When the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros moved into the “Ballpark of the Palm Beaches” in 2017, neither team owned a World Series title. Five short years later, the clubs had three championships between them, including a hot faceoff in the 2019 Fall Classic just before Houston’s sign-stealing scandal surfaced.
Their quiet Spring Training facility tucked between West Palm Beach’s downtown and the expansive wilderness of inland Florida is the site of an awkward coexistence each March—still dominated by the Astros’ recent dynasty and bullish, unapologetic response to controversial tactics.
I traveled to West Palm Beach to enjoy a full day of baseball on March 15 at what is now called Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches. The Astros hosted the visiting Marlins at noon. And the Nationals welcomed the Mets at 6.
Arriving
The ballpark took the “palm” of Palm Beach quite seriously. The main entrance off N Haverhill Rd. is lined with royal palms and retaining ponds warning of the presence of alligators. Just beyond water, monstrous logos of each team welcome supporters with reminders of recent World Series titles.
Approaching the stadium’s main gate, turn left behind the Astros’ sign to find their practice fields on the north side of the ballpark. Turn right, and the Nationals facilities are on the south side.
Uber drivers drop off and pick up at the main entrance off Haverhill Rd. Cars can also park in grass or asphalt lots on this side of the stadium.
Where to Stay
The facility’s biggest downside is not something it can control—the surrounding neighborhood is not walkable.
In fact, a Nationals fan named Karen told me she heard in 2017 to “stay off of 45th Street,” which borders the property’s north side. A string of violent crime drove that advice then, though the neighborhood has improved since the MLB clubs moved in.
If you can afford it, stay in downtown West Palm beach near the City Place Market. Enjoy the history, dining, and shops the town offers.
Because it was cheaper, I stayed at the DoubleTree by the Palm Beach International Airport, which was about a 15-minute Uber from the park. Though, after the night game, the Uber home cost me $40.
Other airport hotels include the objectively better Embassy Suites.
Regardless of where you stay, driving your own car is ideal. Parking on site costs $15 on gameday or $12 if you pay in advance.
For a full logistical rundown, check out this page on the Nationals official website.
Watching Practice
Spring Training’s best draw is the ability to watch your favorite teams practice like you’re at a Little League field. Players walk among the fans, kids gawk at big leaguers through a chain link fence, and autographs and pictures abound.
The Park of the Palm Beach’s staff is friendly and accommodating to this atmosphere, and the facilities are easy to navigate.
When I arrived at the Nationals’ practice fields at 9 a.m., minor leaguers took infield/outfield practice, and pitchers worked on the classic PFP (pitchers’ fielding practice). Major leaguers had not arrived yet since they had an evening game.
Whenever you go to Spring Training, be aware of your team’s schedule and ask around if you have any questions about where specific players might be.
Still, some die-hard fans and autograph seekers milled about, and the minor leaguers were accommodating to the requests.
I walked over to the Astros’ side to check out what a Houstonian’s spring break looked like. Walking between the two facilities took me about 10 minutes.
Dozens more fans crowded the Astros’ side, in between a turf “agility field” (it looks like half a football field) and one of the main practice fields. A few Astros signed autographs including outfielder Jake Meyers and pitcher Framber Valdez.
Security guards strung up two yellow ropes that parted the main walkway while the players signed. Fans were then stuck on one side of the walkway or the other until the players finished. The policy was nice, to allow players to walk across the sidewalk to reach more fans, but depending on where a fan is trying to go next could be inconvenient.
After the noon game, I returned to the Nationals’ fields to see if any major leaguers had arrived. If they had, they were in the batting cages or otherwise inside. The team had spent the previous night on the gulf coast.
This was definitely an anomalous day for the Nats. On days with normal, 1 p.m. home games, I’d expect to see the major leaguers on the practice fields by 9 a.m. like the Astros.
However, the Nats and Mets were competing in several minor league games on the practice fields, complete with umpires and all. So I watched a few at bats of practice baseball during my intermission between two bigger games of practice baseball.
If you’re into minor league action, another event to check out is the relatively new “Spring Breakout,” which is a single-admission doubleheader in which one game is a minor league contest between the best prospects of the two teams. Each team competed in one this year, so be sure to check the Spring Breakout schedule next year if that interests you.
Tickets
Box office tickets were expensive. I inquired about infield seats at the box office and politely turned around when I found out they were between $55 and $65. I got the same seats on SeatGeek for $14, including fees, about 90 minutes before gametime.
Tickets were more expensive for the evening game. I’ll blame it on the New Yorkers who came down from Port St. Lucie (and seemingly everywhere in Florida) to watch the Mets. I paid $33 on SeatGeek for seats further down the right field line.
Where to Sit
Like most minor league-size parks, there’s not a bad seat in the house at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches. Lawn seats are cheapest, but you’ll be sitting on the ground for as long as you’re there.
Down the left field line, the Hilton Garden Inn Picnic Patio is a fun option if you want a picnic table and a little more space. Although, within two minutes of entering the park, I did almost get impaled by a windfallen umbrella on the picnic patio. So this is my formal warning.
The third base side gets shady first. When I walked into the ballpark at 5 p.m. for the evening game, all the third base side seats were in the shade. The shadow line slowly crept down the first base/right field line, but I was looking into the sun from that side for at least half the game.
If you do sit on the first base side, be sure to bring a hat and sunglasses.
Unspoken (Sometimes Spoken) Tension
The Astros occupy the third base dugout, which feels not so accidental given the shade pattern. Houston’s clubhouse proudly sits beyond the left field wall, boasting two murals of World Series Championship logos (one of which is the tainted 2017 crown).
The Nationals’ clubhouse sits out of view, under the seats on the home plate/first base side.
Before the noon game, the Astros’ hype video featured epic moments from Minute Maid Park and played without a hitch.
Before the evening game, the Nationals’ hype video featured broken, quiet sound.
The concession stand named after Houston, the H-Town Bar & Grille, served up barbecue meats on mac n’ cheese or sandwich buns.
The stand called Capitol Hill Grille offered only standard ballpark fare and not a remote attempt to honor D.C.
However, after “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” the noon fans heard “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” and the evening fans heard “Take on Me,” which are traditions at the teams’ respective homes.
I don’t think Astros fans think about the Nats at all—as anything but a team that beat them in the 2019 World Series. Because Houston earned a second title in 2022, the Nats are nothing but an irrelevant neighbor and a distant memory.
Nats fans resent the Astros. They love that Washington won six years ago, but they hate that they almost didn’t (given what we know now). The feeling is not jealousy (Washingtonians, as sports fans, are too proud to be corrupt); it’s more distrust and distaste.
March 15 was “Pickleball Day” at the ballpark. I talked with some retirement-age fans (which in the mid-Atlantic also means “pickleball players”) by the Nats’ practice fields in the morning.
“They’re probably giving away pickleballs with Astros logos,” one of them said.
“If I got one, I’d just…” she wound back and mimed firing the ball high over a fence.
What to Eat
An impressive array of food trucks line the ballpark’s outfield concourse. You can find coffee, ice cream, Cuban pizza, churros, donuts, and tacos as of March 2025.
I already mentioned the permanent stands on the main concourse, but others include cheesesteaks, sausages, Jamaican rice bowls, and chicken and waffle bites.
Unfortunately, I have to point out a lazy grammatical error at the cheesesteak stand. “Liberty Bell Cheesesteak’s,” it reads, with a possessive apostrophe on a word that’s clearly plural. Like most from Philadelphia, this sign demonstrates a lack of decorum and a disregard for the English language.
I ate a chili cheese dog during the first game—a exercise in damage control more than anything else. I recommend napkins and a fork.
And at the end of the second game, my Lenten willpower submitted to the overwhelming waft of Auntie Anne’s, which turned out to actually be Cuban churros. Would recommend.
Autographs in the Ballpark
The Marlins popped out of the right field gate to jog down to their dugout on the first base side (the same dugout the Nats occupy). Because the protective netting extends all the way down into the right field jut-out, the best place to get autographs is along the sidewall in the outfield near where the players throw during warmups.
Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara started the game, and after he exited, he signed autographs in the bullpen.
If you want to exit the stadium early, the players’ bus pulls up beyond the right field concourse. You might be able to get autographs out there as well.
Rating
Go see a game here. Or two. Or a whole week of games.
The cool spring breeze rustling the plentiful palms on this campus will remind you that there are more important things in life than whatever you’re leaving behind back home. Teams come to spring training to rid themselves of distractions and focus on the fundamentals. The same can be true for fans.
If you can force yourself to slow down and watch a bullpen session, or drills in the batting cage, or a coach hitting fungos to outfielders who just hope to make a roster, your appreciation for the game and the 162-game regular season grind will grow. You’ll meet passionate fans and see some of the best players up close. That’s the beauty of Spring Training.
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