Urban Walk Around Busch Stadium

Having a ballpark hotdog, walking around Busch Stadium, and even buying some authentic baseball memorabilia was my hike in downtown St. Louis.

I walked 1.4-miles around Ballpark Village and Busch Stadium to check out the Cardinal-related sights and see the historic Field House Museum.

Parking

I parked at Ball Park Village which is free for three hours on non-game days with validation from a restaurant. It starts at $5 per hour on game days.

Ball Park Village

I started the walk around Ball Park Villag and first went by the recreated Commissioner’s Trophy given to the winning Major League Baseball winner each year which the St. Louis Cardinals have quite a few.

Nearby is a courtyard area shaped like a baseball field with picnic tables and a tv screen above it.

I liked the bright red STL sign near it.

Ball Park Village Lunch: Cardinal Nation

Lunch was at Cardinal Nation which serves baseball-related foods like smash burgers and hot dogs and sodas and beers.

I first had to pass through security taking my keys and change out of my pockets for the metal detector.

In the restaurant, you can see baseball jerseys worn by Yadier Molina or Adam Wainwright, and others.

I had a beer, a hotdog, and some waffle-cut fries. Service was fast since it wasn’t busy on a non-game Wednesday afternoon.

After lunch, I walked into the food court area where another large television was set on a sports channel. There were more restaurants to choose from including, burgers, seafood, Mexican, fudge, Italian, and barbecue.

Statues

Next, I headed to the outside of Busch Stadium to the right. Near the Team Store were statues of former Cardinal players and Hall of Fame inductees Enos Slaughter, Dizzy Dean, Rogers Hornsby, Red Schoendienst, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, and Ted Simmons.

Then you have former St. Louis Browns player and Hall of Fame inductee George Sisler; former Negro League St. Louis Stars player and Hall of Fame inductee Cool Papa Bell and former Cardinals radio broadcaster and Hall of Fame honoree Jack Buck.

Stan Musial

Walking around the stadium near Eighth Street I went by the Stan Musial statue. Musial is one of the greatest and most consistent hitters of all time. He was an outfielder and first baseman and spent 22 seasons with the Cardinals.

On the pedestal, it reads “… HERE STANDS BASEBALL’S PERFECT WARRIOR … HERE STANDS BASEBALL’S PERFECT KNIGHT.”

Walk of Cardinals History

Next, I came across brown blocks surrounding a marker in the center with Cardinal baseball history. One described the World Series Shutdown on Oct. 3, 1942.

Another The First of Many on Sept. 23, 1941, Stan Musial, a late-season call-up hit his first career home run off of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell.

You could spend some time reading these to learn more about Cardinals baseball history.

By Interstate 64

Then a wall blocked me from walking around the south side of the stadium nearest Interstate 64, so I kept walking down Seventh Street past a baseball-themed restaurant called Paddy O’s.

Next, I went under narrow pillars for a railroad to Gratiot Street which I continued onto South Broadway to make a left heading back up to the stadium.

The Field House Museum (Temporarily Closed)

I passed by the Field House Museum, which was the boyhood home of poet Eugene Field.

His father was Roswell M. Field, who served as the attorney who took Dred Scott’s freedom suit into the Federal Courts, leading to the infamous Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Supreme Court decision against Dred Scott inflamed tensions on the issue of slavery which led to the Civil War.

I stopped in the museum to buy a book of Field’s poetry. He is known as the children’s poet and the elementary school I went to was named after him.

Admission: $10 Adults, $9 AAA Members, $5 7-16 Children, 6-under Free

Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday- Saturday; 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday; Closed, Monday- Tuesday

Address: 634 S Broadway St, St. Louis, MO 63102

Back Around the Stadium

I walked once more by the stadium on Broadway passing by Busch Stadium in red letters above me. Across the street is Tums, which seems appropriate next to a baseball stadium with so much greasy and fattening food, only in St. Louis.

Cardinal Authentic

I went back to Ballpark Village to use a 15 percent discount for use at Cardinals Authentic Shop that I received from having lunch at Cardinal Nation.

Here you can find signed baseballs or bases used in Cardinal games along with Cardinal pennants, keychains, shirts, and mugs made from Cardinal bats.

Everything seemed a bit pricey. I didn’t want something I could get at a sports store but didn’t want to spend a lot of money. Although, definitely I wanted to use my 15 percent.

So, I did an impulse buy. I am a proud owner of certified and authentic dirt from a Cardinal’s baseball game set in a gold metallic keychain!

DETAILS

Drive: Take Interstate 64 to exit 39B and make a left onto 11th Street then a right onto Walnut Street and the lot will be on the right after crossing 8th Street.

Ball Park Village Parking Address: S. 6th and Walnut, St. Louis, MO 63102