First-Timer's Guide to Dodger Stadium

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Dodger Stadium is built in stacked tiers cut into the Chavez Ravine hillside, with its parking lots spread around it at different heights. With a general parking pass, staff may send you to any of several lots, and the Dodgers sell Preferred Parking if you want a specific area.

Verify before you go: bag, alcohol, gate, and parking rules can change season to season. Confirm specifics against the official Dodgers A-Z guide on mlb.com/dodgers before you go.

Parking by level

The seating levels run from Field Level at the bottom up through Loge, Reserve, and the Top Deck, with the outfield Pavilions beyond the walls. With a general parking pass, you may not get to choose your lot. Staff may send you to different lots depending on arrival time, traffic flow, and lot events, and the Dodgers say to buy Preferred Parking if you want to park in a specific area. The Dodgers’ A-Z guide pairs seven lots with seating levels, in its list of bike rack locations:

• Field Level: Lots G and I
• Loge, Club, and Suites: Lots D and L
• Reserve Level: Lots B and N
• Top Deck: Lot P

The Dodgers’ Preferred Parking list includes Lots B, D, G, L, N, and P. The Dodgers say not every Preferred lot is sold individually, and the lots they name for sale to the public in advance are not any of the seven. The Dodgers do not sell Preferred Parking at the gate.

• Five lettered gates lead into the parking lots. They are Sunset Gate A, Scott Gate B, Golden State Gate C, Academy Gate D, and Downtown Gate E.
• Escalators and elevators connect the levels inside. There are escalators near the entry gates and behind home plate, and two elevators behind home plate reach every level. Your seat is the one on your ticket, and staff can ask to see it.

Gate times, bags, and parking

These are the Dodger Stadium rules to plan around:

• Stadium gates open approximately 2 hours before first pitch, and parking gates about 2.5 hours; gate times may vary. Build a buffer into your arrival plan.
• Bags: a clear bag up to 12 by 12 by 6 inches, or a small non-clear wristlet or clutch up to 5 by 8 by 2 inches. No backpacks, no coolers hard or soft, no beach bags, no large purses. Diaper bags are allowed when you have an infant with you. The simplest thing is to leave the bag at home and bring your phone and a card. If you do show up with a bag that is not allowed, the Dodgers have paid lockers in Lot H and Lot N for $15 a bag. They open when the parking gates do, and you have until 60 minutes after the game ends to pick your bag up. Factory-sealed non-alcoholic drinks of 1 liter or less and outside food in a clear bag are allowed. Vapes and smokeless tobacco are prohibited.
• There is no tailgating. Eating and drinking in the parking lots is not allowed, so eat before you get to the stadium or eat inside. You can find the full tailgating rule and pre-game spots nearby in our Around the Park section.
• Alcohol is served through the 7th inning, with a maximum of 2 drinks per person per purchase, 21 and over only. Sales can stop earlier at the team’s discretion, and no outside alcohol comes in.
• Tickets are mobile. Get yours up on your phone in the MLB Ballpark app before you head for the gate.
• Buy parking in advance or take the free shuttle. Prepaid parking is cheaper than paying at the gate. If you would rather skip the lot entirely, the Dodger Stadium Express runs from Union Station and five South Bay stops, free with your game ticket.

The day-game sun warning

Dodger Stadium is mostly a night-game park, so on most visits the sun is not a factor. For a day game, bring a hat and sunscreen, and know that the Right Field Pavilion takes the most sun of any section. You can check your own section and start time on the Dodger Stadium SunTracker.

What to expect

Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, and its listed capacity of 56,000 is the largest in the majors. Starting in 2026, the field carries a sponsor’s name, so you will also see the venue listed as UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. The park is terraced into the hillside, so even with that many seats, the lower levels feel close to the field. Expect the lots to take a while to empty after the final out. You can find more about the lots, the Express, rideshare, and prepaid parking in our Getting There section.

Flying in? If you travel light, the FlyAway and the free Express get you from LAX to the stadium. You can find more about where to leave luggage in our Getting There section.

Views, statues, and retired numbers

These are worth walking to before first pitch:

• The view from the upper tiers. From the Reserve Level and the Top Deck, especially on the third-base side, you get the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield and, from spots, the downtown LA skyline. It is one of the best backdrops in the majors.
• The statues. Jackie Robinson (2017) and Sandy Koufax (2022) both stand in the Centerfield Plaza. Fernando Valenzuela is honored with a mural on the Left Field Loge Terrace.
• The retired numbers. The Dodgers’ 12 retired numbers are displayed in the Retired Numbers Plaza on the Top Deck, outside the gates.
• The mid-century design. The wave-shaped roofline over the upper deck, the wavy sun-shade roofs over the outfield Pavilions, the hexagonal scoreboards, and the pastel seat tiers (yellow and gold, light blue, dark blue, orange) are the instantly recognizable look of the place.
• The Centerfield Plaza. New with the 2020 renovation, with concessions and room for kids to move.

You can find more about the backstory behind all of it, including Chavez Ravine, in our History section.

First-timer checklist

• Buy parking ahead, or plan your Express or rideshare ride.
• Pack a clear bag, or no bag at all.
• Load your ticket in the MLB Ballpark app.
• Eat before you drive up.
• For a day game, pack a hat and sunscreen.
• Leave time for the statues, the retired numbers, and the view from the upper tiers.
• Plan your ride home before the game ends.

Know Dodger Stadium better than we do? Tell us what we got wrong, or where we should be sending people instead.

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