Sorry, no Red Sox games
The Red Sox will not be playing in Boston during SIGIR itself. Unfortunately, that means you can't attend one of their games. Fortunately, you will not be conflicted about whether to skip a SIGIR event to see them play.
The Red Sox will be playing Baltimore from the 24th to the 26th if you want to stick around some extra days. You can get more information starting from the July 2009 Red Sox calendar.
Red Sox tickets for the summer went on sale Saturday, January 24, 2009. See http://redsox.com.
Because of the timing, SIGIR itself will not be organizing any Red Sox event. You're on your own.
Touring the ball park
A 50-minute walking tour of the ballpark, guided by an official Fenway Park Tour Guide is available each day from 9am to 4pm, every hour on the hour. The official tour web site provides some useful information. Some additional official information that's been passed along in response to an email request:
- Please arrive at least 30-40 minutes in advance of the hour that you wish to take the tour. The Boston Red Sox are pleased to announce that Fenway Park Tours now occur year round, rain or shine from 9AM until 4PM every hour on the hour seven days a week. The last tour leaves at 4PM or three and a half hours prior to game time.
- Tickets for Fenway Park Tours are $12 for adults, $11 for senior citizens 60 and older and $10 for children between the ages of 2 and 15. We do have group rates at this time for parties of 40 and more. Fenway Park tour tickets can be purchased either with cash, check, or major credit card.
- PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT TOUR TICKETS WILL STOP BEING SOLD 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE TOP OF THE HOUR.
- Tickets for the 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. tour are always sold at the Souvenir Shop located on Yawkey Way beginning at 8:45 a.m. On weekdays, tickets for Fenway Park Tours are sold from the Red Sox Ticket office located on Yawkey Way beginning at 10:00 a.m. for the remaining tours of the day. On weekends, tickets can be purchased at the Souvenir Store located on Yawkey Way.
- Please note: On weekend game days, Fenway Park Tour tickets are sold from the Ticket Office beginning at 10am for the remaining tours of the day prior to a late afternoon or evening game time start.
- There are no advanced ticket sales. Just arrive 30 minutes before the start of your tour in order to purchase tickets.
- During game days, the last tour will take place 3 1/2 hours prior to game time and will be an abbreviated half hour tour. Therefore, a 7pm start time will have a 3:30pm tour 30 minutes in length.
- Tours are fully handicapped accessible. Cameras and video cameras are allowed at all stops on the tour. All areas of the tour are subject to availability at all times.
- Field access (a walk along the warning track from the Visitor's dugout to the face of the Green Monster wall) is granted by the authorization of the Grounds Crew. Depending upon their work schedule, weather and other factors, we will not know if we will have field access until each morning. Fenway Park Tours does not control this area of the ballpark nor is it a standard stop on the tours.
- Parking is available around the ballpark at metered spaces and at public pay lots located on Brookline Avenue.
- If you have a group of 40 or more you can reserve a tour time by contacting us at 617.226.6000 or at tours@redsox.com. Please leave us your name, phone number and the size of your group on the voicemail if we are unable to immediately answer your call.
Some unofficial reviews of the tour (here, here, and here) suggest that tickets can sell out by 11:30am on a given day during tourist season, and you're more likely to be allowed to walk on the field in the morning than afternoon, suggesting that the earlier times are probably the better bets.
(Thanks to Stephen Tomlinson for pointing out this opportunity.)
