Tickets & Seating

Seating Chart

Which seats are for you?

These used to be the three main grandstand seat options (2005):
Two styles of red flip down (reserved box, bottom),
Fixed back bench (upper left),
Grandstand GA with no backs (top and upper right)

Recommended seating for visitors

• Seats 149-226 (Box reserved if possible)
• Hot sunny days: GA Seats 177-300

Foothills Stadium is a simple, older (1966) ballpark design. All fans enter at ground level and ascend the stairs to the their seats from one of the several openings in the grandstand. GA seating is liberally spread around the entire grandstand and there's one, slightly cheaper, bleacher section on the third base side which includes wheelchair seating.

This facility was built to AAA specifications which included a high fixed seat capacity (6,000). These are all centered behind home plate. In fact, there is little, if any, seating along the sides of the outfield and no berms or other options beyond the fence. This is the good news.

The bad news is the result so it's has twice as many rows as most Northern League stadiums: 28 (compared to only 15-20). Since everyone enters at ground level, it's can be a long climb to your seat if you in the GA seating. Anyone sitting in the rafters should plan to buy concessions before taking their seats. The bleachers or box reserved seating are highly recommended for families or those who may need to make regular trips to the washrooms.

2007 Seating Remodeling

In 2007 the ballpark had some major rennovations making the photos on this page obsolete. The changes are significant in that all the old "blue benches" were replaced by the existing red (flip-down) seats and called Upper Bowl. The old Box Reserved seating became Lower Bowl. The names are much more obvious than the old and eliminate the odd variations of benches that were there. One other change was turning the Grandstand Reserved into Club Seats.

Sunscreen Warning!

As with Telus Field in Edmonton, the ballpark faces southwest maximizing the sun (in your face) for all games. Visiting fans sitting behind the visitors dugout (third base) get the most sun, right up until sunset. Viper fans sitting on the first base side will get until it's obstructed by the stadium canopy --if you're sitting close to home plate.

For day games, especially hot ones, you may be much better off getting a grandstand GA and sit in the upper rows behind home plate. As mentioned, it's a long climb, but you will not roast or bake on a hot day. For a very warm Sunday day game I made sure not only to have sunscreen on, but also a lot of water next to me to minimize the trips to the stands.

Seating Complications -- Everything "By the Numbers"

First stadium seating sign

Foothills Stadium is a very confusing place when it comes to tickets and seating. There are NO sections --numbered, lettered, or otherwise!

Seat number near home grandstand entrance

Seating, other than the GA bleachers start at "Seat 147" and continue to "Seat 407." These are, for lact of a better term, more "seat columns" since it is not a complete grid. Ground level entrances, stairways, and the curve of the stadium eliminate many of these "seats" at field level. The only row with "all possible seats" is the top row (Row 28) which has seats that span the aisles at the top.

The result are signs with somewhat bizarre directions. The photo at the right shows the numbers of the seats to the right of home plate as you face the field entering through the first entrance on the first base side. There are banners around the concourse (under the stadium, such as the "first" one shown above) that help to indicate where to enter.

One (minor) benefit is that the signs are set up to help guide you to the "best side" of the seating sections to enter. The start and ending numbers are in the middle of the sections. This means that, unlike stadiums with lettered sections, you're less likely to find yourself excusing yourself as you pass in front all of the people in your row. If you follow the signs you will be on the correct "half" of the seating section.

Lower Bowl

Lower Bowl seating is directly behind home plate (as seen from overhead in 2005)
The seats USED to be red but in 2007 were all relocated to the upper bowl area.

All Grandstand Sections
Rows 1-15 (Seats 220-406)

The box reserved seats, except possibly on hot sunny days, are the choice seats to get. Given the size of the stadium and some of the troubles the Vipers have had, there are usually quite a few available. These are all individual flip down seats with arm rests. It used to be that all you needed to know is "all lower bows are red." Today, those are the very same upper bowl seats. Today the Lower Bowl seats are all new.

To minimize the sun in your eyes sit on the third base side-- seats 307 and above. Seats with numbers near 400 will minimize the sun factor without placing you in the outfield.

Club Seat/Upper Bowl area BEFORE remodeling
The Club Seat is where you see the blue seat back

Club Seats

Grandstand Rows 16-21
Seats 206-379

Club Seats are the former "grandstand reserved" area. Unlike box reserve, club seating is not in every section. It extends three (would have been lettered) sections down the first base and only one along the third base line. The price difference is significant for more than starting 15 rows up. These seats were once only glorifed benches with a back rest, they new area may be much nicer after the remodeling.

Upper Bowl seating area before remodeling in 2007
This is still the only place for shade.

Upper Bowl

All Grandstand Rows 22-28
Grandstand Rows 16-28 in "outer" sections

Unlike in the first seasons, red seats now mean "upper bowl" after all the old benches were replaced. Upper bowl seating is the grandstand seats in rows 22 and up (16 and up in areas without club seats). These used to be benched without backs but molded (to fit your buttocks) but the remodeling upgraded them into quality seats and better earn their higher price.

As previously mentioned, though it represents a long climb, these seats behind home plate are highly recommended on hot sunny days. Like Warner Park (in Madison), these are the only places with any shade and protection from rain in the stadium itself. If you're not a "sun worshipper," these may be the choice for you.

Bleacher seats

General Admission

Bleacher section, Third Base side

Bleacher GA are probably also the best for families (and the only unchanged seating in 2007). They're simple aluminum bleachers but not as large (fewer rows) than the main grandstand. They're close to the main entrance (shorter walk from gate after long walk from car). They aren't far from the first concession stands but a little distant from the souvenir stand. For kids the area behind this section also may double as a play area.

Day of Game Purchase

Between the size of the ballpark and the troubles starting out, there is little trouble getting seats. Attendance during their inaugural Northern League season (2005) was extremely low. This may change in the future but it's unlikely that given the 6,000 fixed seats that sell outs will become common. It's also likely that SRO options could be created to deal with this should it happen.

Entrance / Box Office Locations

This is not the ticket office (as the sign says).
The will call is the next door over

Main gate with ticket booths that are also as turnstiles.

The Vipers main office has two doors. One is to the administrative offices --the first ones. The second is a full ticket office for will call tickets. You can easily review the seating options and get tickets at times other than the day of the game. As game time approaches and the gates open there are several ticket booths complete with tunstiles to allow you into the ballpark.

There is only one main entrance to Foothills Stadium. It's on the east side of the ballpark nearer Crowchild Road. All fans will make the walk past the offices to either enter through the main gate (an opening in the fencing) or through the ticket booth turnstiles.