GOING TO A NY YANKEES GAME WITH KIDS – Easy & So Much Fun!

In August, I spent four days in New York City with my husband and two of our kids (ages 8 & 12).

I’m normally big on having some sort of itinerary, but my husband really wanted the trip to have a more relaxed feel, so we compromised and I had my back pocket Google Map and list of well-researched ideas just in case.

It was our second to last day and it had been plenty full, but I remembered it was our last opportunity to see a Yankees game during the trip, so I casually brought it up and my 8-year-old jumped on the idea.

If you don’t want to read more about our experience (and get our tips), know that it’s totally easy to make a Yankees game with kids happen from NYC, and both my son and I thought it was well worth it!

Table of Contents

Our New York Yankees Game – The Basics

We saw:

NY Yankees vs Toronto Bluejays
Yankee Stadium (in the Bronx)
August 21^st
7:05pm first pitch
Transport by subway

Outfield stands packed with fans look out onto the field. There are two NY Yankees players standing in the outfield.

First Off – Buying Yankees Tickets for Your Family & Deciding Where to Sit

I’d done a nerdy amount of research and first started looking for tickets for our entire family about 11 days before our trip (just in case we wanted to go).

The prices and selection of tickets were much better about 10 days out than the day of the game. Sometimes when looking for sports tickets, I find that there are some amazing deals right before the game, but this wasn’t really the case.

If you don’t care where you sit, you’ll find options even last-minute. Yankee Stadium seats over 46,000 fans.

Based on my research, I was interested in:

Outfield sections 104, 105, 106 – I’d read that this was a good spot to hope to get a ball from a homerun or a player (during warmups). My goal was to get the front row, which we did, but I probably wouldn’t get front row seats again (more on that below). This is right field, where Aaron Judge plays (but he was injured during our game).
Front rows of sections 110, 111, 129, 130 – These seats are right on the field and close to the ball boys/girls and outfielders. I later decided not to purchase any of these seats because I read too many comments about kids and adults rushing down to the field and in the aisles to try to get a ball between innings. I also witnessed this during the game and I’m so glad we didn’t have those seats. I’d wanted them because we had such a blast in similar seats during a recent Seattle Mariners game. I also noticed that the ball boys didn’t really throw balls into the stands like I’d seen at other MLB games.
Front rows of sections 215, 216, 217 – The view looks great and not too far away, so I was interested in these for a good price.
Anywhere in sections 118, 119, 120A, 120B, 121A, 121B – These seats are right behind home plate and we’d never had a close up perspective behind the plate, so I thought it would be fun. The only thing is, the seats are expensive, so I was mostly looking for a surprise amazing deal.

Based on my research, I was avoiding:

The 1^st and 3^rd baselines – These seats have netting, which is great for safety, but not-so-great if your kids want to catch a ball. I avoided the netted sections for this reason.
Bleacher seats – I’d read there could be some colorful language and a lot of standing and chanting.
Left field outfield – I’d read homeruns were more likely to left field since the distance from home plate is shorter.

First baseline stands at Yankee Stadium. Fans crowd the first row asking for a ball from players or the ball boy. — *You can see the fans that run down to the front row to ask for a ball. Good for them, but heads up if you’re interested in those front row seats.*

Our Tickets

I bought our tickets on Stubhub at 6:08pm (less than an hour before the game).

We sat in Section 103, Row 1, Seats 17 & 18

Helpful Tip: Use A View From My Seat (website or the app) to, well, see the views from the seats at Yankee Stadium. It’s such a helpful app and there are a ton of photos for Yankee Stadium.

Good To Know: Many of the front row seats at Yankee Stadium have a short ‘wall’ that blocks the view of the field for kids and shorter adults. This was an issue for my son in our seats, but he was able to sit on his knees to see the field.

Boy in blue shirt sitting behind concrete wall at Yankee Stadium at night. Stands are full and lit up with stadium lights. — *This is what the ‘wall’ in front of the first row looks like. It’s fairly tall.*

Other Ticket Sites I Like to Check for MLB Tickets

SeatGeek
Ticketmaster

Tip: If you don’t want to stress about getting your tickets, buy them from Ticketmaster or make sure the tickets you’re buying are ‘Instant Download.’

Getting to a NY Yankees Game with Kids – Subway or Bust

Yes, I know there are many ways to get to/from the Yankees game, but for our journey from Manhattan (we were in Times Square when I bought our tickets), we took the subway.

It was so much fun to get on the subway (we walked to the Lexington Line and took a 4 Express train) and see more and more Yankees gear as we got closer to the stadium.

The 4 Express took us right to the stadium (161^st St – Yankee Stadium stop) and it was a walk across the street to the entrances.

Tip: Don’t forget to take a photo in front of Yankee Stadium!

At The Yankees Game

Food Options – I’d read and heard that the food lines at Yankee Stadium are looooong. And we found that to be very true. The only line that didn’t require missing an inning or two was the popcorn line… so that’s what we ate!

Good To Know: You can bring your own food in, so you don’t need to wait in line or sell a spend more on food than you spent on tickets. Before you pack your picnic or snacks, check the current rules on the Yankee Stadium Game Day Guide.

Bathrooms – Easy, clean.

Fans – We had the ‘Bleacher Creatures’ right behind us, and they kept the energy up non-stop! Yes, there was colorful language, but nothing my son hadn’t heard before, and we loved hearing their creative chants. The people sitting next to us and around us were friendly and fun. I never felt unsafe, intimidated, or frustrated with people we encountered at the game.

Clothing – Our seats were uncovered, but it wasn’t raining and the evening game meant no harsh sun. For late August, I found the temperature to be pleasant and although we were in short sleeves, I would’ve also been comfortable in long sleeves.

We weren’t wearing Yankees gear, but I felt fine about it. We were tourists and temporary fans (the Mariners are our home team). If you want to buy clothing, there’s some outside of the stadium (plenty of $10 Yankees hats), and there are multiple shops selling clothing and merchandise inside the stadium. The main NY Yankees team store is near Gate 6.

The entrance to the New York Yankees Team Store at Yankee Stadium. The walls are glass and display jerseys and other team merchandise. — *A quiet moment at the Team Store*

Entertainment – If you’re not sure how your kid(s) will do at the game (will they be bored?), know that there’s plenty of entertainment during the game. We loved the classic ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ and the ‘Train Race’ on the Jumbotron.

The digital screen at Yankee Stadium is lit up during a game with the subway race game, showing '4 Train Wins.' — *We were fans of the NY Train Race, similar to our Seattle Hydroplane Race.*

What Are the Chances of My Kid Getting a Baseball?

Boy in blue shirt sits in stands at Yankee Stadium. He's holding a baseball and giving a thumbs up. — *My son, feeling grateful he got a baseball!*

My ticket search was kind of based on this because my older son got a ball at a Seattle Mariners game we went to earlier in the summer.

My son was so excited to get a ball at the game! Brett Bateman, the Toronto Bluejays center fielder ran over to the wall and handed my son a ball just before the 6^th inning. He was absolutely thrilled!

I thought it was so sweet that Bateman ran over to hand it to him, because for the entire game the outfielders would warm up and then throw a ball into the stands. Thanks so much, Brett – you made a lifetime memory for my 8-year-old!

Based on my research and what I noted during the game, to up your chances of getting a game ball:

Sit in Section 104. This seemed to be where most outfielders throw the ball after between-inning warmups. Sections 103, 102, and 105 also got a few balls.
Sit in Right Field. Hopefully you’ll have a chance to catch a homerun! There was one homerun hit to right field during our game (I think it landed in Section 107.
Go to Pre-Game Batting Practice. To do this, you currently have to buy special tickets to enter early.
Sit Behind the Dugouts. Even though there’s a net on the 1^st and 3^rd baselines, we saw players throw balls into the stands just behind the dugouts.

If all else fails, you could buy a baseball in the team store.

When to Leave the Game

Die-hard fans will stay until the end of the game, but I was very keen to avoid crazy subway crowds, so we left midway through the bottom of the 8^th inning.

We stopped to use the bathrooms, left the stadium, walked across the street and took the 4 Express train back to our hotel. Everyone on the subway had seats and I was glad we didn’t have to navigate the journey back in large crowds.

Tip: If you do decide to stay for the entire game, you could also linger in the stadium a bit after the last out. We’ve done this at Mariners games and after 20-30 minutes, the public transport crowds have usually died down.

Boy stands with a baseball in his hands and Yankee Stadium stands behind him. He's in the outfield stands. It's night and the stadium is lit up and packed with fans. — *One last photo before leaving in the bottom of the 8th inning*

No Games During Your Visit? Check Out These Alternatives

NY Mets – NY’s other baseball team (Citi Field, Queens)

NY Knicks – NBA Basketball (Madison Square Garden, Manhattan)

Brooklyn Nets – NBA Basketball (Barclays Center, Brooklyn)

NY Liberty – WNBA Basketball (Barclays Center, Brooklyn)

New York City FC – MLS Soccer (from 2027 at Etihad Park, Queens, and it looks like it will share similarities with Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium)

We saw the NY Liberty play during our NYC visit and it was absolutely incredible! We think the atmosphere at Barclays is the best in the WNBA, even though we’re big Indiana Fever fans.

Love Baseball? You may want to read about
Going to a Baseball Game in Tokyo with Kids
Going to a Seattle Mariners Game with Kids