Ahh, the memories...

Who could ever forget the thrill of arriving at RFK Stadium, passing through the turnstiles and then starting that magical ascent upward and onward to a seat four levels up. Walking in semicircles ... surrounded by reinforced concrete ... no view of the actual playing field ...

Those were the days, I tell ya.

Thankfully, those days are officially over.

RFK is a 1970s, cookie-cutter multi-use facility that served a purpose -- holding many fans for many types of events. It was good at what it did. But it also gave off a sense of entrapment. You're surrounded by seats, walls and, most of all, concrete.

Nationals Park, on the other hand, will be a refreshing change for baseball fans. It is open, airy, and there are none of those gosh-darn closed-in concrete ramps that made you feel like part of a herd of cattle.

While RFK was a pillar of strength -- a fortress, if you will -- Nationals Park is inviting. You can actually walk into the stadium through the center field entrance and see the field. And you can go directly to your seat -- by walking down. The playing field at the Park is actually sunken in, so a lot of the seats are at street level or a little bit below.

Nationals Park actually contains about 5,000 fewer seats than RFK. The majority of the 41,222 seats will be in the lower seating bowl and the club and mezzanine levels.

Here's a breakdown:

• Lower Bowl: 22,000


• Upper Bowl: 12,100


• Club Seats: 2,500


• Suite Seats: 1,112


• Founder's Club: 500


• Diamond Club: 1,300

Click Here For Seating Chart, Ticket Prices
Park Tour: Stadium Images | Locker Room Images

Many of the seats in the upper bowl will provide fans with views the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol.

Seats that are down the right and left field lines will actually be angled toward the infield to help fans focus on the action.

If you're looking for a little shade, the left field line will be the place to be at Nationals Park. According to the Nats' Web site, all of the seats will be in the sun for a 1 p.m. start time. However, as the season goes on, seats along the left field line -- from home plate to the foul pole -- will be in the shade for late-afternoon and early-evening start times.

And while building Nationals Park, designers took into account not just where fans sit, but also how they sit. All of the seats, including those on the scoreboard pavilion, are chairs with permanent backs.

There will be more leg room for fans at Nationals Park than there was at RFK. There are 33 to 42 inches of leg room between rows at Nationals Park. At RFK, there was only 26 inches.

There is also almost twice as much seating for disabled fans at Nationals Park compared to RFK.

National Luxury

The luxury suites at Nationals Park provide some extra bonuses never seen at RFK. From cargo nets under some seats to hold your stuff to inside looks at some of the things few fans ever get to see, the new ballpark is full of surprises.

Both the Founder's Club and Diamond Club seats include indoor dining.

Some of the more expensive seats at Nationals Park will give you an inside look at the team. From the lounge area for President's Level seats, fans will be able to watch the team practice in an indoor batting cage. The cage is situated below the lounge, so fans can get a view of the players, and the players won't be distracted by fans snacking on some tasty food.

From the same area, fans will also be able to look in on the press conference room, where Nationals personnel will be interviewed after games. Please don't feed the reporters.

Every seat in the house will have a cupholder. As you'll recall, there were no cupholders for any seats at RFK. And those cup holders will be necessary for the drinks that go with the variety of dining options the park has to offer.

Peanuts, Cracker Jacks ... And Crab Pretzels?

Centerplate will handle food service at Nationals Park.

Fans can enjoy that food at Nationals Park center field restaurant, where the tables are tiered to give diners a view of what's happening on the field.

The following vendors will also offer food service at the park:

• Ben's Chili Bowl


• Boardwalk Fries


• Cantina Marina


• Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co.


• Kosher Sports


• Krazee Ice


• Hard Times Café


• La Piccola Gelateria


• Mayorga Coffee


• Noah's Pretzels


• Red Hot & Blue

Not only will Nationals Park include some of the best food from the Washington region, the ballpark will pay tribute to the visiting teams with special food selections from the opposing team's hometowns. For example, there will be Philly cheesesteaks, Sheboygan brats (Milwaukee), BBQ pulled pork sandwiches (Atlanta) and garlic fries (San Fran) at every game.

There will also be favorites like Chicago-style hot dogs when the Cubs are in town, fish tacos when the Padres are in D.C., and pierogies when the Pirates make the trek to Washington. No word yet on if the pierogies will be drowning in butter or not ...

For The Kids

Not to be left out, kids attending Nationals games will have a place of their own, as well.

The Strike Zone will open three hours before the start of every game and stay open throughout the entire game. It will be located just inside the center field gate on the ground level of the northeast parking garage.

Here is a list of some of the activities:

• Sony Playstation Pavilion



• Build-A-Bear Workshop

Children will be able to build their own bears, Racing Presidents and Screech plush toys


• Rookie's Concession Stand



• SingStar Stage

Karaoke Station


• Batting Cage



• Pitching Cage



• Jungle Gym and Playground

For children under 4


• Photo Area

Children can have their pictures taken with The Racing Presidents