Wendy

My boyfriend and I will be in Boston in June and really want to catch a game at Fenway. I just checked the Sox's website and only bleacher seats are available.

Are good seats pretty available from scalpers outside, day of the game? How much above do they get? Is eBay a better way to go on this?

I'm from Seattle and we have most games sold out here also. I rarely chance getting a ticket to the scalpers though.

Has anyone heard of any hotels that might do a room/game special?

Any suggestions are welcome! thank you!!

the boss

Scalpers are literally EVERYWHERE outside of Fenway. You'll hear them screaming. From Kenmore Square all the way to Fenway you'll see a bunch of scalpers. I typically don't buy tickets from them rather I'll sell a few extras to them. They are typically brutish types, but they are always there.

Don't buy a ticket on eBay they are SO ludicrously inflated.

For the record, the guys on eBay do not accurately list the "face value" price on the ticket. This is so that they can accept the $400 bid legally (the eBay guys will say something like "face value of the ticket is $300" so that it doesn't make them look so bad)

Fenway is a small park. Tickets to Fenway are the most expensive in the counrty. If you're hoping to see the Yankees play, forget it, or bring a LOT of money. If you simply want to see a "normal" game to experience the park you will have better luck scoring better tickets.

Games that are highly prized/expensive are Yankees, weekend games, games where Pedro Martinez is pitching, games against marquee teams like hte Diamondbacks etc.

Good luck!

the boss

By the way, Bleacher seats aren't terrible, depending on what part of the bleachers. They are typically very sunny as they are fully exposed to the weather. Since the park is small it's OK.

I'd recommend trying to get something around the first/third base lines. Simply awesome. You'll be so close to the action. Don't forget to ask the person who you buy from if the seats have an obstructed view - the park is so old that some seats are directly/partially behind big supportive beams.

alex

The boss brings up a good point in that Fenway is a small park and I found the bleacher seats to be very good. They are not like bleachers at some other parks - the seats are assigned (Wrigley is first come first seated) and, if I remember correctly, are actually seats and not benches. At Wrigley (another small park), the bleacher seats are the most highly coveted and the first to sell out. I would not miss seeing the game if you could only get bleacher tickets.

Wendy

Great advice you guys! Safeco here in Seattle is quite large and the bleacher seats to me arn't good. I'm spoiled though as I have my own season tix for the Mariners.

I did see that $60 is face value on field seats so if I do buy something on eBay I'll keep that in mind.

We are looking at a night game vs. the Rockies. If it was a day/sunny game I wouldn't mind the bleachers as much.

mark

Bleacher seats are fun but its pretty tough to watch the game from there. Maybe its just my poor vision but I have trouble following the ball. You could give them a try and if you don't like them just find empty seats. This will be easier on weekdays as many corporate seats are left open. Check behind third base.

Also, scalping is very common. They are even talking about a "legal scalping zone" for people to buy and sell tickets at face value. I don't think this has happened yet but in the meantime it is very easy to get them outside the park.

Ellen

You will have no trouble getting tickets through scalpers the day of the game, but honestly, bleacher seats are a lot of fun. I almost always sit in the bleacher seats, they're the least expensive. I feel like you really get a feel of Fenway's character by sitting in them too, with all the rowdiness and cheering that goes on. Do the bleachers, it will be fun! Sometimes at the box office the day of the game, single tickets will become available for that day's game. You could also check that out.

gail

The bleachers are really fine, even the "upper bleachers". I advise you to not to cheer to loudly for away team while in the bleachers, but that is the same in any city. The bleacher seats are actually better than some of the grandstand seats (sections 3, 4, 5). The worst that usually happens is that at each game someone will start a "Yankees S**K" cheer, and this is even when the Red Sox are not playing the Yankees. My son and husband saw a game at Safeco 2 summers ago and thought it was a great park.

Pamela

The past two years, I (and a couple of friends), went down to Fenway the day of the game without tickets. The first time, we bought tickets from a scalper who said that the seats were really good. They definitely weren't. We got "robbed". The last couple of times, we couldn't get tickets for under $100/ticket. It was ridiculous! Be prepared to pay and also print out a map of the park so you don't get conned into believing that they are good seats.
By the way, the bleachers are a lot of fun.

xxx

Aside from tickets - You can take a tour of Fenway. They offer them during the day. I took my son a few years back. He enjoyed it. Got to see the Green Monster up close. Lots of quirky stories also. For one, The CITGO sign outside the stadium.
Home runs - C IT GO!!!

Just a thought.