Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upSt. Louis · Aug 12
Drop offPittsburgh · Aug 15
Total miles706 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · St. Louis, MO
Hotel
St. Louis Overnight
Check-inWed, Aug 12
Check-outThu, Aug 13
First pitch2:15 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Wednesday, August 12
First pitch at 2:15 PM ET — St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium today. Don't leave without St. Louis-Style Toasted Ravioli.
Stop 01 of 03
St. Louis, MO · Wed Aug 12
Busch Stadium
St. Louis Cardinals · MLB
2:15 PM ET
vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Must Eat at the Park
St. Louis-Style Toasted Ravioli
Pasta filled with meat, breaded and deep-fried, served with marinara dipping sauce — a St. Louis original.
Local Beer
Busch Beer
The stadium is literally named for this beer. Historically appropriate in every way.
Anheuser-Busch
Musial, Gibson, and the Cardinal Way
Pilgrim Notes · St. Louis Baseball History
Stay Tonight · St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Overnight
Check-inWed, Aug 12
Check-outThu, Aug 13
First pitch tomorrow at 6:10 PM ET. Leave by 10:02 AM.
Fri Morning
When to Depart
Leave by10:02 AM
Drive to Cincinnati385 mi · 6.6h
Game time6:10 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · St. Louis, MO
Before You Hit the Road
Goody Goody Diner
St. Louis breakfast institution. Pancakes and biscuits-and-gravy have anchored pre-Cardinals mornings for decades. No-nonsense diner that has stayed exactly itself while the city changed around it.
Pancakes + bacon + coffee
Open 7 AM–2 PM daily
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Hartman Rock Garden Springfield
50 hand-built miniature American monuments in a Springfield machinist's backyard.
Springfield, OH · 10 min detourSt. Louis → Cincinnati
385 mi · 6.6h · regional run
DAY 3
Friday, August 14
It's a 6.6h haul from St. Louis — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 6:10 PM ET — Cincinnati Reds vs. Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park tonight — Fireworks Friday tonight. Hartman Rock Garden Springfield is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 03
Cincinnati, OH · Fri Aug 14
Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati Reds · MLB
6:10 PM ET
vs. Miami Marlins
Must Eat at the Park
Cincinnati Chili Dog (Skyline)
Cincinnati chili served over a hot dog (the Cheese Coney). Skyline Chili has operated in Cincinnati since 1949.
Local Beer
MadTree Axis IPA
Cincinnati's most celebrated craft brewery. Axis IPA is their flagship.
MadTree Brewing
The Big Red Machine
Pilgrim Notes · Cincinnati Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Overnight
Check-inFri, Aug 14
Check-outSat, Aug 15
First pitch tomorrow at 6:40 PM ET. Leave by 11:38 AM.
Sat Morning
When to Depart
Leave by11:38 AM
Drive to Pittsburgh321 mi · 5.5h
Game time6:40 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Cincinnati, OH
Before You Hit the Road
Price Hill Chili
Price Hill neighborhood. Cincinnati chili for breakfast is the move — a 3-way at 8 AM has no business working and yet it does. Open early for the pre-work crowd.
3-Way chili + coffee
Open 7 AM Mon–Sat
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Field of Corn (Cornhenge)
109 concrete ears of corn arranged in rows like Arlington National Cemetery outside Columbus. Each one weighs 1,500 lbs and stands 6 feet tall. There is no satisfying explanation.
Dublin, OH · 10 min detourCincinnati → Pittsburgh
321 mi · 5.5h · regional run
DAY 4
Saturday, August 15
Cincinnati to Pittsburgh is 5.5h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 6:40 PM ET — Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox at PNC Park tonight. Field of Corn (Cornhenge) is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 03
Pittsburgh, PA · Sat Aug 15
PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates · MLB
6:40 PM ET
vs. Boston Red Sox
Must Eat at the Park
Primanti Brothers Sandwich
Pittsburgh's most iconic food in its natural habitat. Meat and cheese on airy Italian bread loaded with tomatoes, coleslaw, and french fries inside the sandwich. Designed for Pittsburgh truckers in 1933.
Local Beer
Fat Head's Bullpen Tap Bar
Eight rotating taps positioned directly above the Pirates bullpen. The only bar in baseball where you can watch a reliever warm up while drinking a Head Hunter IPA. Arrive before first pitch for a seat at the rail.
Fat Head's Brewery · North Olmsted, OH
Maz, Clemente, and the Most Beautiful View in Baseball
Pilgrim Notes · Pittsburgh Baseball History
Shift 2 days to catch Fireworks Friday at Great American Ball Park.
• Fireworks Friday at Great American Ball Park
• Replica Jersey Giveaway at Busch Stadium
• Bobblehead Giveaway (TBD) at Great American Ball Park
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 3 games (avg $46)$138
Hotels · 3 nights (avg $155)$465
Fuel · 706 mi at $0.18/mi$127
Ballpark food & drinks$150
Total Estimate$880
* Estimates only. Prices vary.
How This Trip Was Planned
Our Algorithm
We evaluate many stop orders (up to seven parks: every permutation; larger trips: smart samples plus nearest-neighbor paths from home) and keep the version that preserves the most ballparks on your list with the least driving between games, inside an expanded or standard date ...