SportsQuest
All games

Spring training, Fri, Feb 19, Time TBA local

MLB and its players need a new labor deal before the 2027 season. Until one is signed, dates could change, so pick rooms you can cancel.

Atlanta Bravesat Baltimore Orioles

Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota. Fly into SRQ.

Build the quest

What we know about Ed Smith Stadium

Where visiting fans stay

Checked at the source
  • University Parkway near SRQ. 10 min by drive. Most Orioles preferred hotels are here, including the Courtyard, Hyatt Place and Residence Inn on University Parkway. It is close to the airport and an easy drive down Tuttle Avenue to the ballpark.
  • Downtown Sarasota. 10 min by drive. Bayfront hotels such as the Hyatt Regency put you near the restaurants of Main Street and Burns Court, about three miles from the ballpark.
  • Honore Avenue near Siesta Key. 20 min by drive. The Orioles list the Comfort Suites Sarasota-Siesta Key on Honore Avenue. Stay south of town if you want beach mornings.

Around the stadium

From a specialist guide
The ballpark sits at 12th Street and Tuttle Avenue, northeast of downtown Sarasota, with little to eat or drink right next to it. Downtown Sarasota and Burns Court are about a 10 minute drive west, and the Pinecraft Amish neighborhood with Yoder's is about two miles south.

Getting in from the airport

From a specialist guide
SRQ (Sarasota-Bradenton International). It is about 5 miles north of the ballpark by road, roughly a 15 minute drive.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
Drive from SRQ, about 15 min. Lots around the stadium at 12th Street and Tuttle Avenue. Drive from I-75 south, about 15 min. Exit 213 at University Parkway, go west to Tuttle Avenue, then south to 12th Street. Drive from I-75 north, about 10 min. Exit 210 at Fruitville Road, go west to Tuttle Avenue, then north to 12th Street. Bike, about 20 min. Bike parking in the East Lot outside the Left Field Gate, watched by security during games.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: Bags are banned except a clear plastic bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a clutch or fanny pack up to 5 x 7 inches, a one-gallon clear freezer bag, and medical or diaper bags. Medical and diaper bags use the ADA entry lanes. Camera bags are not allowed.
  • Cashless: Ed Smith Stadium is cashless, including parking, concessions and ticket windows. Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover are accepted.

After the final whistle

From a specialist guide
More than 1,800 parking spaces surround the ballpark complex. Drivers head north on Tuttle Avenue to University Parkway for I-75 north, or south to Fruitville Road for I-75 south. Remember there is no re-entry, so take everything you need when you leave the car.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
Bringing a bag or an umbrella. Ed Smith Stadium allows only clear bags and small clutches, and umbrellas are banned and cannot be checked at the gate, so you will walk back to the car.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • Boog's BBQ

    Ed Smith Stadium, Left Field Pavilion, 2700 12th Street, Sarasota, FL 34237

    The Camden Yards barbecue stand, named for the former Orioles first baseman Boog Powell, has a spring outpost on the Left Field Pavilion. It serves smoked beef and pork sandwiches you can eat at the drink rails facing the field.

    Away fans: easygoing. It is a food stand, and spring crowds mix both teams.

  • Yoder's RestaurantBefore or after

    3434 Bahia Vista Street, Sarasota, FL 34239

    An Amish restaurant in the Pinecraft neighborhood known for home cooking and pies baked every day. Go for breakfast before a workout or lunch before first pitch.

    Away fans: welcoming. It is a family restaurant, not a sports bar.

  • Owen's Fish CampBefore or after

    516 Burns Court, Sarasota, FL 34236

    A Southern seafood restaurant under a big banyan tree in downtown Sarasota's Burns Court, serving local fish brought in every day. It is a good dinner after a day game.

    Away fans: friendly. Expect a mixed downtown dinner crowd.

Sidequests in Sarasota

Listed in the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Eat50 points

    Amish breakfast at Yoder's

    Yoder's in the Pinecraft Amish neighborhood is two miles from the ballpark and serves home cooking and pies baked every day. Go early, since breakfast ends at 10:30am on weekdays.

    $. 5 hours before kickoff

  2. Ritual65 points

    Watch Orioles workouts on the backfields

    The Orioles open their backfield workouts to fans every day of spring, with an expanded viewing area added in 2026. On non-game days workouts run about 9am to 1pm and parking in the East Lot is free.

    Free. 4 hours before kickoff

  3. Eat40 points

    Barbecue at Boog's BBQ

    Boog's BBQ, the Camden Yards favorite named for the former Orioles first baseman Boog Powell, serves smoked beef and pork sandwiches on the Left Field Pavilion. Eat at the drink rails with a view of the field.

    $$. 45 minutes before kickoff

  4. Outing50 points

    The Ringling

    The Ringling has an art museum, a circus museum and bayfront gardens, about four miles from the ballpark. Give it a full morning on a non-game day; it opens daily at 10am.

    $$

  5. Outing40 points

    Selby Gardens downtown

    Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has a campus in downtown Sarasota, two miles from the ballpark, and is open daily. Spring visitors can catch its orchid show.

    $$

  6. Outing40 points

    Mote SEA aquarium

    Mote Marine Laboratory's new Science Education Aquarium is at University Town Center, near the airport hotels. Mote warns tickets sell quickly, so buy online before you go.

    $$$

  7. Double header75 points

    Second game at LECOM Park

    LECOM Park, the Pirates' 1923 ballpark in Bradenton, is 13 miles north. When one park plays in the afternoon and the other at night, you can see two games in one day.

    $$

  8. Ritual40 points

    Kids Run the Bases or Senior Stroll

    After every Sunday home game, kids 4 to 14 can run the bases, and after select games fans 60 and over can stroll them. Line up in the 9th inning near the right field bullpen or picnic area.

    Free. 2 hours 50 minutes after kickoff

  9. Eat40 points

    Dinner at Owen's Fish Camp

    Owen's serves fish brought in from the bay every day with Southern classics, under a big banyan tree in Burns Court. It opens at 4pm and takes no reservations, so go straight from a day game.

    $$. 3 hours 30 minutes after kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of Ed Smith Stadium sits, and what you see from it.

Fans post the view from their seats, section by section. See the views at Ed Smith Stadium