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Pirates of the Allegheny
© 2002
by Darryl Musick
We never got to visit the old stadium here, Three Rivers Stadium (now the home of Heinz Field), so we don't have the old park as a comparison in our memory. We have been to other stadiums and can easily say, with pretty much 100% certainty, that the current Pittsburgh stadium, PNC Park, is the best major league baseball stadium for wheelchairs. In fact, personally I would go one better...it is the best stadium...period!
PNC Park is located across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh. It's one of baseballs newest and smallest stadiums with the ability to seat just over 38,000 fans...the second smallest in the majors. It only has two decks and wheelchair seating is sprinkled throughout the stadium. You could have just about any kind of accessible seat you want, the view is spectacular from anywhere in the stadium. If I had a choice of where to sit, the front row seats by third base would be my pick. They're $35 but hard to get.
Seats start at $9 and go through several levels until you reach the top price of $210 to sit in the Home Plate Club. On sell out days, standing room only tickets are sold for $7. If you have an SRO ticket, the ushers are pretty understanding if you sit in an unoccupied accessible seat until the ticket holder shows up. Sometimes, you can get lucky (like we did) and the ticket holder never shows up. There is a platform in right-center field where wheelchair SRO holders can sit if nothing else is available.
Restrooms, all with accessible stalls are located throughout the park. In addition, there are several family/unisex restrooms in the park where you can go with an attendant.
Parking is plentiful and is provided by several separate private lots nearby. An accessible underground trolley station is two blocks away and accessible bus service connects with the stadium.
There are several restaurants on Federal Street that are built into the stadium such as Outback Steakhouse. You do not need a ticket to eat there but you will need to show a ticket to exit the restaurant into the stadium. Yes, you can watch the game without a ticket at these places but it will be very crowded.
The Outback also provides a place to do some reasonably priced eating and drinking while at the game. We purchased three beers, two wines, and a soda for $18.
Some people thought the food prices in the stadium were expensive but for a 15 inch kosher dog with a matching 15 inch bun at $5, I thought it was quite a reasonable price to pay for such a good hot dog. My wife still raves about the sausage she had that was cooked in and served with peppers and onions.
The staff here was very friendly and accomodating for us. The fans we sat with were also friendly and justifiably proud of their new home. The cozy seating and small capacity really puts the focus on the field but unfortunately, the Pirates were not playing up to par when we visited. The visiting Astros beat them handily.
The best thing about this park is what I'm saving for last...the view. No other stadium has such a magnificent view. From home plate, the stands perfectly frame the bright yellow Roberto Clemente bridge connecting across the river to the skyscrapers of downtown. It really looks like the Emerald City of Oz and the pictures on this page don't do it justice.
If you want to see a game, be comfortable in your chair, and not pay an arm & a leg, come to the best ballpark in baseball located here in the western Pennsylvania hills across the river from Pittsburgh...you won't regret it.
STADIUM FACTS:
Tenants: Pittsburgh Pirates
Year Opened: 2001
Capacity: 38,217
Surface: Grass
Accessible via Public Transit: Yes, trolley and bus
Box Office Phone: (800) BUY-BUCS
HANDY LINKS:
Pittsburgh Pirates: pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com
Pittsburgh Report: www.geocities.com/Heartland/6295/pittsburgh.html
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