Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
Capital One Park 1600 Scotts Crossing Road McLean, VA 22102
Year Opened: 2023 Capacity: 300
Hoyas Baseball in Northern Virginia
Located in Tysons, Virginia, bounded by elevated metro tracks and a highway interchange, Capital One Park is Northern Virginia's newest baseball stadium. Opened in 2023, the ballpark is located in Capital One Center, a mixed use development adjacent to Capital One Headquarters that also includes a hotel, a concert hall, shops, and restaurants. During the spring months, Capital One Park is the home of the Georgetown University Hoyas baseball team. The Hoyas have played in several different venues over the past few years, but in 2024, they will play most of their home games at Capital One Park. A few will be played in DC at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy.
Food & Beverage 3
Concessions are sold out of a window near the entrance to Capital One Park. Meal options include nachos ($6), soft pretzels ($7), chili ($8), hot dogs ($6), bratwurst ($7), cheeseburgers ($8), and a pulled pork sandwich ($7). Chips, candy, peanuts, soda, bottled water, and Gatorade are also available.
Atmosphere 3
Capital One Park is a small, intimate ballpark, with 300 chairback seats located behind home plate. Some of the upper rows are in the shade. On a hot day late in the season, this will seem nice, but not so much on a chilly day in February or March. There are also some picnic tables located down the lines for groups. No matter where you sit, you will have a great view of the action.
That being said, there is not much going on here other than the game itself. Music is played during breaks in the action, but that's about it. You'll have a good view of the action no matter where you sit, which is certainly a plus, but watching the game is about all you'll be doing.
Neighborhood 5
Although Capital One Park has a McLean address, the area surrounding the stadium is more properly classified as Tysons, one of the fastest growing business districts in the country in the heart of Fairfax County.. Tysons is regarded as a classic example of an edge city - an area of the suburbs that feels more comparable to the downtown area of a city. In fact, due to severe restrictions on heights of buildings in the District of Columbia, this feels more like a classic downtown than Downtown DC does.
As mentioned above, the park is part of Capital One Center, which also contains a concert hall, several shops and restaurants, the Watermark Hotel, and Capital One headquarters itself. The Perch is located on the roof of Capital One Hall and features food trucks, a beer garden, a putt-putt course, a pizza place, a taqueria, and more open space to hang out.
There are plenty of other places to hang out in Tysons as well. The area is famous for not one but two giant shopping malls, Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria, which offer a wide variety of shopping and dining including the original Apple Store. Founding Farmers is a popular American restaurant, and Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian steakhouse famous for its large salad bar. Whatever you want to do, you will probably find it in Tysons.
Fans 2
Most of the fans are friends or family of the players on the Hoyas or their opponents, although there are some others who come to check out the team as well. The fans who do show up are knowledgeable about the team, as many of them come to most or all of the games.
Access 4
How easy it is to get to Capital One Park depends on what time of day you are coming. Rush hour traffic in Northern Virginia is some of the worst in the country, and it is especially bad in Tysons, where numerous highways converge with not enough space to accommodate all movement between them. If you are coming any other time, traffic should probably be lighter, and you can take your choice of the Capital Beltway, State Route 267, or State Route 123, among others. We suggest using a GPS app such as Waze to take you around traffic and on the best possible route.
Once you arrive, free parking is available in a lot next to the stadium, and if that fills up, you can park in the garage across the street near Wegman's. Parking is $5 if you're staying for under four hours or $10 if you're staying for longer. You can pay on your phone by scanning the QR code in the lot.
The Silver Line of the Washington Metro runs right by the stadium, with the McLean station a short walk away. On a weekday, the lot may be used for parking by commuters using the Metro to head into DC, so plan accordingly.
Restrooms are available, including a family restroom, and are of a sufficient size for the crowd, although the metal toilets and sinks are an odd touch that seems out of place here.
Return on Investment 3
Tickets are just $5, with kids 12 and under and seniors 65 and over getting in for free. However, the cost of parking, which could be twice the cost of the ticket, does bring this score down a bit.
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Extras 2
Look on the concourse for the statue of Bruno the Bear, the official mascot of Capital One Park. Bruno is based on a real bear who made headlines in October 2022 after he was spotted roaming the streets of Tysons and the surrounding area.
Also look for the giant statue of a melting blue popsicle. It is certainly an interesting choice architecturally, but a unique one as well.
Final Thoughts
Georgetown baseball has had many homes over recent years, playing in Maryland, DC, and now, in Virginia. Capital One Park is a gorgeous new stadium, and one hopes the Hoyas can gain a permanent presence here, but that remains to be seen.
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