am a huge sports fan. My favorites are football, basketball, and baseball. Years ago, I made it a goal to visit every Major League Baseball team’s stadium.

What started as a college graduation gift to myself eventually became a challenge that has lasted nearly two decades.

I’ve visited ballparks all over the country, from Fenway Park and Wrigley Field to Dodger Stadium and the Oakland Coliseum. I’ve planned baseball games around vacations, road trips, and even a cross-country Amtrak trip.

I’m not finished yet.

My MLB Stadium Challenge: 23 of 30 current stadiums completed.

Here’s how the challenge started: every MLB stadium I’ve visited so far, and the ballparks I still need to see.

How My MLB Stadium Challenge Started

I graduated from college on May 10, 2008.

It took me 5.5 years to graduate, and there were times when it seemed like I would never finish. Once graduation finally happened, I knew I wanted to do something special for myself.

I could have bought myself the latest pair of Michael Jordan shoes or some new speakers for my Chevy Malibu, which was the car I was driving at the time.

Those things weren’t special enough.

I realized my graduation gift needed to be an experience.

The Idea

One day, I was watching the Atlanta Braves play when the idea hit me like a Chipper Jones three-run homer.

As a college graduation gift to myself, I decided I would attend at least one Major League Baseball game in a different city every summer.

One new MLB stadium per year seemed realistic.

I had no idea at the time how far that idea would take me.

How Many MLB Stadiums Are There?

Major League Baseball has 30 teams, so my goal is to experience a home game for all 30 franchises.

Stadium names change, teams occasionally move, and new ballparks replace old ones. Because this challenge started in 2008, I’m counting a franchise once I’ve attended a regular MLB home game at its established ballpark during the challenge.

That means my 2024 visit to the Oakland Coliseum counts for the Athletics. I’m not counting their temporary stay at Sutter Health Park as another stadium I need to visit. When their permanent Las Vegas ballpark opens, I may eventually check it out, but Oakland counts toward my original 30-team goal.

Here is the MLB stadium list as it stands in 2026:

1. Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field – Visited
2. Atlanta Braves – Truist Park – Visited
3. Baltimore Orioles – Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Visited
4. Boston Red Sox – Fenway Park – Visited
5. Chicago Cubs – Wrigley Field – Visited
6. Chicago White Sox – Rate Field – Visited
7. Cincinnati Reds – Great American Ballpark – Visited
8. Cleveland Guardians – Progressive Field – Visited
9. Colorado Rockies – Coors Field – Visited
10. Detroit Tigers – Comerica Park – Visited
11. Houston Astros – Daikin Park – Visited
12. Kansas City Royals – Kauffman Stadium – Not Yet
13. Los Angeles Angels – Angel Stadium – Not Yet
14. Los Angeles Dodgers – Dodger Stadium – Visited
15. Miami Marlins – LoanDepot Park – Visited
16. Milwaukee Brewers – American Family Field – Visited
17. Minnesota Twins – Target Field – Visited
18. New York Mets – Citi Field – Visited
19. New York Yankees – Yankee Stadium – Visited
20. Athletics – Sutter Health Park – Visited Oakland Coliseum
21. Philadelphia Phillies – Citizens Bank Park – Visited
22. Pittsburgh Pirates – PNC Park – Not Yet
23. San Diego Padres – Petco Park – Visited
24. San Francisco Giants – Oracle Park – Visited
25. Seattle Mariners – T-Mobile Park – Visited
26. St. Louis Cardinals – Busch Stadium – Not Yet
27. Tampa Bay Rays – Tropicana Field – Visited
28. Texas Rangers – Globe Life Field – Not Yet
29. Toronto Blue Jays – Rogers Centre – Not Yet
30. Washington Nationals – Nationals Park – Visited

That leaves me with a small group of teams to finish.

The Stadiums I Saw Before the Challenge

My baseball history didn’t begin in 2008.

Growing up as an Atlanta Braves fan, I attended numerous games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and later Turner Field.

I also had the opportunity to see a couple of games at Shea Stadium, the former home of the New York Mets.

Those stadiums aren’t part of my official 30-team challenge because I visited them before I started it, but they’re absolutely part of my baseball story.

I’m glad I got to experience them because none of the three host MLB games anymore.

Next, I had to figure out what city I should start this baseball stadium tour in.

Why I Started at Yankee Stadium

I’ve been an Atlanta Braves fan since I started watching sports in the early 1990s. They’re my hometown team, and there’s no way I could cheer for anyone else.

Since I’d already attended plenty of Braves games, Atlanta wasn’t going to be the starting point for my challenge.

Then a couple of painful baseball memories came back to me.

The New York Yankees beat my Braves in the 1996 and 1999 World Series.

On top of that, the original Yankee Stadium was scheduled to close after the 2008 season.

The decision became easy.

Yankee Stadium would be first.

I hate the Yankees, but I’m a huge fan of sports history and nostalgia. If I was going to start an MLB stadium challenge, getting inside the original Yankee Stadium before it closed seemed like the perfect way to do it.

2008 – New York Yankees: Yankee Stadium

I flew to New York during the first weekend of August.

To save money, I stayed with a friend in Brooklyn. There was just one problem:

I didn’t have a ticket to the game.

To this day, I don’t know why I didn’t use StubHub. They were around, but apparently buying a ticket ahead of time didn’t cross my mind. These days, I always compare ticket prices before attending a game instead of showing up without a ticket.

Instead, I rode the train to Yankee Stadium by myself and arrived about 10 minutes before the first pitch.

I walked up to the ticket booth and somehow scored the last bleacher seat ticket.

Just like that, my MLB stadium journey had officially begun.

The original Yankee Stadium closed after the 2008 season, which makes me even happier that I chose it as my first stop.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The rest, you can say, is history. Here are a few shots from Yankee Stadium.

Since that time, I have had the opportunity to visit at least one stadium each year.

Going to an MLB game? Compare ticket prices before you buy. Prices can vary significantly depending on the game, opponent, and seating section.

2009 – Chicago Cubs: Wrigley Field

The following year, I visited Wrigley Field.

To this day, Wrigley is my favorite MLB ballpark.

There’s something about the history, the neighborhood, and the atmosphere that newer stadiums can’t recreate.

I’ve now been to Wrigley twice, but my first visit in 2009 is the one that officially put the Cubs on my list.

I love the entire Wrigleyville area. If you’re planning a trip there, check out my guide to things to do in Chicago.

2010 – Milwaukee Brewers: Miller Park

In 2010, I made the trip to Milwaukee to see the Brewers.

The stadium was called Miller Park when I visited. It has since been renamed American Family Field.

2011 – Washington Nationals: Nationals Park

Next up was Washington, DC.

I attended a Nationals game at Nationals Park in 2011, adding another National League stadium to the challenge.

I’ve returned to Washington several times since then. If you’re planning your own trip, check out my guide to things to do in Washington, DC.

 

2012 – Chicago White Sox: U.S. Cellular Field

I returned to Chicago in 2012, but this time I went to the South Side to see the White Sox.

The ballpark was called U.S. Cellular Field when I visited. Today, it’s called Rate Field.

It didn’t have the same old-school feeling as Wrigley, but I still had a good time

2013 – Astros, Diamondbacks & Dodgers

2013 was when the challenge really started picking up steam.

Instead of visiting one new stadium, I knocked out three:

• Houston Astros – Minute Maid Park, now Daikin Park
• Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field
• Los Angeles Dodgers – Dodger Stadium

I visited all three during my Interstate 10 cross-country road trip.

That entire trip was a hell of an experience.

Of the three stadiums I visited, Dodger Stadium was easily my favorite.

There’s something special about walking into a stadium that has hosted Major League Baseball since 1962 and is still home to the same team today.

2014 – Back to Nationals Park

I didn’t add a new stadium in 2014.

It was a busy year, but I made it back to Washington, DC, and attended another Nationals game.

Not every year of this challenge has resulted in a new stadium, and that’s fine. The goal has always been to enjoy the journey rather than rush through all 30.

2015 – Cleveland: Progressive Field

In 2015, I made it to Cleveland to see what was then the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.

The team is now called the Cleveland Guardians, but the stadium is still Progressive Field.

I enjoyed this one.

It’s located in downtown Cleveland and is a park I’d definitely visit again.

2016 – Baltimore & San Diego

I picked up two new stadiums in 2016:

• Baltimore Orioles – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
• San Diego Padres – Petco Park

Both were good experiences, but Camden Yards stood out.

Camden Yards is currently #2 on my list behind Wrigley Field.

The combination of the stadium design, the warehouse beyond right field, and the overall atmosphere makes it one of the best parks I’ve visited.

2017 – Miami, Detroit & Atlanta

2017 gave me three more stadium experiences.

I visited:

• Miami Marlins – Marlins Park, now LoanDepot Park
• Detroit Tigers – Comerica Park
• Atlanta Braves – SunTrust Park, now Truist Park

The Braves opened their new stadium in 2017, so even though I’d attended countless Braves games over the years, I had to see the new park.

Planning your own baseball trip? My Game Day Travel Hub can help you compare tickets, flights, hotels, and transportation for sporting events.

2018 – Yankees, Mets & Rays

2018 was another three-stadium year.

I visited:

• New York Yankees – Yankee Stadium
• New York Mets – Citi Field
• Tampa Bay Rays – Tropicana Field

The new Yankee Stadium was nice, but it didn’t have the same aura as the original stadium I visited in 2008.

I enjoyed Citi Field and thought it was an improvement over Shea Stadium.

And Tropicana Field?

Believe it or not, I liked it more than I expected to.

The Trop gets criticized constantly, but my experience wasn’t nearly as bad as its reputation would suggest.

2019 – Philadelphia Phillies: Citizens Bank Park

In 2019, I traveled to Philadelphia and added Citizens Bank Park to the list.

2020 – No Stadiums

Like almost everything else in 2020, the challenge came to a stop because of COVID-19.

No new stadiums that year.

2021 – Return to Chase Field

I didn’t add a new stadium in 2021, but I returned to Chase Field to see the Arizona Diamondbacks again.

That’s one thing I’ve enjoyed about this challenge. Finishing the list matters, but I don’t turn down opportunities to revisit stadiums I’ve already seen.

2022 – Cincinnati Reds: Great American Ball Park

In 2022, the challenge started moving again.

I traveled to Cincinnati and attended a Reds game at Great American Ball Park.

2023 – Colorado Rockies: Coors Field

In 2023, I crossed another stadium off the list when I visited Coors Field in Denver.

Between the mountain views and Denver’s location, this was one I’d wanted to experience for a while.

2024 – My Biggest MLB Stadium Year

2024 was easily one of the biggest years of the entire challenge.

I visited:

• San Francisco Giants – Oracle Park
• Oakland Athletics – Oakland Coliseum
• Seattle Mariners – T-Mobile Park
• Minnesota Twins – Target Field
• Boston Red Sox – Fenway Park

Five stadiums in one year.

Three of those games were part of my second cross-country trip.

This time, instead of driving across the country, I took an Amtrak train across America. I traveled from Atlanta to Seattle and eventually made my way to Boston, attending Mariners, Twins, and Red Sox games along the way.

Fenway was especially important because it’s one of baseball’s most historic stadiums.

Oakland was important for another reason.

I got to experience the Oakland Coliseum during the Athletics’ final season there. The team moved temporarily to West Sacramento beginning in 2025 while its permanent Las Vegas stadium is being built.

For my challenge, Oakland counts.

I saw the Athletics play a Major League Baseball game in the stadium they called home for decades, and I’m glad I made it there before they left.

2025 – MLB All-Star Weekend in Atlanta

I didn’t visit a new stadium in 2025, but baseball still gave me a bucket-list experience.

I attended the MLB Home Run Derby and MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta.

It didn’t move the stadium counter, but attending two of MLB’s biggest annual events was easily one of the highlights of my baseball journey.

MLB Stadiums I Still Need to Visit

After nearly two decades of traveling to baseball games, the list is getting short.

I still need to complete these stops:

• Kansas City Royals
• Los Angeles Angels
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Texas Rangers
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Las Vegas A’s (once it happens)

What This Challenge Has Become

When I bought that bleacher ticket at Yankee Stadium in 2008, I wasn’t thinking about where this challenge would take me 10 or 15 years later.

I just wanted to celebrate graduating from college.

Since then, baseball has given me an excuse to explore cities across the United States, take cross-country trips, experience historic stadiums before they disappeared, and create memories that I’ll have forever.

That’s why I’m not rushing to finish.

Eventually, I’ll get to the final stadium.

And when I do, I’m sure I’ll find another sports travel goal to chase.

Until then, the MLB stadium journey continues.

Planning on attending a game of your own? Use my Game Day Travel Hub to compare tickets, flights, hotels, and transportation before your trip.