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Along the Raccoon River just south of downtown Des Moines, Principal Park brings Triple-A baseball together with skyline views, the Iowa State Capitol dome beyond the outfield, and a relaxed ballpark atmosphere. Principal Park tickets put fans close to Iowa Cubs baseball, Iowa Hawkeyes college games, themed baseball nights, fireworks, and family-friendly events at one of Minor League Baseball’s standout settings.
This page covers everything you need to know before you go — from finding the right seats to getting there, navigating the venue, and buying with confidence.
Principal Park is a ballpark located at 1 Line Drive in Des Moines, Iowa, just south of downtown along the Raccoon River. The current ballpark opened in 1992 on the site of earlier baseball facilities dating to the mid-20th century, when the venue was known as Sec Taylor Stadium. It was renovated and renamed Principal Park in 2004. Owned by Polk County, it serves as the home ballpark of the Iowa Cubs organization and has a capacity of approximately 11,500, including fixed seating, berm seating, and standing areas.
The venue is best known as the home of the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in the International League. Its event calendar centers on professional baseball, college baseball featuring the Iowa Hawkeyes, special themed baseball nights, promotional and family events, fireworks nights, and community gatherings during the spring-through-early-fall baseball season. Principal Park has also hosted numerous future and former Chicago Cubs players during rehab and development stints.
Regarded as one of the premier Triple-A ballparks in Minor League Baseball, Principal Park is praised for its open setting, fan amenities, grass outfield berm, intimate feel, and views of the downtown Des Moines skyline and Iowa State Capitol dome beyond the outfield.
Principal Park is located at 1 Line Drive, Des Moines, IA 50309 — just south of downtown Des Moines along the Raccoon River, near the Court Avenue district and the downtown core.
Driving and Parking: On-site and nearby surface lots and garages serve the ballpark, with additional parking available in downtown garages roughly six blocks away near the Court Avenue district. Parking demand rises on promotional nights, fireworks nights, and weekend games, so arriving earlier gives you more options and an easier walk to the gates.
Transit: Principal Park is served by DART bus service, with downtown Des Moines connections a short distance away. Transit is a secondary option for most attendees, but it can be useful for fans already staying or dining downtown before the game.
Rideshare: Rideshare drop-off and pickup are practical because of the ballpark’s location near downtown. After well-attended games, brief waits are common as crowds leave the area at the same time.
Nearby Accommodation: Downtown Des Moines hotels are available within a short drive or walk of the ballpark, especially around the Court Avenue entertainment district and the downtown core. Staying downtown keeps pregame dining, nightlife, and ballpark access close together.
Principal Park has a straightforward open-concourse layout built around a traditional baseball grandstand, outfield berm seating, and group areas. Understanding whether your ticket is for the grandstand, berm, or a group space helps you head toward the right gate and section more efficiently.
Entrances and Access: Main entry is through the home plate gate area off Line Drive, with additional gates serving the grandstand and outfield areas. The gate setup supports access to both reserved seating and open outfield spaces.
Seating Levels: The ballpark is organized around a single main grandstand bowl with lower and upper seating, a concourse behind the seating bowl, grass outfield berm areas, and group or party spaces. Box seats sit closest to the field along the infield and baselines, while the berm offers a more relaxed general-admission experience.
Accessibility: ADA-accessible seating, parking, and restrooms are available throughout Principal Park.
Getting to Your Section: The open concourse design makes navigation easy, and staff and signage direct fans to reserved sections, berm areas, and group spaces. If you are sitting on the outfield grass berm, comfortable footwear is useful for moving on the sloped lawn.
Principal Park offers standard ballpark concessions, including hot dogs, burgers, nachos, snacks, beer, and other alcoholic beverages. Group and premium areas provide additional food service options, making them useful for larger parties, company outings, and fans looking for a more hosted experience. Lines can build closer to first pitch and during busy breaks in the game, so visiting concessions early can save time.
The Court Avenue district is a short distance north of Principal Park and offers numerous bars, restaurants, and nightlife options in downtown Des Moines. It is one of the most convenient areas for pregame or postgame food and drinks, especially for fans parking downtown or staying near the entertainment district.
Principal Park maintains security and venue policies that are updated regularly and may vary by event. Before attending, reviewing the current policy on the venue's official website is strongly recommended.
Bag Policy: Bag restrictions are typical for Minor League ballparks. Smaller bags are generally permitted subject to inspection, and policies can vary by event.
Commonly Prohibited Items: Commonly restricted items include weapons, outside alcohol, and other items prohibited under standard ballpark policy.
Re-Entry: Re-entry rules can vary by event and are shown with event details.
Entry Procedures: Expect bag checks and digital or mobile ticket verification at the gates. Arriving with a compliant bag and pre-downloaded tickets helps speed up entry.
Principal Park is a signature outdoor sports venue in Des Moines, while the broader metro offers indoor arenas, theaters, concert halls, amphitheaters, and sports complexes for year-round live events.
Principal Park ticket prices vary significantly depending on the type of event, the team or event, seating section, and demand — which is what you'd expect from a venue that hosts everything from Iowa Cubs berm seating to premium group packages and special event nights.
For Iowa Cubs regular-season games, berm and general-admission tickets can start as low as the single-digit to low-teens dollar range, giving fans an affordable way to enjoy baseball from the grass outfield seating area.
Reserved and box seating for Iowa Cubs games typically falls in the mid-teens to the $20s–$30s range, with higher prices for field-level box seats and locations closer to the infield or baselines.
Premium, group, and special event nights are higher and vary by package, promotion, opponent, day of week, fireworks schedule, themed event, and overall demand.
Buying earlier generally secures better seat locations and pricing, especially for popular promotional nights and weekend games. As inventory shrinks and the date approaches, prices for the best remaining sections can rise.
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Principal Park’s seating layout is worth understanding before you buy because it offers several different ballpark experiences: reserved grandstand seats, field-level box seats, upper reserved sections, grass berm seating, and group or party decks.
You can view an interactive seating map for Principal Park events directly on BoxOfficeTicketSales.com while browsing available listings. The map lets you compare sections side by side, check row depth and distance from the field or stage, and see real-time pricing for what's currently available — all before committing to a purchase.
Yes. The interactive seat map on BoxOfficeTicketSales.com shows your exact section and row placement before you buy. Use it to understand your position in the venue, your distance from the field or stage, and whether you're in lower reserved sections, upper reserved sections, or the outfield grass berm — so the tickets you choose match exactly what you're looking for on event night.
Once your tickets are confirmed, a few practical preparations make your visit run significantly smoother — especially at an open-air ballpark where parking, weather, and seating area can shape the experience.
Yes — Box Office Ticket Sales is a fully verified, secure ticketing platform that has served over 1 million customers since 2012. When you buy Principal Park tickets through BoxOfficeTicketSales.com, here's what backs every purchase:
Principal Park events — particularly fireworks nights, weekend games, promotional nights, and special themed baseball events — move fast. The best-value listings disappear well before event night, and inventory for popular events tightens quickly once demand builds. If you have a specific event in mind, acting sooner gets you better seats at better prices. Browse Principal Park tickets now and lock in your spot before inventory moves.
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