The Best Day at Fenway Park

Got tickets for a Red Sox game tonight? Here’s your guide to the best possible day you can have leading up to, during, and after the game.

10 Hours Before the First Pitch:

Start the day with some breakfast at the Friendly Toast Restaurant. An eggs Benedict will fill you right up.

8 Hours Before the First Pitch:

Freedom Trail
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You’re gonna want to walk off breakfast; what better way than getting in some history? Take the T’s Orange Line from Back Bay station (Stuart St. and Dartmouth St.) to State station (Water St. and Devonshire St.), then walk along Water Street west to Washington Street to hook up with the Freedom Trail. You’ll be close to the Old State House. Continue walking north to see sites like the Paul Revere House and the Old North Church. This walk is just 15 minutes; add in time to stop, learn, and relax, and that’s a good hour and change.

6.5 Hours Before the First Pitch:

While you’re up in the North End, walk a few minutes to Regina Pizzeria for some iconic Boston pie. Then take in the rest of the North End on foot; get a cannoli from Mike’s Pastry if you still have room.

5 Hours Before the First Pitch:

Dusk outside Faneuil Hall
Photo © Marcos Souza | Dreamstime.com | Dreamstime.com

Take Salem Street south to the Freedom Trail, picking it up where it intersects with Cross Street, and follow it to Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall. While here, look for a souvenir. Shop at I Love Boston Sports or Roster.

4 Hours Before the First Pitch:

You’re close to Government Center (Tremont St. and Court St.) and State station (Water St. and Devonshire St.), which means you’re close to just about every T line. Use this time to stop by your hotel. Take a quick break and freshen up for the evening.

2.5 Hours Before the First Pitch:

Get yourself to the T’s Green Line, and look for a B, C, or D branch train. Head to Kenmore station (Kenmore St. and Commonwealth Ave.). Take a picture of the Citgo Sign, then walk toward Fenway. Get to Lansdowne Street: Have a drink at Bleacher Bar and buy a link from The Sausage Guy. Raise a toast at the Cask ‘n Flagon, then take a nice walk around Fenway and onto Brookline Avenue. Find the alley that leads to The Bullpen. Have one more pint, then leave the bar via Jersey Street, going through the secret sixth gate to get into Fenway.

30 Minutes Before the First Pitch:

If you do just one thing on this itinerary, do this: Walk down one of those tunnels that lead to the seating area. Look at the field, the Green Monster, Pesky’s Pole. It’s just beautiful. Let your emotions do what they will.

During the Game:

Crowded seats on a cloudy day Fenway Park
Photo © Joyce Vincent | Dreamstime.com

Buy a Fenway Frank and a beer. Sit in your seat. Don’t get up.

After the Game:

If you’re hungry or thirsty, take a Green Line B train out west to Sunset Cantina. Get the South of the Border nachos and a margarita. Or stay closer to the park and visit Hojoko for a late-night burger and Japanese whiskey.

Timothy Malcolm

About the Author

Born in inner-city Philadelphia, Timothy Malcolm is a lifelong Phillies fan who knows the ins and outs of Major League Baseball. He’s served as a senior writer and editor at Phillies Nation, written stories for the Hardball Times, and has been featured on Mets Blog and Yahoo! Big League Stew. He’s also hosted two baseball podcasts including the Phillies Nation Podcast.

In 2014, he embarked on a baseball road trip of his own, driving from Philadelphia to Denver and catching games in ten different major league ballparks. He stood on the grass at Wrigley Field, interviewed then-Pirates second baseman Neil Walker in the clubhouse, ate ballpark food, and talked to dozens of fans about their passion for the sport.

These days, Timothy lives in Houston, and when he’s not eating his way through Space City, he’s enjoying a cold beer, watching baseball, and looking for every opportunity to get out and stretch his legs. You might have also read his work in Backpacker, October, Paste, Chronogram, Hudson Valley Magazine, and Orange Magazine. Timothy is also the author of Moon Drive & Hike Appalachian Trail.

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