T-Mobile Park

It is home to the Seattle Mariners. For other venues, teams and events nearby, see the Seattle guide.

For general seat-picking advice, see The Best Seats at a Baseball Game.

T-Mobile Park in one paragraph

T-Mobile Park is the home of the Seattle Mariners, a retractable-roof ballpark in Seattle's SoDo district, just south of Lumen Field. Its listed capacity is 47,368. For a first visit, the safest seat choice is the lower Main Level between the dugouts, with sections 127 to 132 directly behind home plate; for shade on a sunny afternoon, pick the third-base side. The View Level (300s) behind the plate is the value buy and has the best look at the skyline and Puget Sound.

The ballpark opened in 1999 as Safeco Field under a 20-year naming deal with Seattle-based Safeco Insurance. T-Mobile, whose US headquarters is in nearby Bellevue, took over the name on January 1, 2019, under a 25-year agreement. Locals still say Safeco; it is the same building.

How the levels and section numbers run

There are five main levels: the Field (street) level, the Main Concourse (100 level), the Club Level (200 level), the Suite Level and the View Level (300 level). The field sits near street level, so most fans climb stairs, escalators or ramps to the main concourse; the Right Field Entry opens straight onto it.

• Main Level, sections 102–151: 20,521 seats, the largest block. According to RateYourSeats, numbering starts in right field (102–110 cover right and right-center), runs through foul territory (111–150) and wraps around to left. Sections 127–132 sit directly behind home plate; section 129, for example, runs from row 9 to row 43.
• Club Level (200s): 4,123 seats with indoor club access.
• Suite Level: 2,050 seats.
• View Level (300s): 15,902 seats in the upper deck.
• Bleachers: 3,666 seats above left field, below the center-field scoreboard.

RateYourSeats places the Mariners dugout in front of sections 121–124, on the first-base side, and the visitors dugout in front of sections 136–138, on the third-base side.

Shade, sun and the roof

The ballpark faces northeast. The sun rises over center field, crosses home plate around 3 p.m. and sets behind third base, so the third-base side is the shade side for most of the season.

• Day games: the first-base side starts in shade but loses it after a few innings. The surest cover is behind the plate, in Main Level sections 127–133 under the press box, the View Level around 326–335 under the roof overhang, or the last two or three rows of each Club Level section.
• Late afternoon starts: Main Level 127–149, Club 233–249 and View Level 327–347 are mostly shaded.
• Night games: the sun is mostly gone by first pitch, though the upper deck deep down the first-base line (306–318) catches the last of it.

The roof works like an umbrella, not a lid. It rolls over the field on 128 wheels, takes 10 to 20 minutes to close, and leaves the sides open, so wind and cool air still reach the seats. The Mariners play only about 17 or 18 games a season with it closed, the fewest of any retractable-roof park. Bring a layer for April and September nights even if the forecast is dry.

Best seats for Mariners games, and seats to skip

• Behind the plate (127–132): the classic view of pitch movement and the whole defense, and usually the most expensive non-premium seats in the bowl.
• Behind the dugouts: 121–124 for a Mariners-side view, 136–138 behind the visitors. Lower rows are close to players coming on and off the field.
• Club Level 200s: a mid-height view between the bowl and the upper deck, and the last two or three rows of each section sit under an overhang, useful on hot afternoons or drizzly nights.
• View Level behind home: high, but straight on, with skyline and water views, and usually the cheapest way to see the whole field.
• The 'Pen and bleachers: the T-Mobile 'Pen behind left and center is standing-room space next to the bullpens, with food stands and a lively crowd; its gates open two hours before first pitch.

Seats to think about twice

• Deep right-field Main Level seats (102–110) and the upper deck down the first-base line on sunny afternoons: no shade and a long look back to home plate.
• View Level seats far down either line, which put you a long way from home plate and angle you toward the outfield.
• The 'Pen if you want a quiet game; Sports Business Journal once called it one of the liveliest social scenes in baseball, and up to about 3,000 fans pass through on a game night.

Light rail, parking and rideshare

Transit is the easiest way in. The Link 1 Line stops at Stadium station, a short walk away, and Sounder commuter trains stop at nearby King Street Station. King County Metro and Sound Transit Express buses also serve the area.

• Parking: the Mariners garage across Edgar Martínez Drive has about 1,800 stalls. As of 2026 the team sells a limited number of game-day spaces first come, first served, and they cannot be bought ahead; the Lumen Field garage and private lots fill the gap.
• Rideshare: a dedicated lot southeast of the ballpark, opened in 2023, is less than a five-minute walk from most gates.
• Taxis: the stand is at the northwest corner of First Avenue South and Royal Brougham Way.

Events at Lumen Field are scheduled around Mariners games, but on rare busy days both garages fill fast, so leave extra time.

Gates, the bag rule and payment

As of the 2026 season, T-Mobile Park allows clear bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, one-gallon clear zip-top bags, and small clutches up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Backpacks, duffles, multi-compartment bags and large purses are not allowed, with exceptions for medical items and single-compartment diaper bags when a child is present.

• Most gates open 90 minutes before first pitch; the 'Pen gates open two hours early.
• The ballpark is cashless, with cash-to-card kiosks near sections 128, 226 and 329, in the 'Pen and at the Team Store.
• Single-serving outside food and sealed clear water bottles up to 32 ounces are allowed.
• There is no re-entry once you leave, except in an emergency approved by security.
• Umbrellas are allowed but cannot be opened in the seats.

Rules change from season to season, so check the Mariners gate and bag FAQ before you go.

From the Kingdome fight to Safeco and T-Mobile

By the mid-1990s the Kingdome was failing, and King County voters narrowly rejected a stadium sales tax in September 1995. The Mariners' playoff run that October changed the mood, and the state legislature approved a different funding package. HOK designed the park, ground was broken on March 8, 1997, and the Mariners played their first game there on July 15, 1999, losing 3–2 to San Diego before 44,607 fans.

The park hosted the All-Star Game in 2001 and 2023, Félix Hernández's perfect game in August 2012, WrestleMania XIX in 2003 with a record 54,097, and the 2024 NHL Winter Classic, won 3–0 by the Seattle Kraken. Paul McCartney played the first public concert there in 2013. Statues of Dave Niehaus, Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martínez and, since April 2026, Ichiro Suzuki stand in and around the park; the Wikipedia entry has the full history.

Sources

• Wikipedia – T-Mobile Park
• Mariners – Gate and Bag Policy FAQ
• Mariners – T-Mobile Park Policies and Procedures
• RateYourSeats – T-Mobile Park section 129
• RateYourSeats – T-Mobile Park section 139
• Shaded Seats – T-Mobile Park