Overview: We visited PNC Park in June 2019. It is a consensus “favorite park” among baseball fans and ballpark chasers. It was mindfully constructed to show off the downtown Pittsburgh skyline and showcase the Allegheny River. The Clemente bridge is open exclusively to pedestrian traffic before, during and after the game. The Riverwalk area of the park opened 2.5 hours before game time, which keeps you in the area between center field and right field. They open up the rest of the stadium about 1.5 hours before game time.
Parking: We opted to park at a garage across the Allegheny so that we could walk across the Clemente Bridge. We paid $20. I’m certain that there were plenty of other parking options, and probably cheaper ones, but I was NOT going to pass up an opportunity to walk across the Clemente Bridge. It was well worth it. I had goosebumps.
Kid Activities: They offer free first game certificates. There is a mini PNC park configuration and a multi-purpose play set- its in a very sunny area FYI. There is free kids club (silver membership) that includes ticket vouchers, a Chick-fil-A coupon for a freebie, membership ID card and lanyard, and clubhouse discount. You can upgrade your membership for $30 and receive additional goodies. I do wish they offered more kid things to do.
https://www.mlb.com/pirates/fans/kids-club
We have the MLB ballpark app and on the day we attended, we received a free Pirates ball cap.
Player Accessibility: As of June 2019, PNC had netting to the end of the dugout. Nolan and I opted to attempt the visiting team (Padres) this day. We got to the park early, and were limited to only the Riverwalk portion of the park until about 90 minutes before game time. When they opened that gate, we hustled to the third base side of the field to get a front row spot near where they store the tarp. The usher warned us at arrival that he would start removing people 30 minutes before the game, which is WAY too early to stand a chance. We still attempted. Most people were there to try to get Manny Machado or Fernando Tatis, Jr. After the national anthem, Machado signed one or two autographs. The usher came by to tell everyone is was time to go. We stayed. We got lucky and were standing next to a family who knew Franmil Reyes. Nolan got his autograph, and he ran back into the dugout. 1.5 hours and a grand total of 3 autographs handed out by the Padres, TOTAL. Yuck!
From the looks of it, the Pirates team didn’t sign many either, so at least Nolan got something.
I read recently that the Pirates are extending the nets all the way to the foul poles very soon, so I would not plan on having any success with obtaining autographs/selfies there now.
Atmosphere: We went to a Sunday day game. We chose seats were in the lower level, 1st base/left field corner, but it was hot and in direct sunlight. We (wisely) chose to move to the upper deck, and found shade under and overhang behind home plate. Those seats were beyond awesome. It really showcased that breathtaking view of the river/downtown. If you are going to PNC, choose these seats, you will not regret it
Our only real gripe with PNC is the concourse. The lower level concourse is narrow and the concession stands are concentrated into one area. It was very difficult to maneuver with kids and the lines are extremely slow moving. When we got to the upper level, we didn’t really see many concession options, granted we stayed strictly on the 3rd base side once we found those seats.
Conclusion: PNC Park should be on your baseball bucket list. Heck, simply walking across the Clemente Bridge should be on your baseball bucket list.
It certainly lives up to the hype, but it did not take the number 1 spot on my personal list of stadiums, as I expected it to do. The narrow concourse, heavy congestion at the concessions, and the lackluster kid zone keep PNC at personal favorite ballpark #2 for me.
Ratings:
Parking: ******6/10
Kid Activities **** 4/10
Player Accessibility: *** 3/10 (soon to be 1/10)
Atmosphere: 9/10 *********
#Baseballfamily: A Guide to Visiting Professional Ballparks with Kids 