INSIDE LOOK: Tampa Bay Rays Game Day at Tropicana Field with the Kids

As we celebrate America’s 250th this month, there is nothing more Americana than a day at the baseball field with a popcorn and a hot dog! And here in Tampa Bay, it’s also the perfect way to beat the summer heat and afternoon rain.

If you haven’t taken the family to a Tampa Bay Rays home game, this is the summer to make it happen. The Rays have an all-new summer ticket deal for families and awesome entertainment beyond the ballgame for pre-game and post-game fun.

Our team here at Tampa Bay Parenting recently went to a game to give you an INSIDE LOOK at game day to help you plan a day fit for the memory book. So let’s play ball! 

It’s the Best Summer Ever at Tropicana Field

The Tampa Bay Rays are celebrating their return to Tropicana Field with special events, ticket deals for families, and more!

Summer Family Pack Ticket Deal: 

There aren’t many places in town where you can buy an experience, meal, and parking for $27 per person, but you can with the Tampa Bay Rays! Each ticket includes a hot dog combo meal redeemable through the Rays Wallet in the MLB Ballpark app. (The meal includes a hot dog, chips and a Coca-Cola product.) There is a minimum purchase of two tickets per game for this offer. Kids ages 2 and older will need a game admission ticket. 

Get your tickets here: RaysBaseball.com/summer

Family Fundays with the Tampa Bay Rays

Sunday home games are an epic experience for kids and families! In addition to all the pregame fun offered at home games, there’s even more on the roster for kids to experience: 

• Meet Rays Players: Kids 14 and under can meet Rays players and get their autographs by heading to the area near the first baseline in sections 120/122, starting 85 minutes before the pitch.
• Family Fun Days Pregame Perks: Another benefit of getting there early is the face painters and balloon artists! You’ll find them stationed throughout the Trop. 
• Kids Run the Bases presented by RIPA: This was so much fun, and we only imagine how incredible it must feel as a kid to run the same bases as your favorite players under the dome. Line up near the Gate 2 helix for this. While the line can get long, it moves quickly. Parents can go along with little ones who might need an extra hand.
• DJ Kitty Dance Party: Once the kids run the bases, the whole family can stay and play yard games, pose for photos with team mascots DJ Kitty and Raymond and see what the balloon artists can create! Honestly, it’s the coolest experience to be out there on the field, and you’ll get some pretty amazing photos as well. 

Save the Date: Sunday Games in July and August:

• July 12 vs. Seattle Mariners at 1:40 p.m.
• July 26 vs. Cleveland Guardians at 12:15 p.m.
• Aug. 2 vs. Chicago White Sox at 1:40 p.m.
• Aug. 16 vs. Baltimore Orioles at 12:15 p.m.
• Aug. 30 vs. San Diego Padres at 1:40 p.m.
• For full schedule, visit: RaysBaseball.com

**July 26 Game Giveaway: The first 10,000 fans will receive a Raymond Shoulder plush presented by Suncoast Credit Union.

MORE Game Day Fun at Tropicana Field

While Family Fundays are a blast, there’s still fun to be had at every home game!

• Pregame Entertainment: The doors usually open 2 hours before first pitch on weekends and 1.5 hours before on weekdays, and you should definitely take advantage of all of the things to do. entertainers to greet you in the Rotunda near Gate 1. We saw a magician and a stilt walker. The mascots sometimes hang out in this area when the gates first open, and then roam after.
• Cownose Clubhouse: The seven cownose stingrays are back in a newly renovated space after weathering Hurricane Milton in October 2024. It’s located just behind the right-center field wall on the second floor and accessible via the Gate 1 elevator or staircase. Kids can touch the rays as they swim by while getting an incredible view of the field. We also love all of the new signage in the Cownose Clubhouse that teaches you all about the species of rays that call Tampa Bay home.
• On-Field Pregame Experience: On home game days Monday through Thursday, kids ages 14 and younger can join players on the field 35 minutes before first pitch. They will need to first get an on-field experience badge in the Rays Rookies alcove near Gate 1 while supplies last. 
• Play Ball! There are two fun and free interactive stations where kids can practice their speed pitch and batting skills. Speed Pitch is located near lower Gate 2, and Bat Around is near lower Gate 6. There is also a video game room and a mini museum showcasing baseball history in Tampa Bay. 
• Shop: You can shop The Bay Republic Team Store near Center Field on the Field Level for a wide selection of Rays swag. Right next door is the Rays Authentics Store, where you can purchase MLB-authenticated, game-used and autographed items from your favorite Rays players. Money goes right back into the Rays Up Foundation to support local programming.
• Commemorate a Special Day: Purchase a “Fangram” on the scoreboard, which will be displayed for 6-8 seconds in the middle of the third inning. You will need to place an order by 11:59 p.m. the day before the game. Want to really go big on game day? Book a Mascot Seat Visit up until first pitch, and Raymond or DJ Kitty will come pose for a photo and deliver a swag bag with an exclusive Raymond water bottle sometime between the first and third innings. 
• If your child is attending the game for the very first time, commemorate the experience by printing out a free ‘My First Game’ certificate signed by Raymond for the baby book at RaysBaseball.com/fans.

Reading with the Rays presented by Suncoast Credit Union: 

It’s not too late to participate in Reading with the Rays and squeeze in at least 24 hours of reading during the summer months. This is the 19th year that The Rays and Suncoast Credit Union have partnered for this incentive-based reading program, encouraging students to avoid summer learning loss. Kids can round the bases of rewards and earn up to two tickets to a Rays home game. raysbaseball.com/reading

*Originally published in the July 2026 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.

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