MLB Ballpark Tour: Miller Park, Home of the Milwaukee Brewers

Miller Park, Home of the Milwaukee Brewers, is my favorite ballpark in all of Major League Baseball for a few reasons. The primary reason is that it’s my “home” ballpark so I have an obvious bias. Though I live in Cincinnati now, Miller Park is the place I saw the most games played, attended countless Opening Days, and celebrated birthdays of my niece and nephew. I have so many special memories of Miller Park that it has to be my favorite MLB ballpark.

Here are my Top 10 Reasons why Miller Park will always be my favorite:

10. Parking Attendants who Know How to Park 20,000 cars

Parking at sporting events is a pet peeve of mine, and that’s because I’ve been spoiled by Miller Park. Parking at Miller Park is a well-oiled machine. The attendants will direct you to the exact place where you are to park, and there is no deviation. Be warned, if you’re used to picking your spot at ballgames, that is not an option at Miller Park. There is no backing into spots to make for an easy exit. If you’re trying to tailgate with multiple cars, this can take some practice to get the cars in just the right spots in line to maximize real estate in the parking lot. However, no car is ever blocked in so it’s easy to get in and out of your spot after the game. (The line to exit the parking lot is another issue, however, and is my least favorite thing about Miller Park, though it’s not nearly as bad as leaving a Chicago Fire game. See #3 for solutions).

9. Miller Park is the set of Bernie Mac’s Mr. 3000.

“Been there.”

Though the Cleveland Indians is the featured franchise in Major League, the scenes were filmed at Milwaukee County Stadium, the Brewers home until 2001. So, naturally, Miller Park was ready for its feature film debut too! If Hollywood likes Milwaukee ballparks, of course I would too!

Anytime we see a location on television or a movie that we have seen in real life, Hubby comments, “Been there” in less than five seconds. Or course, watching a movie that takes place in a city that we love, in a ballpark that we love, prompted a string of “Been there”s throughout the movie.

Fun Fact: My parents and several aunts and uncles were extras in the stadium scenes in Major League, and a handful of cousins and friends sat in the stands for crowd shots for Mr. 3000.

8. Ample Transportation Alternatives

Miller Park is not downtown, which can be frustrating if visiting the park from out of town. Though parking is not a problem, and I love tailgating (see #3), sometimes I don’t want to deal with traffic. There are so many other ways to get to Miller Park that don’t involve Uber or Lyft. Many hotels, bars and restaurants offer shuttles to Miller Park that drop off passengers closer to Miller Park than any of the parking lots. Hubby and I often had a drink at Saz’s and then caught the free shuttle to the game. Not all shuttles are free though, or some may be free with a purchase, so be sure to inquire!

In addition to shuttles, the bus is another option for getting to the park. During college, I always took the bus to games. The bus line (90) only goes to Miller Park and is marked as BREWERS so it was easy, and relatively inexpensive. The bus only runs from the downtown area though so plan accordingly!

7. The Beer Barrel Polka (aka Roll Out the Barrel)

Every stadium sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch, but Miller Park also sings “The Beer Barrel Polka” immediately after “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” a tribute to the minor-league Brewers original barrel man “mascot,” and the logo used when Bud Selig campaigned to get a franchise back to Milwaukee after the Braves moved to Atlanta. The polka is a nod to the prevalent German and Polish heritage of Milwaukee. And obviously with a name like Brewers, who play in a ballpark named Miller Park, it’s appropriate to celebrate beer! For anyone who doesn’t know this song, the words are shown on the on the jumbo screen and include such awesome phrases as “Zing! Boom! Tarrarel!” It’s silly and funny, but fully representative of the history of Milwaukee and the Brewers.

6. Bernie Brewer’s Dugout

Bernie Brewer is the official mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers, an oversized blond-haired dude with a handlebar mustache in a Brewers uniform. Bernie kicks off the bottom of the 1st inning with his entrance down the slide in his Dugout above the left-center field bleachers and an enthusiastic wave of the Brewers flag. During the game, he waits patiently for the Brewers to hit homers so he can once again slide down the two-story yellow slide, while a “Get Up, Get Up, Get Outta Here, Gone!” sign lights up (a tribute to Bob Ueckers’ famous call during games – see #4). Bernie also keeps track of strike outs, and hangs “K” for every player that a Brewers’ pitcher strikes out during the game. I think Bernie’s Dugout has been renamed for sponsorship purposes, but is in the same location and serves the same purpose.

Fun Fact: In the County Stadium Days, Bernie used to slide into a giant barrel of beer, but it was changed to a simple platform with a home plate to seem more “family friendly.” I say when you’re named the Brewers and Miller Park, embrace the beer!

5. Affordable Family Fun

The Brewers have worked hard to create a family-friendly atmosphere at Miller Park. First, every seat has a great view of the field and ticket prices are reasonable, so it won’t break the bank to see a game – and you’ll actually be able to see the field no matter how much you spend! Seat options include family sections where no alcohol is served.

Miller Park also has one of the most generous carry-in policies in the Major League, and allows families to bring food into the stadium so you don’t have to pay premium prices for snacks. (See also #3). There are also $1 hot dog and soda games if you need that to make your ballpark experience complete.

Aside from cost-savings, the ballpark has so many other options to keep kids and their parents happy before, during, and after games. The stadium has two kids areas inside to cater to two different age groups – the Aurora Health Care Kids Zone for toddlers and the US Cellular Power Playground for older kids, complete with a replica of Bernie Brewer’s slide. They also added a nursing suite, as well as a Mamava pod. And after Sunday games, all kids age 14 and under are invited down to the field to run the bases – no special ticket required!

• 

• 

Outside the stadium are options to burn off energy before games. The stadium built a great playground near the parking lot for kids to play on before games, and it’s available to the public on non-game days as well. And, as you may have noticed in the header picture on this post and in the picture below, Helfaer Field was built on the site of the former County Stadium, next to the parking lots for Miller Park. Helfaer Field can be reserved for youth games and corporate events, or as a tailgating site on game days. The Brewers also offer Helfaer Sundays, when families can play catch in the outfield or run the warning track before Sunday games. I loved watching my nephew play games at Helfaer!

4. Uecker Seats

I grew up listening to Brewers games on the radio during family gatherings, the voice of Bob Uecker coming through the radio that resided on the patio at my grandparents’ house in Milwaukee all summer. Even when the games were broadcast on television, my grandpa watched the games with the sound off and listened to Uecker’s radio broadcast instead. Bob Uecker is one of the most recognized broadcasters in all of Major League Baseball, especially for my generation, due to his roles on Mr. Belvedere and as Harry Doyle in the Major League movies. Who hasn’t been at a game and heard somebody mutter, “Juuust a bit outside” on a wild pitch? (Anybody who is under 40, that’s who. Anyway…) Uecker still broadcasts Brewers games at the age of 85, and I love listening to the play by play combined with his story telling and self-deprecating sense of humor.

Fun Fact: My grandpa played ball with Uecker in the neighborhood. Grandpa was a pitcher and Uecker was a catcher.

In the 80s, Uecker did a series of commercials for Miller Lite including one in which he was told he was in the wrong seat. He deadpanned that must be in the front row, only to be shown in the nosebleed seats. So, it’s only appropriate that when the roof construction at Miller Park created some obstructed view seats, they were named the Uecker seats.

Uecker seats are $1 and are available for sale on game days only, approximately an hour before game time (though people line up before and there are only 103 seats), and you must enter the stadium immediately after purchase. The seats closest to the aisle are obstructed, while those in the middle are perfectly fine, and located behind home plate on the 400-level. In the top row of Section 422 sits a Bob Uecker statue with an open seat next to it for photos before or after the game only whether you have Uecker seats or not.

I love the Uecker seats not only because they are a buck, but also because they celebrate a man who contributed so much to the Brewers and baseball pop culture in the 80s when I was falling in love with the game. Or, more likely, because I can’t think of Uecker without also thinking about Grandpa.

3. Tailgating Culture

We lived close to Miller Park when we lived in Milwaukee, and I drove by the stadium every day during my commute. On game days, I loved to open my windows and smell the thousands of grills cooking up burgers and brats in the ample parking lots of Miller Park. Lots typically open three hours before the game, and fans are ready when they do. There are spaces available to reserve for large parties, but otherwise, grab the space in front of or behind your car and get to grilling! There are receptacles at the end of each parking aisle to dump your hot coals before going into the games too!

Tailgating isn’t just about the food though. We often played bags (or cornhole), ladders, beer pong, tossed a football, or a host of other games at our tailgates, or we’d arrange our camp chairs in a circle and catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in a while.

• 

• 

To avoid the traffic jam after the game, we often set out leftover chips or cookies and waters, played a game of bags, and hung out for a little while until the parking lots cleared for an easier exit. Miller Park allows for guests to remain in the parking lot for an hour after the game ends!

2. Famous Racing Sausages

Often imitated, never duplicated, the Sausage Races are a time-honored tradition in Milwaukee. I could write an entire post about the Famous Racing Sausages, but I’ll try to keep it brief. Originally a digital race through Milwaukee that was broadcast on the scoreboard at County Stadium (which I remember), the Brewers surprised fans by opening up the left field gate and having three sausages – Bratwurst, Polish Sausage, and Italian Sausage – emerge to run the rest of the race. They became a fixture at Brewers games in 1994, and were often featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter because it was just so funny and there was nothing else like it in Major League Baseball. They were sponsored by Klements, who provided the sausages for the stadium until 2018, and Johnsonville has since become the sponsor.

There are now five sausages, and they actually have names (and an old commercial that everyone in Milwaukee could sing) – Bratwurst (Brett Wurst), Polish Sausage (Stosh), Italian Sausage (Guido), Hot Dog (Frankie), and Chorizo (Cinco). Sometimes they have a relay with mini sausages (kids in the costumes), and they are just the cutest little mascots ever.

• 

• 

• 

The Sausage Race is run at the bottom of the sixth inning and NOBODY misses it. The Brewers keep track of wins for each of the sausages because it’s that important. If you’re visiting the stadium, you must select a sausage and cheer loudly for it as it races around the track, then cheer and taunt your friends and family when your sausage comes in first. Then, make them buy you that sausage from the many concession stands throughout Miller Park! I always cheer for Polish.

To see a race, check out my instagram post!

Fun Fact: My sister donned the Polish Sausage costume for the Breast Cancer Walk in Milwaukee. She said she nearly fell over several times because she couldn’t see people coming up to her and giving her hugs. Also, it smelled really bad.

1. Retractable Roof

Milwaukee doesn’t have the best or most predictable weather in April (or May or June or September for that matter). I’ve lost track of the number of snowstorms that have hit Milwaukee after Opening Day. Even if it doesn’t snow, 40 degree temperatures aren’t very fun to watch games. And don’t forget about the rainy Spring, which seems to last for months and months on end. Translation: the retractable roof, and windows that open and close, allow for baseball to happen in Milwaukee rain or shine, and without delay, but also facilitates watching games in the gorgeous Milwaukee sunshine in the summer. If you are on a ballpark tour, Milwaukee is a great destination no matter the time of year because the game will always be played!

Fun Fact: The Indians and the Angels played a three-game series at Miller Park in April 2007 due to snowstorms in Cleveland. The Brewers offered $10 tickets and more than 19,000 fans showed up for the first game of the series – not bad considering the game fell on a Tuesday night and neither team was the Brewers!

Not so fun fact: Miller Park was supposed to open in 2000, but during construction, one of the big blue cranes used to construct the retractable roof collapsed and crushed part of stadium, killing three people. A bronze sculpture called “Teamwork” honors the three men at Miller Park.

Honorable Mention: Food and Beverage Options

I am not a beer drinker, but I am told that the beer selection at Miller Park is excellent and extends far beyond Miller products. My friends and family usually drink New Glarus Spotted Cow, which they tell me is a very drinkable ale that can only be purchased in the State of Wisconsin, and pairs perfectly with brats and baseball.

Speaking of brats, Miller Park is famous for racing sausages for a reason. They sell more sausages than hot dogs! Food options are plentiful and good, but because I’m partial to tailgating, I generally don’t purchase entrees at the park so the food only gets an honorable mention in my book. I will vouch for the nachos (in or out of the helmet)- that’s my go-to snack at any ballpark and Miller Park’s are top notch!

Conclusion

There are newer and fancier ballparks than Miller Park, but Miller Park will always be my favorite of our ballpark tour. I love that it celebrates the history of the Brewers in both subtle and obvious ways. As I’ve written this post, I’ve been reminded of how Brewers games are woven into my childhood memories, and even though those games were at the old Milwaukee County Stadium, Miller Park continues to house and evoke those memories in a very tangible way for me.

Miss you and love you, Grandpa.

Don’t miss a single review of the Major League Ballparks. Subscribe below!