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    • Venue
    • St. Petersburg, FL

    Tropicana Field

    Capacity 25,025 · Rays side is the even 100s · roof repaired 2026

    The Rays are back under the repaired dome in St. Petersburg. Here is how the seating bowl works and which sections earn their spot.

    By the Reserved Seat editorial teamUpdated How we research

    Looking for section numbers and the best seats by level? See the Tropicana Field Seating Chart.

    Tropicana Field in 2026: open again, and where to sit

    Tropicana Field is the domed home of the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida, and as of October 2026 it is back in use. Hurricane Milton shredded the fiberglass roof on October 9, 2024, the Rays spent the 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, and baseball returned to the Trop on April 6, 2026. In late October 2026 the building hosted World Series games against the Milwaukee Brewers, its first since 2008.

    The short seat answer: for a regular-season game, the lower-level infield (sections 101 through 126) is where to spend, with sections 101–106 directly behind home plate giving the truest view of the pitch. Even-numbered sections sit on the first-base side behind the Rays dugout; odd-numbered sections face the visitors. Because the roof is fixed, there is no sun or rain to plan around, which makes the Trop one of the few ballparks where the outfield seats are as comfortable in July as anywhere else.

    The building has a long future question attached to it. In August 2026, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County approved financing for a new 31,000-seat Rays ballpark near Raymond James Stadium, targeted to open in 2029. Until then, the Trop remains the team's home, under a lease reported to run through at least the 2028 season.

    How the seating bowl is numbered

    The Trop is a baseball-only bowl today, and its numbering is easy once you know the rule: odd sections run down the third-base side and even sections down the first-base side, splitting at home plate. Wikipedia and RateYourSeats both describe the layout this way.

    100 level (field level)

    The main seating ring wraps the entire field, and since a renovation completed for the 2014 season a 360-degree walkway lets you circle the park without losing sight of the game. RateYourSeats groups sections 101–126 as the lower infield. Behind the outfield, the concourse behind sections 133–149 is called Left Field Street and the one behind sections 136–150 is Right Field Street. Rows are lettered upward from the field, and seat 1 sits at the left end of a row as you face the field.

    200 level (mezzanine)

    About 20 sections line the infield and the baselines, broken by the press box behind home plate. Most of the luxury suites sit directly behind and above them.

    300 level (upper deck)

    The upper deck has been closed and tarped for regular-season games since 2019, which cut capacity to roughly 25,000. The Rays reopen it for the postseason; in October 2026 MLB reported crowds averaging 37,697 across five playoff home games and a sellout of more than 40,000 for World Series Game 3.

    Premium areas

    The ballpark lists 2,776 club seats. The Home Plate Club has its own entrance, recliner seats and buffet with in-seat service; the Rays Club sits along the first-base side of the lower level. Group spaces include 162 Landing in the left-field corner, the Bullpen Box in the right-field corner, the Left Field Ledge and the Porch, an open standing area behind the batter's eye in center.

    Best seats for a Rays game, and rows to skip

    Behind home plate

    Sections 101–106 give the classic broadcast angle. You see the pitch break, the whole infield and both dugouts, and you are close enough to hear the catcher's mitt.

    Behind the dugouts

    For the Rays side, look at even sections 112–118; for the visitors, odd sections 111–117. These sections put you level with the bench and in the path of hard foul balls, so watch the plate. Fan reports on RateYourSeats put row K as the first row behind the Rays dugout in section 112.

    Field-side boxes

    A short run of rows at the very front of sections 111–125 sits just above field level. They are excellent for watching infielders, but the low angle flattens the outfield.

    The value play

    The 200 level between the bases trades a little distance for a cleaner view of the whole field, including how the outfield plays fly balls, and it usually costs less than the lower infield.

    Where you lose out

    • The back rows of the lower level: RateYourSeats flags rows WW and XX as cut off by the 200-level overhang, which hides high fly balls and the catwalks.
    • Deep outfield corners: you watch the pitcher from behind and at an angle, and the video boards are harder to read.
    • Anyone who hates losing the ball: the roof is close in color to a baseball, a point players made again during the 2026 World Series, so high pop-ups are hard to track from every seat.

    Capacity, the catwalks and other quirks

    The official regular-season capacity is 25,025, the smallest in Major League Baseball, because the upper deck is closed. In earlier configurations the building held far more: during the 2008 postseason, removing the upper-deck tarps raised capacity to nearly 41,000.

    The roof slopes from 225 feet above second base down to 85 feet at the center-field wall, tilted to cut the volume that has to be air-conditioned and to shed hurricane winds. Four steel catwalk rings hang beneath it. A batted ball that hits one of the two lower rings (C and D) is a home run; one that hits the upper rings (A and B) stays in play. The outfield walls measure 315 feet to left, 404 to center and 322 to right.

    Beyond the right-center-field fence sits the Cownose Clubhouse, a 10,000-gallon touch tank stocked with cownose rays and maintained with the Florida Aquarium. It is free with a game ticket but limited to small groups at a time, so go early.

    Parking, the SunRunner and rideshare

    The Rays sell parking in lots that surround the dome. As listed on the team's parking page in 2026, Lot 1 serves premium seats and seats behind home plate, and Lots 6 and 7 are the general lots, with Lot 7 holding most of the accessible spaces (entered from 3rd Avenue South or 4th Avenue South). Prepaid team parking often sells out for big crowds and weekends.

    Two city garages handle overflow and are not run by the team: the SouthCore Garage at 101 1st Avenue South and the Central Garage at 1388 1st Avenue North. Both take payment by app.

    The easiest transit option is the SunRunner, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority's bus rapid transit line, which stops on the north side of the stadium. The team lists service every 15 minutes until 8 p.m. and every 30 minutes until midnight. For rideshare, set your drop-off at Gate 4; accessible drop-off and pickup is at Gate 1 or Gate 4. Details change by season, so check the Rays parking page before you go.

    Clear-bag policy and entry rules

    As of the 2026 postseason, Tropicana Field enforces a clear-bag policy. Each fan may bring one clear bag of plastic, vinyl or PVC no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, plus one small clutch or wallet up to about 5 by 7 inches that does not need to be clear. A one-gallon clear storage bag also qualifies. Backpacks, camera bags and hard-sided containers are turned away, and there are no lockers on site.

    • Exceptions: medical bags, and diaper bags up to 16 by 8 by 16 inches when a baby or toddler is with you.
    • Water: one sealed bottle of 20 ounces or less, plus an empty plastic refillable bottle for hydration stations.
    • Tickets: mobile, so have them loaded before you reach security.
    • Smoke-free: no smoking, vaping or chewing tobacco anywhere inside.

    The ballpark has seven gates numbered clockwise. Gate 1, the Rotunda modeled on Ebbets Field, is the main entrance. Rules shift between regular season and playoffs, so confirm on the Rays security page before you go.

    From Suncoast Dome to the Rays' comeback

    St. Petersburg built the dome on spec to lure a big-league team. It opened on March 3, 1990, as the Florida Suncoast Dome, and spent years without a baseball tenant. The Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm moved in first, and the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning followed in 1993, renaming the building the ThunderDome. A Lightning playoff game there on April 23, 1996, drew 28,183, still the record for a Stanley Cup playoff crowd.

    Tropicana bought naming rights in October 1996, and after a renovation modeled partly on Ebbets Field, the expansion Devil Rays played their first game on March 31, 1998. Golden seats in sections 148 and 144 mark Wade Boggs' first franchise home run and his 3,000th hit. The Trop hosted the 1999 Final Four, the 2008 World Series, the Gasparilla Bowl through 2017 and the WWE Royal Rumble in 2024, which drew a reported 48,044.

    Hurricane Milton tore away most of the roof in 2024. The city approved nearly 60 million in repairs, the final roof panel went up in November 2025, and the Rays reopened the dome on April 6, 2026. More history is on the Tropicana Field Wikipedia entry.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the capacity of Tropicana Field?

    The regular-season capacity is 25,025, the smallest in MLB, because the upper deck has been closed since 2019. The Rays open the upper deck for the postseason, and World Series Game 3 in October 2026 drew more than 40,000.

    Are the Rays playing at Tropicana Field in 2026?

    Yes. After a season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa while the hurricane-damaged roof was rebuilt, the Rays returned to Tropicana Field on April 6, 2026. A new Rays ballpark in Tampa is targeted for 2029.

    Which side is the Rays dugout on?

    The Rays use the first-base dugout, in front of the even-numbered sections around 112 to 118. The visitors sit on the third-base side, in front of the odd sections.

    Does Tropicana Field have a clear-bag policy?

    Yes, as of 2026. One clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches plus a small clutch is allowed, and there is no bag storage on site. Check the Rays' security page before you go.

    Where should I park for a Rays game?

    The team's Lots 1, 6 and 7 surround the stadium, and the SouthCore and Central garages downtown handle overflow. The SunRunner bus stops on the north side of the stadium if you would rather skip parking.

    Is there a bad seat at Tropicana Field?

    The back rows of the lower level, around rows WW and XX, lose the top of the field under the 200-level overhang. Deep outfield corners are the other weak spot.

    Sources