Capital One Park — Local services in Tysons

I went to this ballpark in May for the opening day of the Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament and overall, I would not come back. I will be fair and start with the positives: -The park is very clean and well-kept (as I would expect for a brand-new ballpark). -All of the available seats had clear, unobstructed views of the action on the field. -Concessions prices were...alright. For ballpark prices I couldn't complain especially considering a tall beer at Nats park can cost upward of $25 nowadays. And I'm really stretching for this one because calling something LESS of a scam than others is not really a compliment.

Now, the reason for my low rating:

There were little to no open areas for spectators (and children) to mill around. My little siblings usually like to play catch and chase foul balls when going to college games with me yet there was no space for them to do so, unlike most other community (and professional) ballparks. There was a small patio area - no bigger than the deck in someone's backyard - in left field (with no shade) that a single, sad cart from Starr Hill brewery sat on. I feel bad for them that they got tricked into sponsoring this park.

Parking is NOT sufficient. The ballpark was only half-full of spectators and the grandstand on the 3rd base line was almost completely empty yet there was not a single space to be found. I was forced to park in the Wegman's parking garage across the street and it ended up costing me $25!

In addition, there was absolutely NO shade anywhere in the park. Baseball is traditionally played in summer, yet almost every single seat is directly in the sun and the short, flimsy, nearly-translucent awnings hung throughout the park did next to nothing to keep things cool. In addition, there were misters with fans that were supposed to keep the crowd cool while watching games at mid-day. These misters were hung approximately 10 feet above the stands and clearly did not have enough power to reach the spectators because the light summer breeze blew all the misty air out of the stands well before it reached the crowd. I found myself chugging water just to prevent myself from passing out while cooking in direct sunlight for 3-4 hours. The only reason I stayed was because I wanted to watch VCU win.

Overall, this park feels as if it was designed to make money and baseball was simply an afterthought. Probably because it was designed by the suits who designed the rest of Tyson's Corner - yuppies who have never watched or played a game of baseball in their lives. There is no character like that seen in other ballparks - especially compared to similarly-priced minor league parks. The atmosphere is a soulless and corporate as the rest of Northern Virginia these days. From the cheap, flimsy plastic seats to the overpriced beer to the crappy artificial turf covering the field (obviously a ploy to keep costs low - turf doesn't need to be watered even though it is infinitely better to play on real dirt and grass). It felt like I was watching a baseball game in the plastic city from The Lorax. It is not surprising at all that this ballpark carries the name of a bank notorious for sending spam to everyone's mailbox.

If you want to host an event here: stay away. If you are going to an event here - it better...

I love NCAA baseball and I love the beautiful brand new baseball stadium. Great views excellent food and soft drinks. The Atlantic Ten is having their conference tournament here 2024. I have a friend that has a daughter who attends St. Louis University and I wanted to see the tournament. Last year I attended The Ohio Valley Tournament and had an equally awesome experience. The hotdogs are magnificent and come with delicious relish. It was amazing to be seated right on top of the action and hear all the sounds and conversations on the diamond. Parking should be increased, but we walked from the hotel. Wonderful play so far by all of the NCAA Baseball teams. Lovely area of America...

Truly the best baseball experience I’ve ever had! Amazing amenities, great/cheap concession stand, easy parking, cheap tickets, and family fun throughout the game. The mascot Bruno makes for a good time, along with all of the contests, games, and giveaways throughout the game. The “jungle” in the outfield is so cool! I don’t even have kids or know someone in the league and I have a blast at every game. This was a great idea and the execution is excellent. Marking my calendar for future games. ...