Hohokam Park

Parking
There are 3,000 spaces at the stadium, the bulk of which are in grass fields that are used for youth soccer on non-game days. The fairly sizable (by spring training standards) paved lot is for season ticket holders and is designated as Lot A. Just like in Chicago, neighborhood parking is available. It's necessary in Mesa thanks to the big crowds that the Cubs draw. The benefit to parking at homes belonging to local residents is much easier exiting upon game's end. Stadium and neighborhood parking are priced the same.
 Cost: $5

Stadium Information
Hohokam Park is best known for its large crowds. Its seats and berm are regularly filled to capacity, and capacity in Mesa is larger than at any other spring training ballpark. As such, the Cubs own the single season (203,105 in 2009) spring training attendance record. There's no doubt the Cubs are the draw, as the stadium's bland tan stucco exterior leaves a lot to be desired. The expansive interior is utilitarian in design, with the upper grandstand providing wonderful views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Just like at Wrigley, the fans make Hohokam a wonderful experience and every game one of them is picked to lead the crowd in the signing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Referred to interchangeably as Hohokam Park and Hohokam Stadium, the current structure opened in 1997 on the same spot as the original Hohokam Park, which was razed and rebuilt following twenty years of use. The stadium is named after the Mesa HoHoKams, an influential local civic organization that has been the booster of spring training baseball in Mesa since 1951.

Fast Facts

Practice Fields

Types of Seating
All seats have chair or seat backs, but none have cup holders. A berm extends from foul pole to foul pole.

Notes about the seating

Sections and rows

Tickets

Seats to avoid
They're not necessarily bad seats, but those in sections 117-124 are aluminum bleachers and the higher the section number the further away your seat will be from home plate. For example, sections 123 and 124 are very close to the foul poles. Some seats in the new 300-level bleachers are obstructed by poles. Although padded and shaded, the 174 spaces that are sold as Grandstand are some of the worst seats you'll find at any spring training ballpark. You're better off sitting in the berm.

Seats in the shade
There are plenty here. The stadium's trellised roof casts shade upon all rows in sections 200-207, 209, 211 and 213. Most seats in sections 208, 210, 212, 214 and 216 are in the shade, with all seats in those sections shaded by 1:45.

VIP seating
There are two outdoor patios, one on each side of the press box. The third base patio is adjacent to an indoor skybox. There are six luxury suites. The Budweiser Party Deck in right field can hold up to 250 people.

Game Day
Will call windows open at 9 a.m. The ballpark's gates open two hours before game time but the berm remains closed until batting practice is over.

Food, drink and bag policy

Getting autographs
Simply put, this is not a good park to obtain autographs in. The Cubs take batting practice before gates open, limiting fan access to them. Occasionally a Cub player will sign near the tarp close to their dugout before the game, but with tunnels to the clubhouses for both teams located in the dugouts players can easily avoid fans. The best thing to do is to wait until after the game is over, when many Cubs players will sign autographs once they've showered and changed into street clothes. The place to be is near the exit door of the Cubs' clubhouse at the end of the first base grandstand, from which players emerge in route to their parking lot in the right field corner. To get there, players walk through a closed off section of the concourse inside of the stadium and fans gather along the route in front of the appropriately named Clubhouse Cafe (see photo). This is the epicenter of autograph activity inside of Hohokam Park, and it's found directly behind the freestanding bleachers down the right field line.

Away games
When the Cubs play road games in the Phoenix area they generally take batting practice at Hohokam Park then bus over to wherever they are playing. Ballpark gates in Mesa will be open so Cubs fans can watch the team take BP, which happens between 10 and 11 a.m. Ironically, fans can't watch the Cubs take batting practice when they are playing at home, as gates to the ballpark don't open until just after the team has finished hitting.

Unique ballpark fare
Although not overly creative, the food is actually pretty good. The biggest issue is that concession stands are behind the grandstand and sold out crowds lead to long lines that will often force you to miss an inning. If you like hot dogs, the Chi-Town Dog (onions, mustard, sport peppers, sweet relish, tomatoes) or the Mesa Dog (chili, cheese, fritos, jalapenos) are worth the wait behind home plate at Hot Dog Nation. But mainly you'll find tried and true menu items (pizza, pulled pork BBQ, nachos), although the trailer serving up Iowa breaded pork tenderloins is original. Pepsi is the cola of choice. Old Style beer, sold at Wrigley Field since 1950, is also available at Hohokam Park. So too is plenty of beer on tap, with Bud and Bud Light available pretty much everywhere and lesser known brands (like Land Shark) scattered throughout the park.

2010 Cubs Spring Training Schedule (only home games at Hohokam Park are listed)
March	Day	Time	Visiting Team	StubHub
4	Thursday	1:05	A's	Tickets
5	Friday	1:05	Diamondbacks	Tickets
6	Saturday	1:05	White Sox	Tickets
7	Sunday	1:05	Dodgers	Tickets
9	Tuesday	1:05	Brewers	Tickets
10	Wednesday	1:05	Giants	Tickets
13	Saturday	1:05	Reds	Tickets
16	Tuesday	1:05	Rangers	Tickets
20	Saturday	1:05	Royals	Tickets
22	Monday	1:05	Indians	Tickets
26	Friday	1:05	A's	Tickets
27	Saturday	1:05	Padres	Tickets
29	Monday	1:05	Reds	Tickets
31	Wednesday	1:05	Angels	Tickets
April	Day	Time	Visiting Team	StubHub
1	Thursday	1:05	Rockies	Tickets
* Single game tickets went on sale Tuesday, January 5. See the full 2010 Cubs Spring Training schedule

Ballpark Area Info
Although Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona, the area surrounding the stadium is pretty much summed up by the cemetery across the street from it. There's just not a lot happening. Your time is better spent enjoying the recreational offerings of Phoenix or the upscale shopping and dining found in Scottsdale. Both cities are about 10 miles away. If you like art, the Mesa Arts Center houses five galleries. Baseball fans should make the short drive to the Arizona Museum for Youth, where an exhibit called Play Ball: The Cactus League Experience details the history of the Cactus League. The museum is just 1.9 miles from Hohokam Park and is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10-4.

Travelers' notes

Restaurants close to Hohokam Park
Distance	Restaurant	Street Address	City/Zip	Phone
0.4 miles	Mardenely's Ristorante	223 E Brown Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-649-3333
0.45	Native New Yorker	318 E Brown Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-464-4383
0.45	Subway	322 E Brown Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-890-0305
0.5	Krazy Sub	1211 N Country Club Dr	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-835-0330
0.5	Dirty Drummer	1211 N Country Club Dr	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-834-6371
0.5	Italian Joe's Pizza	1211 N Country Club Dr	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-464-2121
0.55	Taco Bell	352 E Brown Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-461-9362
0.55	Wendy's	1205 N Country Club Dr	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-964-0861
0.85	Mama Maria Restaurant	118 E McKellips Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-610-6818
0.85	Cindy's Arizona Cafe	124 E McKellips Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-655-1349
0.95	Royal Thai Grill	321 W McKellips Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-733-9025
0.95	Rally's Hamburgers	343 W McKellips Rd	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-461-9676
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Hotels close to Hohokam Park
Distance	Hotel	Street Address	City/Zip	Phone
1.3 miles	Marriott	200 N Centennial Way	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-898-8300
1.7	Best Western	250 W Main St	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-834-9233
1.8	Travelodge	22 S Country Club Dr	Mesa, AZ 85210	480-964-5694
1.8	Citrus Inn	524 W Main St	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-833-9810
1.9	Kiva Lodge Motel	668 W Main St	Mesa, AZ 85201	480-834-3796
1.9	Budget Inn	106 S Country Club Dr	Mesa, AZ 85210	480-668-4811
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Airports close to Hohokam Park
Distance	Airport		Airport Code
11.9 miles	Phoenix Sky Harbor International		PHX
105	Tucson International		TUS
169	Yuma International		YUM

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