Have You Ever Been on a Tour of Fenway Park?
Whether you are a Red Sox fan or not, one of the coolest, historical, “touristy” things to do in Boston when you have a few hours to spare, with or without kids, is to take a guided tour of Fenway Park. Not only can you get a vantage point from almost every seat in the park, this iconic baseball field, which held its first Red Sox game in 1912, the same week that the Titanic sunk on its maiden voyage, is filled with all sorts of unique stories and memorabilia.
I’ve taken a few tours of Fenway in my lifetime, both public and private. My husband somehow arranged for us to get engaged inside Fenway Park alone on the Green Monster in 2003, in his quest for “the biggest diamond” he could find.
In 2009, while I was pregnant with Gavin, we took an impromptu public tour on a beautiful Spring day when returning from a doctor’s appointment. That same year we attended two Red Sox Yankee’s games, but I hadn’t been back inside the ball park until this past Wednesday, when I was invited by the Red Sox organization to take a tour, watch batting practice on the field and help provide feedback on ways to improve the family experience at Fenway.
It’s amazing once you have children or know people who have children the different details you pay attention to! Here are some of the tips I noted along the way that families may find helpful when visiting Fenway Park.
– Many children and adults have food allergies, and one of the first tips we learned on the tour is that there is a designated area in the ball park to purchase gluten free foods
– Family restrooms are now located throughout the park
– Children can become members of Kid Nation. For $25/year, some of the benefits of membership include gaining access to watch batting practice from the Green Monster, the ability to purchase 2 discounted outfield grandstand tickets, receiving an exclusive Red Sox jersey lunch bag, a Red Sox jersey, Kid Nation wristband, and a personalized Green Monster photo
– You can take a picture seated with Wally just like I did!
-Parents should check out the Red Sox calendar or call Red Sox Fan Services (617-226-6831) to learn about events such as Futures at Fenway, and attending Red Sox summer baseball camps. Children age 14 and under can gain free entrance to the park in June by by showing a report card with all A’s & B’s, and there are several contests and opportunities for kids to run the bases, hold a pre-game press conference and meet players by submitting a Vine video showing their batting stance
Disclosure: The Red Sox provided me with a free tour, two tickets to a game and some of the Kid Nation items. In return, I offered verbal feedback to the organization about my experience. No additional compensation was received. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.