St. Louis Cardinals: Navigating Busch Stadium with Your Kids

No city loves their baseball team more than STL loves the St. Louis Cardinals! We are re-sharing our best Busch Stadium tips with you in time for the new season!

This year, Opening Day in St. Louis is on Thursday, March 26, 2026 when the Cardinals play the Tampa Bay Rays at 3:15 pm. Many families make Opening Day a tradition, taking the day off of school and work to catch the big game. 

Down in Ballpark Village, the day starts as early as 8 a.m. when the Cardinals Nation Restaurant hosts an Opening Day breakfast buffet from 8 – 10:30 a.m. Y98 will be on hand, hosting giveaways, including two tickets to that day’s game. Enjoy bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for a small fee pregame!

From there, fans can head to the Together Credit Union Plaza for a pep rally with Team Fredbird at 10 am. This is a free event, and there will be prizes and ticket giveaways. If you don’t have tickets to the game, you can watch the game on the big screens.

Busch Stadium will open the gates for the 2026 season at noon. 

At 2:30, Official Pregame Ceremonies will begin with the Budweiser Clydesdales parade around the warning track. If you want to catch the Clydesdales in their trailers before they head onto the field, head down to Broadway on the south side by the stadium. After the Clydesdales walk the track, enjoy a line up of Cardinals Hall of Famers and the Cardinals Ford Truck Motorcade.

Taking your family to Busch Stadium on Opening Day, or any day throughout the season, can be overwhelming. We have some tips from our STLMom team to make your outing more enjoyable!

Before You Go

All-Inclusive tickets are available, including a full buffet, complimentary bar service, and a great spot to watch the game. Plan ahead and buy All -Inclusive tickets if you want to elevate your Opening Day experience!

Before heading down to the stadium, double-check the website for a list of items you can / can’t bring into the stadium, and verify the size of bags they will allow. Currently, they will not allow bags larger than 10” x 8” x 10”. They will make exceptions for medical bags and diaper bags. 

PRO TIP: If you have younger kids, bring a diaper bag. If your kids are out of diapers, throw a diaper and some wipes on top. That’s a hot tip from the people at Busch! Since there is leeway for diaper bags, this gives you the freedom to pack the items that you need to keep your kids happy during a game. 

As long as you’re bringing that diaper bag, Fidgets and Playdoh (or other small toys) work wonders! Shove them in that diaper bag! Kids 3 and under do not need a ticket if they sit on your laps, but keep in mind, especially as it gets hot out, it may be worth buying your toddler their own seat!

With older kids, plan to get to the ballpark early and catch batting practice! Batting practice is scheduled from 12:05 – 12: 55 pm for the Cardinals, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays batting practice from 1 – 1:50 pm. It’s fun to watch, and you may walk away with a signature, a photo op, or even a baseball!

PRO TIP: When purchasing tickets and choosing seats, pay attention to which way the sun sets and where your seats are so you don’t roast at the game!

Food

PRO TIP: Getting food from the concession stands on the upper level can take twice as long as on the lower levels. Sometimes, it’s easier to go down to a lower level than staying at the very top if that’s where your seats are.

Fredbird

We have one of the BEST mascots in the MLB. In fact, just last season, he was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame! Fredbird is available for photo ops during each Cardinals home game. You can find him in Ford Plaza, right next to the Family pavilion, every game during the first and second innings! Don’t wait until the last minute to try and catch him!

Parking

If you are entering the ballpark through Gate 2, 3, or 4, the best place to park is on or near 8th Street. If entering through Gates 1, 5 or 6, the best place is on or near Broadway.

Gameday parking is available for purchase through the Cardinals. Individual game parking can be purchased for the Starr Lot, adjacent to Gate 2 on the south side of Busch Stadium. For details, visit cardinals.com/parking.

Babies at the Ballpark

If you are looking for a designated nursing suite, you can find one in the Family Pavilion or one of the family rooms at Section 160 or 348, or First Aid. Busch Stadium welcomes nursing mothers throughout the stadium, as well!

PRO TIP: Wear your babies if you can. Strollers are allowed but often a pain to move around. If you choose to bring a stroller, you can ask an usher at the top of your section if there is a place nearby you can store it. You can also stow an umbrella stroller under your seat, or for larger strollers, head to Guest Relations to store it.

If your kids are little and you have purchased a seat for them, bring a travel booster chair with a tray and strap it to the seat. When plied with toys and snacks along with a cozy spot to sit, your child may give you a solid 2-3 innings if not more, hands free to eat or enjoy game. Yes, it’s another thing to carry and bring into the stadium, but you won’t regret it when you get to actually relax and enjoy the game!

Are you taking your child to their very first Cardinals game?  The STL Cardinals have a certificate that you can print out  to remember the momentous occasion! Check out the link above to find the MY FIRST GAME certificates!

Big Kids at the Ballpark

Start a family tradition! Pull the kids from school for Opening Day and go as a family. The kids will get the excitement of their first game of the season, which is the best possible reason in STL for being taken out of school early!

Buy your kids a scorecard and teach them how to track the plays with each at bat, similar to how they do in the dugout! This will keep older kids focused on and engaged in the game. In addition, teach your kids what all the signs and things on the scoreboard mean. It can be exciting for them to watch and understand, especially if they get restless.

Teens Going Solo to the Game

Baseball draws people of all ages, and before you know it, your teen will want to go to Busch Stadium with their friends. This is a big step for parents because downtown can be tricky to navigate, it isn’t always safe, and let’s face it … letting go is rough. 

But one day, you’re going to have to let them go, so help them prepare. Be sure they load their tickets onto their phones, and depending on how much you like to hover, you can remind them to charge their battery all the way before they leave. Or, not … life lesson and all. Remind them how pricy food is so they can budget, and maybe eat before the game and just enjoy a snack at Busch Stadium. Let them know that Busch Stadium is cashless! I know, I know … our kids don’t carry cash anyway. But it’s always a good idea to be prepared!

If they want the freebies (bobbleheads, etc) tell them to arrive at least an hour before first pitch, if not earlier. And, of course, have them take a picture to send to you, after all, every little milestone counts!

Taking Care at the Game

There are two First Aid Stations in Busch Stadium. You can find them on Level 1 behind Section 147, and on Level 4 in Section 351. You can also find vending machines dispensing trial sized first aid items outside of both First Aid locations.

It’s a good idea to bring along sunscreen, however if you do forget to SPF-up before a day game, Siteman Cancer has several sites with sunscreen stations around the stadium. 

PRO TIP: Do not bring in aerosol cans of sunscreen. You will not be allowed to bring them into the stadium.

Leaving and Re-Entering the Game

You never know with kids when you may need to leave the game and come back later. Hand stamps are available at gates 1 and 4 if you need to leave and re-enter. 

And, perhaps our biggest kid tip of all … leave the kids at home and have a girls night out at the ball game!!!

What are YOUR pro tips for heading down to Busch Stadium? Share them in the comments!