Going to a Ball Game

The Presidential Seats behind home plate may be pricey at $325 and up, but some seats at Nationals Park can be had cheap. And not all of the deals are advertised.

Fans who go to the park on game day can buy one of 400 grandstand seats in sections 401 and 402 for $5; one ticket per person.

Other discounts are available the day of the game. On Wednesdays, show up at the box office with the front page of that day’s Washington Post to get $5 off a ticket priced at $24 or more; there’s a two-ticket limit. On Tuesdays, take a Harris Teeter VIC (very important customer) card to the box office to get the same $5-off deal; that deal has a four-ticket limit.

Senior citizens age 50 and older, government employees, active members of the military, and college students can shave $3 off any same-day ticket priced $10 or more by showing the appropriate ID at the box office. The deal is available Monday through Thursday for nonholiday, nonpremium games and is based on availability.

Like to plan ahead? Upper outfield gallery seats, high above the left-field line, are always $10.

Perhaps the best bargain is the “family fun pack” on select Sundays: For $14, get an upper right-field terrace ticket, a hot dog, one nonalcoholic beverage, and chips. The fun pack is available August 3, 17, and 31 and September 21.

O Say, That’s a Bargain

If you’d like to catch the Orioles this summer at Camden Yards, the least expensive regular ticket is standing room—$8 for most games, $10 for premium games. (You can buy those tickets in advance only for sold-out games.) Left-field upper-reserve seats are the next cheapest at $9 or $15.

Every Tuesday, upper-reserve and left-field upper-box seats, normally $13 to $20, are $8. Thursdays, a $15 Eutaw bleacher seat comes with a Boog’s barbecue sandwich. Fridays, students with an ID can buy a left-field upper-reserve seat at the box office for $6.

Savings on the Greens

Many golf courses have lower greens fees for tee times after 4 pm—nice for long summer days. Good choices include P.B. Dye in Ijamsville ($39; pbdyegolf.com), Worthington Manor in Urbana ($39; worthingtonmanor.com), and Patuxent Greens in Laurel ($27; patuxentgolf.com). These twilight specials are available Monday through Thursday.

Penderbrook in Fairfax (penderbrookgolf.com) offers a great golf-and-meal deal: Monday through Thursday, get 18 holes with a cart plus an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast or lunch for $45. On Friday, it’s $55.

How do you have fun on the cheap? Tell us in the comments! 

Related:
Bargain Happy Hours
How to Have Fun in Washington for Free
Great Theater Bargains for Young People