The San Diego Padres are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Petco Park in 2024 — and doing it in a big way, with the exciting expansion and transformation of the ballpark’s popular Gallagher Square plus a host of other new amenities.
All this action comes amid continuing praise for the Downtown ballpark: Petco Park has been deemed the best MLB park in America by USA Today, and average home attendance ranks second out of 30 major-league teams.
Here’s a rundown of all the great new things to look for at the ballpark in 2024:
Petco Park’s Gallagher Square Enhancements
- An expanded kids’ playground and play area, designed to accommodate a wider range of ages and abilities. The centerpiece is a soaring, 35-foot-tall baseball bat made of steel and wood.
- A fenced, off-leash dog park, in partnership with Petco, the ballpark’s namesake.
- An improved Play Ball Field, the mini-baseball field for kids.
- Newly installed pickleball courts.
- The Tony Gwynn Terrace viewing deck and picnic space.
- A general reconfiguration of Gallagher Square to keep portions of the park open for public use more frequently.
Improved Petco Park Gameday and Events Experience
- Gallagher Square’s statue of the beloved “Mr. Padre,” the late Tony Gwynn, has been elevated and surrounded by an expanded viewing deck, and the area serves as a picnic space during public hours.
- The Tony Gwynn Terrace, home to the statue, has picnic tables for additional seating, along with a Tony Gwynn Deck Tower that houses a new food and beverage space and videoboard. In the Tony Gwynn Tunnel beneath the space, fans can see and hear all about the amazing life and career of Mr. Padre. An additional Padres retail and food/beverage space has been installed on the ground level next to the tunnel.
- The project brings a new and expanded fan entry gate (the Balboa Gate) to Ninth Avenue and J Street for improved flow and shorter wait times, along with leveled and tiered lawn seating in Gallagher Square, where tickets are more affordable than other fixed seating areas within the ballpark.
Gallagher Square in HD
A new, state-of-the-art videoboard at the Sycuan Stage spans the entire back of the “batter’s eye.” The board measures 73 feet wide by 21 feet tall and uses 6mm of HD product by Daktronics, with amazing resolution and unmatched clarity. The new videoboard can include the scoreboard lineup and player statistics for the first time. Two additional videoboards measuring 16 feet by 9 feet have been installed so fans can keep up with game action while enjoying Gallagher Square.
Planet-friendly Design Elements
The renovation has created a more sustainable space by incorporating:
- Turf to replace some of the grass, enhancing the overall aesthetic and significantly reducing water and resodding needs while maintaining grass on a large portion of picnic hill.
- Native trees and vegetation planted throughout.
Cutwater Agave Club
Located down the left-field line on the Terrace level, the Cutwater Agave Club is Petco Park’s newest premium seating area. This private space and multimillion-dollar project features luxury finishes, access to food and beverages, private restrooms and a variety of seating configurations.
The club, whose namesake is the hugely popular San Diego company Cutwater Spirits, is in a space formerly occupied by The Still. Seats in the Cutwater Agave Club sections are limited to Platinum Padres Membership holders, but those who aren’t members can still order drinks at a new walk-up bar on the club’s exterior.
Home Plates: Awesome New Food and Beverage Options
Petco Park’s lineup of great bites and beverages gets some new additions for this 20th anniversary season, including several vendors making their debuts in the Mercado, located on the Main Concourse behind Home Plate. They include Gelati & Peccati, part of the Buona Forchetta family of companies; An’s Gelato, the newest branch of the beloved An’s Dry Cleaning ice cream purveyors; and a second San Diego’s Finest Hot Chicken location, home to the fan- favorite “Hot Hen” chicken sandwich.
Other newcomers elsewhere in the ballpark include Spiro’s Mediterranean Cuisine, with fresh Mediterranean food, and a new frozen drink concept created by Delaware North called the “Frozen Friar,” with flavors including Mangonada, Island Punch and Strawberry Lemonade, available with alcohol or in a kid-friendly option.
And joining Petco Park’s Craft Beers of San Diego program are Nova Kombucha and WestBrew, which will be available at Craft Row on the Main Concourse located behind home plate. Fans can also look forward to Ballast Point’s new limited-edition Anniversary Two-Pack, featuring the Swingin’ Friar Ale and a co-branded koozie.
Click here for our full Petco Park grub guide.
The Latest Padres Gear
Fans will have even more options to show their Padres spirit in 2024 with a variety of new offerings at Petco Park, including 20th-anniversary gear, Korea Series hats, Padres-branded SunGod eyewear and more. A new clothing line created in collaboration with the wives and girlfriends of Padres players and a new retail partnership with Salty Crew are set to debut at the ballpark later this year, while Padres City Connect gear will continue to be available all season long.
Great Petco Park Giveaways for 2024
There are a record 16 giveaways planned for 2024, highlighted by fan favorites, player-themed items, bobbleheads, high-quality wearables and special-moment celebrations. All the giveaways will take place during select home games throughout the season, limited to the first 40,000 fans in attendance. Here are the items and their sponsors:
Four Hat Styles
- Padres Opening Series Hat (Sycuan Casino Resort)
- Knit Beanie with Removable Pom (SDG&E)
- ’84 Throwback Hat (San Diego Community Power)
- Tatis Jr. City Connect Bucket Hat (UC San Diego Health)
City Connect Featured Giveaways
- City Connect Poncho (97.3 The Fan)
- Manny Machado Collectible Pin (Canel’s)
- City Connect Belt Bag (University of San Diego)
- City Connect Hoodie (Southwest Airlines)
Reimagined Fan Favorites and New Items
- Joe Musgrove Basketball Jersey (Motorola)
- 619 Aloha Shirt (Jack in the Box)
- 1999 Tony Gwynn Henley (SERVPRO)
Five New Bobbleheads
- Manny Machado Home Run Bobblehead (QuidelOrtho)
- Joe Musgrove and Dog Theo Bobblehead (Petco)
- Xander Bogaerts Bobblehead (Coca-Cola)
- Ha-Seong Kim Bobblehead (COX)
- Tatis Jr. Platinum Glove Bobblehead (Canel’s)
The complete giveaway schedule is available here.