Upcoming Washington Nationals dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The short answer for a Nats game
To sit near the Washington Nationals, buy on the first-base side, where the home dugout is. For the best price-to-view ratio, choose lower-bowl seats just beyond either dugout toward the foul poles. For a ticket that doubles as sightseeing, take the upper deck on the first-base side, which looks toward the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument.
- Premium: padded seats and club seating behind home plate, between the dugouts.
- Value: the gallery and upper gallery levels, lower rows first.
- Social: the outfield bleachers and the Red Porch in center field.
- Avoid: deep outfield corners if you want to follow balls and strikes.
Nationals Park is open-air, so the sun matters as much as the section number for any summer day game. The regular season runs from late March or early April to late September.
Five levels at Nationals Park, ranked by purpose
Nationals Park opened on March 30, 2008, at 1500 South Capitol Street SE in the Navy Yard neighborhood. Wikipedia lists capacity at 41,373 and Ballparks of Baseball at 41,565. The bowl rises through five levels: field, mezzanine, suite, gallery and upper gallery. One quirk sets it apart: the upper deck is split along the first-base side, a design reference to the old Griffith Stadium.
Field level: for being close
The lower deck runs from the left-field foul pole, around the plate, to the right-field pole. Seats between the dugouts carry the highest prices. A few sections past the dugouts, you keep most of the closeness and lose much of the premium, which makes that stretch the best compromise in the building.
Mezzanine and suites: for comfort
These middle levels hold club and suite seating for fans who want space and service more than proximity.
Gallery and upper gallery: for price and the skyline
These top levels are where most budget buyers land. From the first-base side, the Capitol and the Washington Monument sit in your line of sight, which out-of-town visitors tend to value. The top rows make the players look small, so if the game matters more than the view, stay in the lower rows of the upper deck.
Outfield seats, the Red Porch and summer shade
The outfield bleachers are the least expensive tickets in the park and the liveliest. The Red Porch in center field sits beneath a restaurant and looks straight in toward home plate, so you see pitches from behind the pitcher's shoulder, roughly the camera angle on a TV broadcast. Corner outfield seats are the trade-off to skip: the angle hides the plate and the far corner of the field.
Washington summers are hot and humid, and nothing covers the lower bowl. For an afternoon game, the upper rows of each level, sitting under the deck above, stay shaded longest. If you buy low in the bowl for a July day game, plan on direct sun for most of nine innings and bring sunscreen and water.
Families should note the kids' play area near the center-field gate and the cherry trees planted beyond left field and around the center-field plaza.
Which Nationals dates sell out
Spring training takes place in February and March at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. The regular season brings 81 home dates to Washington.
- Opening Day is a top-demand date and often features a ceremonial first pitch; President George W. Bush threw the first pitch at the park's 2008 debut.
- Philadelphia Phillies games draw big crowds because Phillies fans travel down Interstate 95 in numbers, and the rivalry gained an edge when Bryce Harper signed with Philadelphia in 2019.
- Baltimore Orioles games, known as the Beltway Series and played since 2006, split the stands between two neighboring fan bases.
- Atlanta Braves games carry division stakes.
- Fourth of July and summer weekends fill faster than spring weeknights.
The softest dates are usually April, May and September weeknights against non-division clubs, and resale listings for those games often drop as first pitch nears.
Navy Yard logistics: Metro, garages and gates
Ride the Metro. Navy Yard–Ballpark station on the Green Line is one block from the park, and most fans walk in through the outfield gates beside it. After the final out the platform crowds up, so many fans let the crowd thin at a waterfront restaurant rather than queue right away.
- Driving: Wikipedia counts 14 sanctioned lots and garages. The team lists accessible parking in every lot, including Garage C off First Street SE and Garage B off N Street SE. Street parking in the neighborhood is scarce.
- Pregame: the urban site has no tailgating scene; fans gather in the bars and restaurants around the park and along the Anacostia.
As of the 2026 season, the team requires clear bags with contents visible. Gates open 80 minutes before first pitch for most games and 75 minutes before 6:45 p.m. starts. The park is cashless for tickets, food and merchandise, and Guest Services near section 131 exchanges cash. Re-entry is not allowed. Read the current Nationals Park A-to-Z guide for size limits, and use the team's transportation page for route options. Every Reserved Seat order ships free with no digital transfer fees.
Presidents, Expos roots and the 2019 run
The in-game ritual to watch for is the Presidents Race in the middle of the fourth inning, when costumed George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt sprint along the field. Teddy lost 525 races in a row before his first win on October 3, 2012.
The franchise started as the Montreal Expos in 1969 and moved to Washington for 2005, the first MLB relocation since 1971. The first home game in the capital was on April 4, 2005, at RFK Stadium, the team's home for three seasons.
- 2008: Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off home run won the first game at Nationals Park. His number 11 was retired in 2022.
- 2010: Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 in his debut. The Ring of Honor, recognizing the Homestead Grays, both Senators clubs and the Expos, began the same year.
- 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017: NL East titles, the first ending in a Game 5 Division Series loss to St. Louis.
- 2015: Bryce Harper, the 2010 first overall pick, won NL MVP.
- 2019: a 4–3 Wild Card win over Milwaukee, a Division Series win over the Dodgers, an NLCS sweep of St. Louis and a seven-game World Series win over Houston in which the road team won every game.
The park was the first LEED-certified major pro stadium in the country (LEED is the U.S. Green Building Council's rating for green buildings) and has hosted the 2018 All-Star Game and the NHL's 2015 Winter Classic.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of Nationals Park is the home dugout on?
The first-base side. The visiting team uses the third-base dugout.
Where can I see the Capitol from my seat?
From the upper deck on the first-base side, which faces toward the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument.
Which seats get shade at a Nationals day game?
The upper rows of each level, under the deck above, stay shaded longest. Low seats in the open bowl get direct sun for most of a summer afternoon.
Is the Red Porch a good place to sit?
It suits fans who want a social, straightaway view toward home plate from center field. Fans who want to judge pitches closely should pick a seat behind the plate.
How do I get to a Nationals game on Metro?
Take the Green Line to Navy Yard–Ballpark, one block from the park. Most fans enter through the nearby outfield gates.
What is the Presidents Race?
A mid-fourth-inning race in which costumed Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt run along the field. Teddy won for the first time in 2012 after 525 losses.