When the World Series rolls into St. Petersburg, Tropicana Field doesn’t just give fans a game - it gives them a tour through one of baseball’s strangest, most recognizable buildings. The Rays’ home is packed with details that go well beyond the usual stadium fare, and Games 3 and 4 should put all of them on display, with a possible Game 5 still on the schedule at the Trop.
Start with the tank. Near the right-center field wall sits the Rays Touch Tank, a 35-foot-long, 10,000-gallon display that houses cownose rays and was built in partnership with The Florida Aquarium.
Fans can get close to the animals and, when allowed, touch them gently. The exhibit opened in 2006 and was the first of its kind at a professional sports venue.
A little farther around the bowl, Tropicana Field quietly preserves pieces of Rays history in the form of two golden seats. One marks Wade Boggs’ 3,000th hit; the other remembers his 3,000th run scored. Boggs reached both milestones while playing for Tampa Bay, and the seats stand out as small but unmistakable nods to the franchise’s past.
Then there’s the roof, which is never just the roof at the Trop. The fixed, slanted dome is held up by four suspended catwalks, and those catwalks can change a play in an instant.
A fair ball hitting the lower two catwalks, C and D, is a home run. If it strikes one of the upper two, A or B, the ball stays live.
A ball that comes to rest on an upper catwalk is ruled a ground-rule double. If a foul ball hits a catwalk, the ball is dead.
Add in the indoor setting, and you’ve got a ballpark where the weather never enters the equation.
The Rays also bring a full cast of characters to the building. Raymond, the team’s fuzzy blue Seadog, is the main mascot.
DJ Kitty has been part of the show since a viral video in 2010. Stinger, a cownose stingray mascot, is tied directly to the touch tank and serves as its guide.
According to the team’s ballpark guide, fans can meet Raymond and DJ Kitty at the Gate 1 Rotunda 30 minutes before first pitch.
Food and hangout spots inside the stadium go well beyond standard concession stands, too. The First Base Food Hall and Third Base Food Hall serve a range of options, including local favorites.
In center field, the Budweiser Porch gives fans a patio-style spot for food and drinks. Nearby, Ballpark & Rec mixes games, cocktails and craft beer in an indoor-outdoor setup.
For something more premium, the DEX Imaging Home Plate Club includes a speakeasy-style lounge and a specialty candy room, while the MaintenX SkyDeck above left field offers a social space with ballpark food and drinks.
And beneath all that sits the field itself, which is anything but ordinary. Tropicana Field uses Shaw Sports Turf, with artificial turf covering the playing surface and all-dirt basepaths in the infield. That combination gives the ballpark its own look under the bright white roof and changes the way the ball can move and hop, especially for visiting teams not used to playing there.
For a World Series setting, it’s a stadium with its own personality in every corner. From stingrays to catwalks to golden seats, Tropicana Field gives fans plenty to look at before the first pitch is even thrown.
In Other News...
Trevor Megill Just Added New Tension To Brewers World Series Lead
Before Game 3 of the 2026 World Series, Brewers reliever Trevor Megill took aim at one of Tropicana Fields most familiar quirks, the bright white roof that hangs over the park. During batting practice, Megill said the backdrop makes it difficult to track the baseball, a small detail that can suddenly feel bigger in October when every edge matters and every pitch is magnified.
The comments quickly got attention because they put an unusual ballpark feature into the middle of a series Milwaukee already leads 2-0, with Megill continuing to be one of the bullpen arms that has mattered most this postseason. For the Rays, it is another reminder that home-field factors do not always play out as an advantage, especially when an opponent is already comfortable enough to say so out loud. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Face A Brutal Game 3 Decision At The Trop
World Series ticket fever has already turned Game 3 at Tropicana Field into a painful decision for Rays fans, with resale marketplaces showing seats available for hundreds of dollars and, in some cases, climbing into the thousands. Before anyone clicks buy, the safest move is to start with official sources, then compare the real total after fees and make sure the ticket delivery method is clear, since the sticker price is only part of the bill.
There is also the practical side of chasing a seat at the last minute, especially when travel is involved. Buyers are being urged to keep records of every purchase, confirm exactly how the ticket will be delivered, and think twice about nonrefundable plans in case something goes sideways, because the wrong checkout can turn an already expensive night at the Trop into a much bigger headache. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Face One Huge World Series Concern With Game 3 Here
The World Series shifts to Tropicana Field for Game 3 with Milwaukee up 2-0, and the Rays are trying to reset the tone at home after a difficult start to the matchup. Kevin Cash is leaning on Freddy Peralta in a spot that suddenly feels pivotal, especially with the right-hander having settled in as one of Tampa Bays most reliable arms this October.
From the other dugout, Pat Murphy sounded aware that the Brewers have already asked plenty of their high-leverage relievers early in the series. Aaron Ashby and Abner Uribe have been worked hard through the first two games, which only adds to the pressure on Milwaukee as the series moves into a park where Tampa Bay badly needs a clean, steady start. [Read more 🡒]