Miami Marlins Game Guide: Tickets, loanDepot Park and Little Havana
On a Tuesday night in July, when the streets of Little Havana are still radiating the afternoon’s heat, the roof of loanDepot park is shut, the air inside is cool enough to make you glad of long sleeves, and a seat a few rows behind the dugout costs less than two cocktails on Ocean Drive. Marlins tickets are the best-value major-league ticket in South Florida, and it is not especially close. The team is rarely the hottest ticket in town, which is exactly why a night at the ballpark works so well: cheap seats, room to move, a roof that makes summer baseball comfortable, and Calle Ocho a short walk away.
This guide covers the 2027 season and opener, what tickets cost and how to buy them, where to sit, how to get there by train, trolley or car, the ballpark’s rules, and how to turn a game into a proper Little Havana evening. Details were checked against the Marlins’ own information in September 2026; prices change game by game, so treat any figure as a range rather than a quote. For the rest of Miami’s teams, see our Miami sports guide.
Marlins Games at a Glance
| What to know | |
|---|---|
| Ballpark | loanDepot park, 501 Marlins Way, Little Havana. Capacity 37,442, retractable roof |
| Season | Late March to late September, 81 home games |
| 2027 opener | Thursday 25 March 2027 against the Mets, the start of a six-game homestand |
| Typical ticket | A good seat for about $20–$40 at most games |
| Gates | 90 minutes before first pitch; earlier for premium seats and members |
| Bags | Clear only, up to 16″ x 16″ x 8″, or a clutch up to 6″ x 8″ |
| Payment | Concessions are cashless |
| Parking | Four garages and six lots on site, dynamically priced at roughly $15–$30; your license plate is your pass |
| Transit | Metrorail to Culmer or Civic Center, then a game-day shuttle or the free City of Miami Trolley |
| Before the game | Little Havana: Cuban food, cafecito and live music within a short walk or ride |
Why the Marlins Are Miami’s Best-Value Night Out
Nobody would claim the Marlins are one of baseball’s glamour franchises. Attendance is modest for most of the season, the team spends more time rebuilding than contending, and large parts of the upper deck are often empty. For a visitor, every one of those facts is good news. Tickets are cheap and easy to get on the day, you can move around the ballpark freely, the lines are short, and the building itself is one of the most comfortable places to watch a summer game anywhere in the country.
The roof is the key. Miami from June to September is hot, humid and liable to thunderstorms most afternoons, which makes outdoor baseball an endurance event and a rained-out game a real possibility. At loanDepot park the roof closes, the air conditioning goes on, and a July game becomes one of the coolest things you can do in the city, in both senses. When the weather is kind, usually in spring, the roof slides open and you get a warm evening under the sky with the downtown skyline beyond the left-field glass.
A short history
The franchise began in 1993 as the Florida Marlins, playing at the Dolphins’ stadium in what is now Miami Gardens, and won the World Series twice in its first eleven seasons: in 1997, with an eleventh-inning walk-off in Game 7, and in 2003, beating the Yankees in New York. In 2012 the team moved into its own ballpark, on the site of the old Orange Bowl stadium in Little Havana, and changed its name to the Miami Marlins. The ballpark was known as Marlins Park until 2021, when it became loanDepot park.
The building has been reworked since it opened. A renovation in 2020 changed the look of the outfield and moved the famous home run sculpture, a riot of color, flamingos and leaping marlins that used to erupt behind center field whenever a Marlin homered, outside the ballpark. The ballpark has also become one of the great stages of international baseball: it hosted the championship round of the World Baseball Classic in 2023, when Japan beat the United States in the final and Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout for the last out.
The 2027 Season
The Marlins open 2027 at home on Thursday 25 March 2027 against the New York Mets, the start of a six-game homestand against two division rivals. After an off-day on the 26th, the Mets series continues through the weekend, including a game on Easter Sunday, and the Philadelphia Phillies visit from 29 to 31 March. Opening Day is the one regular-season game that usually sells out, with pre-game ceremonies and a full house; the rest of the opening homestand is much easier to get into.
One caveat applies to the whole 2027 season. Major League Baseball’s labor agreement with the players expires on 1 December 2026. If a new deal is not reached in time, the owners could lock the players out and delay the start of the season, as happened in 2022, when Opening Day was pushed back by about a week. Do not book non-refundable travel around a March or early April game until the new agreement is done.
The regular season runs to late September, with 81 home games. Beyond the division rivals, the 2027 visitors include the Houston Astros, the Detroit Tigers, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Athletics, the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins from the American League, under baseball’s balanced schedule. Check the Marlins’ schedule for the dates that suit your trip.
What Tickets Cost
| Ticket | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Upper level, ordinary weeknight | The cheapest seats in the ballpark, below the lower-level price |
| A good lower-level seat along the baselines | About $20–$40 at most games |
| Behind the dugouts and home plate | More, rising steeply toward the premium clubs |
| Premium clubs, including the PNC Club | The top of the range, with food, drink and early entry |
| Opening Day and big opponents | Several times the ordinary price |
| Parking at the ballpark | Roughly $15–$30, priced by demand |
| Metrorail to the ballpark | $2.25 a ride |
Which games are cheapest
- Weeknights, especially Monday to Wednesday, from April to September.
- Opponents without a big traveling following. Miami has plenty of transplanted New Yorkers, Philadelphians and Chicagoans, and their teams’ visits cost more.
- Late-season games when the Marlins are out of contention.
- Games against small-market clubs from the American League, which rarely bring many fans.
Which games cost more
- Opening Day and the first weekend of the season.
- The Mets, the Phillies, the Braves, the Yankees and the Cubs, whenever they are in town, because their fans turn up in numbers.
- Promotion nights with popular giveaways, fireworks or concerts after the game.
- Anything in a pennant race, on the occasions the Marlins are in one.
Where to Buy
Buy through the Marlins’ official site or the MLB Ballpark app, which is also where your mobile ticket lives and where you can order food to your seat. Tickets are mobile only. The big resale marketplaces carry plenty of Marlins inventory and are often cheaper than face value for ordinary games; compare the total price including fees rather than the headline figure.
For most games there is no need to buy far in advance. Unlike almost every other ticket in Miami sport, Marlins tickets can usually be bought on the day, and prices often fall as first pitch approaches. The exceptions are Opening Day, popular promotion nights and visits from teams with large followings. Check the team’s promotions calendar before choosing a date: giveaways, theme nights, post-game concerts and discounted ticket offers can make one night much better value than another.
Where to Sit
- Lower level along the baselines is the sweet spot: close to the field, good sightlines and ordinary prices.
- Behind the dugouts puts you nearest the players, and costs more.
- The upper level is the cheapest seat in the house, fine for watching a whole game and quiet enough for a restless child to wander.
- Left field gets home run balls and faces the big windows looking out toward downtown, which are especially good when the roof is open.
- The PNC Club and other premium areas include food, drink, cushioned seats and early entry, and can be worth it for a group or a special occasion.
Since the ballpark is rarely full, you will often find plenty of space around you. Stay in the section your ticket is for; ushers do check in the lower bowl.
Getting There
Metrorail, shuttle and trolley
loanDepot park does not have its own rail station, but two Metrorail stations serve it. From Culmer station, the Marlins run a game-day shuttle to the ballpark. From Civic Center station, the free City of Miami Trolley runs to the ballpark about every 15 minutes until around 11 p.m. A Metrorail ride costs $2.25, and downtown is only a few stops away, so from a downtown or Brickell hotel the whole trip takes around half an hour. Check the shuttle and trolley details for your date on the Marlins’ site, because services can change. Our Miami transportation guide explains Metrorail, the trolleys and the fares.
Driving and parking
Four garages and six surface lots surround the ballpark. The Home Plate Garage, at 1502 NW 7th Street, and the Third Base Garage are on Felo Ramirez Drive; the First Base and Center Field garages are on Bobby Maduro Drive. Prices are dynamic, generally about $15 to $30, and your vehicle’s license plate serves as your parking credential, so make sure the plate you register is the car you drive. The residential streets around the ballpark have permit zones that are enforced on game days. Read the signs rather than guessing. Our Miami parking guide covers towing and residential rules across the city.
Without traffic, the drive is about ten to fifteen minutes from downtown or Brickell, twenty to twenty-five from Miami Beach, and fifteen from Coral Gables.
Rideshare
Drop-off is easy. Pick-up after a busy game is slower, and if the game has drawn a big crowd, walking a few blocks toward Calle Ocho before you book is quicker than waiting outside the garages.
Entry, Bags and What to Bring
- Gates open 90 minutes before first pitch. Premium guests enter two hours before at the PNC Club entrance, and Marlins Members get in two and a half hours early on Fridays and Saturdays at the Third Base Entrance.
- Clear bags only, made of plastic, vinyl or PVC, up to 16″ x 16″ x 8″. Small clutches up to 6″ x 8″ are fine, and medical and infant bags are allowed.
- Bring a card or a phone that pays. Concessions do not accept cash.
- Bring a light layer if the roof is closed; the air conditioning is strong.
- Load your ticket in the MLB Ballpark app before you arrive.
Roof Open or Closed?
The decision is made on the day, based on the heat, the humidity and the chance of rain. From June to September the roof is almost always closed, and the ballpark is cool and dry whatever is happening outside. The likeliest nights for an open roof are in spring, in April and early May, and occasionally on a clear, breezy evening later in the season. An open-roof night is lovely, with warm air, the sky overhead and the downtown skyline through the left-field glass, but it also means you feel the humidity. If you run cold, bring a layer for a closed-roof game; if you run hot, hope for a closed one.
A Game-Night Timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 2½ hours before first pitch | Dinner on Calle Ocho, or cafecito and a pastelito at a ventanita if you are eating inside. |
| 90 minutes before | Gates open. Arriving now gives you the best chance of catching the end of batting practice and a relaxed walk around the concourse. |
| 30 minutes before | Find your seat, order food on the app, and watch the pre-game warm-ups. |
| First pitch | Usually in the evening on weeknights, with earlier starts on some weekends. Check your ticket. |
| After the game | Walk down to Ball & Chain or Café La Trova for a nightcap, then take a rideshare or the trolley back. |
Eat in Little Havana First
The single best way to improve a Marlins game is to start it in Little Havana. The ballpark sits just north of the neighborhood’s heart, and Calle Ocho is about a twenty-minute walk or a five-minute ride away.
- Versailles, on Calle Ocho farther west, is the institution: café cubano at the ventanita, croquetas, ropa vieja and a dining room that has hosted Miami’s Cuban community for generations. It is a short drive from the ballpark.
- El Rey de las Fritas serves the Cuban burger known as the frita, topped with shoestring potatoes, and batidos to go with it.
- Café La Trova is the cocktail stop, with serious Cuban-style drinks and live music.
- Ball & Chain has been a Calle Ocho music bar in one form or another since the 1930s and is the liveliest place for a drink before or after the game.
- Máximo Gómez Park, better known as Domino Park, is where older men play dominoes under the shade trees, and is worth a look on the way.
Inside the ballpark, the concourses lean Latin as well as American, and the prices are reasonable by stadium standards. Our Little Havana guide and Cuban food guide have the full list for before and after the game.
Accessibility
loanDepot park opened in 2012 and was built to modern standards, with elevators, ramps and accessible seating on every level. Buy accessible and companion seats through the team’s official channels, where they are clearly labeled, rather than on resale sites, which often do not show them. Medical bags are allowed through the clear-bag rule, and accessible parking is available in the garages closest to the gates. Metrorail stations have elevators, and the City of Miami Trolley is wheelchair accessible.
Taking Children
For families, the Marlins are the best live sport in Miami. Tickets are cheap enough to buy for everyone, the roof keeps summer heat and rain out of the equation, the crowds are small enough that a wandering child is nobody’s problem, and a game fills an evening without a long drive or a four-hour commitment. Look at the promotions calendar for giveaways and family days, bring a glove for the chance of a foul ball, and sit in the upper level or at the end of a row so you can take breaks. Our things to do with kids guide and Miami with teenagers guide have ideas for the rest of the trip.
More Baseball Around Miami
- Spring training. The Marlins train in Jupiter, about ninety minutes north on I-95, at a ballpark they share with another club. February and March games are small, cheap and relaxed, and worth the drive if you are in South Florida in spring.
- College baseball. The University of Miami Hurricanes play at Mark Light Field on their Coral Gables campus from February into late spring, and college baseball in Miami has a devoted following.
- International baseball. The World Baseball Classic has made loanDepot park one of its main venues. If a tournament is scheduled during your visit, the atmosphere is unlike anything in the regular season.
Where to Stay
Downtown and Brickell are the best base: Metrorail and the trolley connect you to the ballpark, the drive is short, and the restaurants and bars are on your doorstep after the game. See our downtown and Brickell hotels guide. Coral Gables is a quiet, attractive alternative about fifteen minutes away; see our Coral Gables guide. Our where to stay in Miami guide compares every neighborhood.
Honest Verdicts
- The Marlins are the best-value ticket in Miami sport, and nobody says so. Go.
- Do not buy far in advance for an ordinary game. Prices often fall on the day.
- Eat in Little Havana first. It turns an ordinary game into a very good night out.
- A summer game under the closed roof is one of the best escapes from the heat in the city.
- Take the train and the trolley if you are staying downtown; drive if you are coming from farther out, since parking is reasonable.
- Hold off on non-refundable plans for Opening Day 2027 until baseball’s new labor deal is signed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are Marlins tickets?
For most games, a good seat costs about $20 to $40, and upper-level seats on weeknights cost less still, especially on resale close to first pitch. Opening Day, big opponents and popular promotion nights cost more.
When is the Marlins’ 2027 home opener?
Thursday 25 March 2027, against the New York Mets at loanDepot park, the start of a six-game homestand that continues against the Mets and then the Phillies from 29 to 31 March. Baseball’s labor agreement expires on 1 December 2026, so check that the season is starting on time before you book.
Does loanDepot park have a roof?
Yes, a retractable roof. It is usually closed on hot or rainy days, which is most of the summer, and opened when the weather is pleasant. Games are not rained out.
What is the bag policy at loanDepot park?
Only clear bags made of plastic, vinyl or PVC, up to 16″ x 16″ x 8″, plus small clutches up to 6″ x 8″. Medical and infant bags are allowed.
How do you get to loanDepot park without a car?
Take Metrorail to Culmer station for the Marlins’ game-day shuttle, or to Civic Center station for the free City of Miami Trolley, which runs about every 15 minutes until around 11 p.m. Rideshare is also easy for getting there.
How much is parking at loanDepot park?
Parking in the ballpark’s garages and lots is dynamically priced, generally about $15 to $30. Your license plate is your parking pass.
Is a Marlins game worth it if I am not a baseball fan?
Usually, yes. It is a cheap, comfortable evening in an air-conditioned ballpark, the crowd is relaxed, and combined with dinner and a drink in Little Havana it makes one of the easiest good nights out in Miami. If you only want a taste, buy a cheap seat and leave after a few innings; nobody will mind.
What time do Marlins games start?
Most weeknight games start in the evening, and weekend games are split between evenings and afternoons. Start times vary through the season and for television, so check the schedule and your ticket.
Can you pay cash at loanDepot park?
No. Concessions only accept electronic payment.
Related Miami Guides
- Little Havana Guide — the neighborhood around the ballpark.
- Cuban Food in Miami — where to eat before first pitch.
- Miami Sports Guide — every team and venue in the city.
- Getting Around Miami — Metrorail, trolleys and buses.
- Things to Do With Kids — more family days out.
- Miami Heat Game Guide — basketball downtown, from October to April.
Photo Credits
loanDepot park interior: LoanDepot Park by Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Marlins Park in its early years: Marlins Park (HDR Pano) by Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Downtown Miami from the ballpark: (1) Downtown Miami from LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida by Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Remaining photographs from the miamitourism.org library.