To while away the hours before our late afternoon flight back home, we took a tour of the American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This stadium is home to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.

Built in 2001, it replaced the aging Milwaukee County Stadium, where the Braves played from 1953 to 1965 and the Brewers played from 1970 to 2000. The original name of the newer stadium was Miller Park because of a long-standing relationship between Miller Brewery and the ball club. In 2020, American Family Insurance gained naming rights, hence the change in name.

What is unique about this stadium is its fan-shaped roof that can open and close in less than 10 minutes. Instead of artificial turf, natural grass grows on the field. Wheeled heat-lamp structures are used to aid in the growing process as needed when sunlight alone is not sufficient. The roof is 175 feet above second base on the interior, with the apex reaching 330 feet above the playing field. With a 600-foot span, the roof covers 10.5 acres.

The building sits on 25 acres, measures 1.2 million square feet, contains 70,000 cubic yards of concrete, 24,000 tons of structural steel, 8,500 tons of rebar, 321 concrete piers, and 1,576 steel foundation piles.

To enhance the ballpark adventure, add on the Bernie Slide Experience. Lucky selected fans—two to eight people per game—can arrive early on game day and enjoy five rides down mascot Bernie Brewer’s slide. Bernie makes the trip to celebrate home runs during games. The pleasure of sliding will set a person back $150 during weekday games, and $175 on weekend and holiday games. It might be a fun birthday present for someone and a group of their friends.

We also hung out at the bullpen for a few minutes and on the field to watch a few players preparing for the game by walking, running, or resting on the field. Another group of players hit golf balls from the upper deck of the stands, which I thought was odd. The groomers worked around the field, watering and smoothing the playing surface.

Our guide led us into the Legends Club, a luxury suite with indoor and outdoor space that looks out on left field. The expansive patio and beautiful indoor lounge seat 70 guests. For cocktail parties, they can accommodate 250.

The club is also available for corporate events, retreats, seminars, receptions, and other events. With an incredible view of the field and TV monitors for close-ups, guests won’t miss any of the action, unless they’re engrossed in a conversation that is.

In the parking lot where the old Milwaukee County Stadium stood is Helfaer Field. The field is available for rent and includes the field, dugouts, and restrooms, all of which are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Seating on the concourse is plentiful with 502 bleacher seats and 220 picnic table seats. The rental also includes a scorer’s booth, sound system, and microphones for announcing. Concession stands provide the ballpark food.

Government funds from the state, county, and city will provide $500 million for stadium upgrades in Milwaukee over the next 25 years. The Brewers have committed $110 million and extended their lease through 2050.

We’ve been wanting to take a tour of a ballpark for years, and it only took us flying over 2,000 miles until we did. The Giants stadium in San Francisco is less than 40 miles away from where we live, so we definitely need to make time to visit our local team.

As we settled into our seats on the plane and the door closed, we realized we lucked out having an unoccupied middle seat between us. I spread out and dreamed of one day attending a game seated in the Legends Club. I can’t imagine who would invite me, but it’s fun to think about watching a ball game from comfy seats in an air-conditioned environment.

Up Next: A few miscellaneous trips closer to home to finish out the year.

Safe Travels