SportsQuest
All games

Wed, Apr 14, Time TBA local on MLB.TV

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.

Arizona Diamondbacksat Miami Marlins

loanDepot park, Miami. Fly into MIA.

Build the quest

What we know about loanDepot park

Where visiting fans stay

From a specialist guide
  • Downtown Miami and Brickell. 15 min by rideshare. The biggest cluster of hotels close to the ballpark, with bars and restaurants. Metrorail from Brickell or Government Center reaches Culmer or Civic Center stations, each under a mile from the gates.
  • Little Havana. 20 min by walk. Few hotels, mostly small inns and rentals, but you can walk to the game and eat Cuban food on Calle Ocho before and after.
  • Miami Beach. 30 min by drive. For fans who want the beach. Plan on a car or rideshare, and more time on Friday and Saturday nights when causeway traffic is heavy.
  • Fort Lauderdale. 60 min by transit. Cheaper hotels near FLL. Brightline HOME RUNNER trains run to MiamiCentral, and the train ticket includes a free shuttle to the ballpark.

Around the stadium

From a specialist guide
There are almost no hotels or bars right next to the ballpark, which sits in a residential part of Little Havana on the old Orange Bowl site. The bars and Cuban restaurants of Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) are about a mile south, and most hotels are in downtown Miami and Brickell, about 2 miles east.

Getting in from the airport

From a specialist guide
MIA (Miami International Airport). It is about 4.5 miles west of the ballpark in a straight line, roughly 15 to 25 minutes by car or rideshare. Metrorail runs from the airport station to Culmer or Civic Center stations, each under a mile from the ballpark.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
Metrorail to Culmer or Civic Center, about 20 min. Culmer or Civic Center station, each about 0.9 miles from the ballpark. Brightline HOME RUNNER train plus free shuttle, about 40 min. East Lot 1, 1380 NW 6th Street. Shuttles leave MiamiCentral about 10 minutes after each HOME RUNNER train arrives and leave the ballpark about 45 minutes before the return train. Tri-Rail to MiamiCentral, then Brightline shuttle or Metrorail, about 75 min. Tri-Rail runs to MiamiCentral via the Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre station. From there, Metrorail reaches Culmer or Civic Center, each under a mile from the ballpark. Drive and park in a ballpark garage or lot, about 20 min. Four garages on the north and south sides and six surface lots on the east and west sides.

Tailgating

From a specialist guide
The Marlins A-Z guide and parking pages say nothing about tailgating for baseball, and most parking is in garages. Plan to eat on Calle Ocho or inside the ballpark.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: Clear bags only, up to 16 x 16 x 8 inches, made of plastic, vinyl or PVC. Small clutches up to 6 x 8 inches and medical or infant bags are allowed. Bag lockers on the north side, between the North Ticket Office and the PNC Club Entrance, cost $15 plus tax (medium) or $18 plus tax (large).
  • Cashless: The ballpark is cashless. Cards and mobile pay only. A reverse ATM that turns cash into a card is at Section 3.
  • Re-entry: No re-entry, except for emergencies or a visit to the New Era Team Store on the West Plaza. There are no smoking areas inside or outside the ballpark.

Touring the stadium

Checked at the source
$20 for adults and $15 for children 14 and under. Includes stepping onto the field and the batting cages. Buy ahead on the Marlins tours page; space is limited and sales are final. The standard Pregame Tour runs before the gates open. The VIP Pregame Tour ends with on-field access to watch batting practice. Email [email protected] with questions.

After the final whistle

Checked at the source
There is no dedicated rideshare lot anymore. Rideshare and Brightline shuttles load at East Lot 1, 1380 NW 6th Street, and waits can be long after the game. Police send drivers to whichever garage fits the traffic, so note where you parked. Metrorail runs until midnight, so check the time on extra-inning nights.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
Buying parking from a resale site or forgetting to register your plate. Only passes bought from the Marlins or the MLB Ballpark app are valid, and you must activate the pass with your license plate in the app on game day, or you get a bill in the mail.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • The Bullpen Bar & Grill

    Inside loanDepot park, Field Level, left field corner (take the escalators down at Section 27). The ballpark's address is 501 Marlins Way, Miami, FL 33125.

    The sports bar that replaced the old Clevelander pool club in left field, right next to the field. It serves wings, sliders, tenders, pizza and buckets of beer.

    Away fans: a friendly in-park sports bar. Away fans are common at Marlins games and get no grief.

  • Ball & ChainBefore or after

    1513 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135

    A historic Calle Ocho bar with live Latin music, dancing on the back patio stage and Cuban food. It is the classic Little Havana night out.

    Away fans: a music and dancing crowd, not a team bar. Any jersey is fine.

  • Cafe La TrovaBefore or after

    971 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33130

    A Cuban cocktail bar and restaurant from cantinero Julio Cabrera and chef Michelle Bernstein, with live music. It made North America's 50 Best Bars list in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

    Away fans: a cocktail bar and restaurant, where nobody cares about your team.

  • Old's Havana Cuban Bar & CocinaBefore or after

    1442 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135

    A Calle Ocho bar and restaurant with old Havana decor, live Cuban music every night and mojitos it calls its specialty. It is a good sit-down Cuban dinner before a night game.

    Away fans: a tourist and local crowd out for music and mojitos. Nobody minds your jersey.

Sidequests in Miami

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

  1. Outing40 points

    Watch the games at Domino Park

    Since the early 1970s, Cuban immigrants have gathered at Maximo Gomez Park on Calle Ocho to drink coffee and play dominoes. Watch quietly and you will see the neighborhood at its most local.

    Free. 3 hours before kickoff

  2. Drink40 points

    Pregame at Ball & Chain

    A historic Calle Ocho bar with live Latin music and a back patio stage. Have a mojito, then walk about 15 minutes north to the gates.

    $$. 2 hours 30 minutes before kickoff

  3. Eat25 points

    Abuela Maria ice cream at Azucar

    A Little Havana ice cream shop with Cuban flavors such as Abuela Maria, Cafe con Leche and Caramel Flan. It is next door to Ball & Chain and Domino Park.

    $. 2 hours before kickoff

  4. Photo40 points

    Orange Bowl Tribute letters

    Giant orange letters from the old MIAMI ORANGE BOWL sign lie on the East Plaza as if they had fallen when the stadium came down. The ballpark stands on the Orange Bowl site.

    Free. 1 hour 40 minutes before kickoff

  5. Drink25 points

    Cafecito and croquetas at the Coffee Counter

    A shot of sweet Cuban coffee with ham croquetas is how Miami starts anything. Grab one when you get in.

    $. 1 hour before kickoff

  6. Landmark30 points

    The swaying Bobblehead Museum

    More than 600 bobbleheads in one case, and the whole display sways so every head bobbles. It is a quick, odd stop that only this ballpark has.

    Free. 1 hour before kickoff

  7. Eat40 points

    Cuban sandwich at Pan Con Beisbol

    The ballpark's Cuban sandwich stand, serving pressed sandwiches in the city that made them famous. It is the in-park meal that tastes most like Miami.

    $$. 40 minutes before kickoff

  8. Eat25 points

    Eat off the $3 and $5 menu

    The 305 Value Menu sells water, beer, hot dogs, nachos and pretzel bites for $3 or $5, a nod to Miami's area code. The Press Box in The Lineup food hall at Section 28 carries it, along with Cuban sandwiches.

    $. 20 minutes before kickoff

  9. Ritual50 points

    Bring the bongos

    The Marlins allow hand percussion, from bongos and congas to guiros, maracas and cowbells, so the stands sound like a street party. Bring one and join in.

    Free. At kickoff

  10. Eat40 points

    Cuban dinner at Versailles

    The best-known Cuban restaurant in Miami, open since 1971 and a gathering place for the Cuban exile community. Sit down for a full Cuban dinner, or get a cafecito at the counter window.

    $$

  11. Eat30 points

    Lunch at Sanguich

    A Calle Ocho shop that bills itself as the home of the best Cuban sandwich in Miami. Go for lunch before a night game.

    $

  12. Tour50 points

    Behind-the-Scenes Tour

    Step onto the field and into the batting cages of a retractable roof ballpark. It runs all year and costs $20 for adults.

    $

  13. Outing40 points

    Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

    A historic villa with formal gardens on Biscayne Bay, about 2.5 miles from the ballpark. It is open every day except Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    $$

Seats and views

Where each part of loanDepot park sits, and what you see from it.

Fans post the view from their seats, section by section. See the views at loanDepot park