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Rays to open ballpark experience center
Tampa Bay Rays fans won’t have to wait until 2029 to get a glimpse of their favorite team’s future home. The organization will open a new experience center at Westshore City Center in early 2027, offering an interactive preview of the $2.3 billion ballpark and surrounding district. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Bay Rays fans won’t have to wait until 2029 to get a glimpse of their favorite team’s future home.
The organization will open a new experience center at Westshore City Center in early 2027, offering an interactive preview of the $2.3 billion ballpark and surrounding district.
Rays Ballpark Experience Center
What we know:
The Tampa Bay Rays are opening the Rays Ballpark Experience Center in early 2027 at Westshore City Center, located at 1111 N. Westshore Blvd. The venue comes after the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and Tampa City Council approved financing for the new ballpark.
The nearly 15,000-square-foot center sits just a few miles from the site of the team's planned ballpark. Construction starts in October.
Roughly one-third of the facility will be open to the public. It will feature team memorabilia, retail options, family-friendly experiences, a team store and exhibits detailing the future stadium and district.
Visitors can explore a digital preview of the ballpark campus and make personalized baseball cards. The remainder of the space is reserved for appointment-only tours for potential season ticket holders and premium clients to view seating angles and group spaces.
CEO previews fan experience
What they're saying:
Rays CEO Ken Babby says the experience center will bring the team's future home to life for fans before the ballpark opens.
"The experience center will be like walking into the future," Babby said. "Fans and partners will be able to see it, feel it, hear it and experience it. From sitting in the seats or food and beverage locations they may choose, to exploring the clubhouse, to understanding the full journey of arriving at the ballpark and enjoying the district around it."
Sales staff and design team
By the numbers:
The team signed a lease for about 9,000 square feet on the first floor for the interactive center and roughly 6,000 square feet on the second floor. The upper level will house 40 to 50 support staff focused on sales efforts for the 2029 stadium.
The Rays teamed up with design firm Advent to create the venue, while Gensler will serve as architect and Tampa-based iConstructors will act as general contractor. Property owner Ally Capital Group and management firm Franklin Street are overseeing the Westshore site.
Operating hours and construction timeline
What we don't know:
The organization hasn’t announced the hours for the experience center or details on how to schedule appointment tours.
Courtesy: Tampa Bay Rays
Specific timeline details for when construction will wrap up in early 2027 have not been released.
The Source: Information for this story came from statements from the Tampa Bay Rays and previous reporting on FOX 13.