| Roger Dean Stadium is the spring home of the Marlins and Cardinals as well as serving as the home for two Florida State League teams (the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals). It is not identical to many other new parks that have been built since the late 1990's. The concourse area is located behind the seating bowl and is not within view of the playing field. Also, there are only a few luxury boxes. The location of the park, which was a bit strange when it first opened since it wasn't surrounded by anything, now sits on the edge of the main street and is surrounded by restaurants, condos, and shopping centers. The exterior of the park is beautifully landscaped with palm trees and features a nice red brick facade. The backdrop in both left and right field are the clubhouses. I was able to take in a couple spring training games here in 2000. It is certainly a comfortable place to see a game. But my biggest impression of the place was how expensive everything was. Parking and programs were both $5. Tickets were $15. Compared to other spring training facilities, Jupiter is way off. Maybe it was because the Cardinals trained here and it was at the height Mark McGwire's popularity. But I could have gone to Busch Stadium and see him for cheaper than in Jupiter. Despite the outrageous prices, Roger Dean Stadium is still one of the better Spring Training ballparks. In 2012, I got back here for a Florida State League game. Not much has changed with the ballpark other than its surroundings. Needless to say, the prices and experience at a FSL game are drastically different than those of a Grapefruit League game. Concessions are quite limited (only hot dogs, italian sausages, and brats are available) and the crowds very sparse. The great thing here in Jupiter is that you can see a game almost every day from March through August.
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