Space Coast Stadium

Parking
There are plenty of spaces in the grass lots behind the first base side of the ballpark. They are accessed through the general parking entrance, which is listed as Gate 5, and are alongside the practice fields. There's also a very small paved lot directly behind home plate, but it's reserved for team employees and the handicapped.
 Cost: $5

Stadium Information
Painted in the red, blue and white colors of the Nationals, Space Coast Stadium is comfortable and clean, but relatively plain. Its exterior looks like a vinyl sided house and is approached via palm tree lined paths that lead to a plaza featuring a large Casey at the Bat statue and replica of the space shuttle. The stadium's most notable interior feature is its foul poles, which are covered with memorials to the two space shuttle disasters (Columbia in left, Challenger in right). The tribute is fitting, as the stadium took its name from its proximity to the Kennedy Space Center, the NASA launch facility for which the region is nicknamed. Originally the spring home of the Florida Marlins, Space Coast Stadium served as the final spring training camp of the Montreal Expos, who spent two seasons (2003-04) in Viera before the franchise became the Washington Nationals.

Fast Facts

Practice Fields

Types of Seating
The majority of the ballpark (5,348 seats) is comprised of traditional plastic chair stadium seating. There are six sections of bleachers, three apiece down each outfield line, and a small berm in the outfield.

Notes about the seating

Sections and rows

Seats to avoid
No seat is a bad buy but a spot in the berm is. It feels as though it was constructed as an afterthought and fans sitting there have no view of the scoreboard, which is directly behind the berm.

Seats in the shade
Space Coast Stadium has a very small roof on opposite sides of the grandstand that provides the only shade in the ballpark. The top four rows (21-24) in sections 204-206 and 216-218 are the only ones that are covered by the dual roofs. Sit anywhere else, and the only escape from the sun (or rain) will be in the covered concourse behind home plate.

VIP seating
There is a Berm Deck in left field which can be reserved by parties of 50 or more. The stadium has 14 suites, seven on either side of the press box. The suites seat either 12 or 21 people. Two rows of Batter's Box seats are at field level between the dugouts.

Game Day
Gates open 1½ hours (90 minutes) before game time.

Food, drink and bag policy

Getting autographs
Narrow walkways next to the dugouts at field level serve as dedicated pregame autograph alleys where players will sign at their discretion during warm-ups.

Unique ballpark fare
The stadium is known for its taco in a helmet: ground beef with all the fixings (including salsa) in a Nationals helmet. But for reasons unknown this most creative of cuisine choices is only available during regular season minor league games, not the big league games during spring training. Instead, the Foul Pole Cafe behind the third base grandstand sells a taco salad. Other items of interest include a grilled chicken Caesar salad, BBQ nachos, chicken stix (teriyaki and mojo chicken skewers) and "baskets" of ballpark favorites that include fries for one low (by ballpark standards) price. A decent selection of beer is found on tap. Bud Light and Michelob AmberBock are the featured drafts, but two of Hawaii-based Kona Brewing's offerings (Fire Rock Pale Ale and Longboard Island Lager) are found at carts on the concourse. Coca-Cola controls the soft drink market.

2010 Nationals Spring Training Schedule (only home games at Space Coast Stadium are listed)
March	Day	Time	Visiting Team	StubHub
6	Saturday	1:05	Mets	Tickets
8	Monday	1:05	Marlins	Tickets
9	Tuesday	1:05	Tigers	Tickets
11	Thursday	1:05	Astros	Tickets
12	Friday	1:05	Yankees	Tickets
14	Sunday	1:05	Cardinals	Tickets
15	Monday	7:05	Braves	Tickets
16	Tuesday	1:05	Marlins	Tickets
19	Friday	7:05	Cardinals	Tickets
20	Saturday	1:05	Marlins	Tickets
22	Monday	1:05	Mets	Tickets
25	Thursday	7:05	Tigers	Tickets
26	Friday	1:05	Cardinals	Tickets
28	Sunday	1:05	Braves	Tickets
29	Monday	1:05	Mets	Tickets
* Single game tickets went on sale Saturday, January 23. See the full 2010 Nationals Spring Training schedule

Ballpark Area Info
When it first opened in 1994, Space Coast Stadium was in the middle of undeveloped cow pastures. Some of the land in the nearby vicinity has since been developed and continues to be, but there are plenty of open green spaces around the ballpark. The closest building is Viera High School and much of the county's governmental buildings are located nearby. The closest commercial development is the Avenue Viera, which opened in 2004 about 1.2 miles from the ballpark, and from which the stadium's light towers can be seen.

Travelers' notes

Restaurants close to Space Coast Stadium
Distance	Restaurant	Street Address	City/Zip	Phone
0.9 miles	Mash Hoagies Subs	2825 Judge Fran Jamieson Way	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-638-0057
1.2	Chili's	6550 Colonnade Ave	Viera, FL 32940	321-639-6881
1.2	Mimi's Cafe	6630 Colonnade Ave	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-638-0404
1.2	Steak 'n Shake	6728 Colonade Ave	Viera, FL 32940	321-637-9445
1.2	LongHorn Steakhouse	6691 Lake Andrew Dr	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-632-9990
1.4	Panera Bread	2290 Town Center Ave	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-504-7250
1.4	Moe's Southwest Grill	2230 Town Center Ave	Viera, FL 32940	321-433-3540
1.4	The Melting Pot	2230 Town Center Ave	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-433-3040
1.5	Viera Pizza	5470 Murrell Rd	Viera, FL 32940	321-636-7696
1.5	Beef ‘O’ Brady’s	5410 Murrell Rd	Rockledge, FL 32955	321-633-4030
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Hotels close to Space Coast Stadium
Distance	Hotel	Street Address	City/Zip	Phone
2.3 miles	La Quinta Inn	7200 George T. Edwards Dr	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-242-9400
2.5	Comfort Inn	8298 N Wickham Rd	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-255-2326
2.5	Holiday Inn	8298 N Wickham Rd	Melbourne, FL 32940	321-255-0077
3.2	The Swiss Inn	3220 S Fiske Blvd	Rockledge, FL 32955	321-631-9445
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Airports close to Space Coast Stadium
Distance	Airport		Airport Code
13.3 miles	Melbourne International		MLB
35.7	Orlando International		MCO
58.3	St Lucie County International		FPR
66.9	Daytona Beach International		DAB
Places of interest close to Space Coast Stadium
Distance	Place	Street Address	City/Zip	Phone
1.3 miles	Duran Golf Club	7032 Stadium Pkwy	Viera, FL 32940	321-504-7776
10.2	Melbourne Groundhound Park	1100 N Wickham Rd	Melbourne, FL 32935	321-259-9800

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