Seven thousand fans packed into a downtown ballpark that opens right onto Lowertown's cobblestone streets — that's a sold-out night at CHS Field in Saint Paul, and they happen more often than first-timers expect. The St. Paul Saints' home at 360 North Broadway Street, Saint Paul, MN 55101 holds 7,210 seats, and the capacity is exactly why parking becomes the variable that can wreck the evening. CHS Field has no dedicated on-site stadium lot.
The surface lots between Broadway and Wacouta Street — most of them cash-only — fill well before first pitch on a popular night. The downtown ramps along 7th Street charge by the hour. And when the final out lands, 7,000-plus fans exit into a neighborhood of bars, galleries, and cyclists, not into a stadium garage with a pre-purchased pass.
A St. Paul charter bus or party bus rental removes every piece of that equation: one drop on Broadway, everyone inside together, and the bus staged when you're ready to go home.
This guide covers exactly how a bus approaches and drops off at CHS Field, what Lowertown parking actually costs and how fast it fills, how Union Depot and the Green Line fit into the logistics, which group areas and party decks inside the ballpark are worth reserving for your group, and which bars and breweries to pair with the game before and after. For the broader picture of St. Paul sports group travel, the St. Paul sporting event transportation page covers the full range of venues across the metro.
Why Rent a Party Bus or Charter Bus to CHS Field?
Start with the parking math. There are more than 3,000 spaces within a three-block radius of CHS Field and over 26,000 in the greater downtown area — but the ones within walking distance of the east gate are the first to go, and a significant portion of the closest surface lots are cash-only. Show up on a Friday fireworks night without cash and a plan and you are circling.
Show up on a 40th birthday or a company outing with eight cars' worth of people and you are coordinating parking in four different ramps, staggering arrivals, and figuring out how to regroup post-game when half the group heads for the bar and the other half is still finding the car.
A St. Paul party bus or charter bus rental collapses that into one move. Your group has one pickup at the hotel, office, or neighborhood bar, one drop on Broadway at gate time, and one regroup after the game — no one staring at their phone trying to locate the other half of the group on a post-game Lowertown sidewalk. The bus handles the I-94 approach, stages during the game, and is right there on Broadway when you're ready.
And once you split one bus rate across 20 or 30 people, the per-head number typically beats what everyone would have spent on parking, gas, and a rideshare surge on the way home.
CHS Field has no on-site parking lot. The closest surface lots between Broadway and Wacouta Street are cash-only and fill before first pitch on popular nights. On a sold-out fireworks game, the options within a 3-block walk are gone by 5:30 PM for a 6:37 PM first pitch.
A private bus drops your group at the gate before any of that becomes your problem.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at CHS Field
CHS Field has two main pedestrian entrances: a west entrance off Positively 4th Street and an east entrance on Broadway. For most buses approaching from the Twin Cities metro, Broadway-side drop-off is the standard — your group steps off onto the sidewalk and the east gate is right there. From downtown Minneapolis, the most direct approach for a bus is I-94 East to Exit 241B (5th Street) — that puts you onto 5th Street heading east through the western edge of downtown, straight to the ballpark's west side.
Coming from the east on westbound I-94, take Exit 243 (Kellogg/Mounds), follow Kellogg Boulevard down to Broadway, then turn right for about 1.5 blocks to reach the east entrance.
The piece the Star Tribune's opening-season guide specifically flagged: the 7th Street exit off I-94 is the most direct into Lowertown on paper and the first to back up on event nights, because it funnels the heaviest volume through the same downtown streets. Buses coming from Minneapolis and the western suburbs are better served by Exit 241B (5th Street) for a cleaner approach through the lighter traffic corridors. From the Wisconsin side and southeastern suburbs, the Mounds Boulevard exit with the 3rd Street Bridge approach avoids the I-94 merge into downtown that clogs near Kellogg on big game nights.
None of this matters when you're in the bus rather than behind the wheel — the route gets handled, the bus is on Broadway at gate time, and your group walks in. Review the current CHS Field directions page for official approach routes from all four directions before your game-day trip.
The Real Parking Picture Near CHS Field
The official CHS Field parking page directs fans to a downloadable lot map and advance reservation links, and includes one advisory that catches a lot of first-timers: several surface lots and parking ramps in Lowertown are cash only. Show up with only a card and you may need to walk to a ramp instead of using the closest surface lot. That's the first surprise.
The second is how quickly the options close in on popular nights.
The six parking ramps at the 7th Street intersections with 4th, 5th, and 6th Streets are the most structured nearby options and generally accept credit cards. Four surface lots along Wall Street between Broadway and Wacouta Street put your group a short walk from the east gate, but they're cash-only and they fill before first pitch on high-demand nights. Surface lot rates have run roughly $5–$10 per vehicle for a game.
Union Depot Lot B — a three-minute walk from CHS Field's Broadway entrance — runs around $4 for two hours per recent booking data, is a structured garage rather than a cash surface lot, and holds well on most nights. But for a 30-person group arriving in multiple cars, that's still each person solving their own parking problem — the coordination headache doesn't disappear just because the lots are close.
For groups coming from MSP Airport or the southern suburbs, there's a compounding factor: the I-35E/I-94 approach into Lowertown adds roughly 20–30 minutes to the airport-to-ballpark run, and the ramps nearest to CHS Field are already filling when most airport arrivals hit downtown. A charter bus picks the entire group up at the terminal curb, handles the highway approach, and drops everyone at Broadway without anyone solving a parking transaction mid-trip. The MSP Airport shuttle guide covers the airport logistics in more detail for out-of-town groups building around a Saints game.
The Green Line and Union Depot Connection
The METRO Green Line runs 11 miles from Minneapolis's Target Field Station east to its terminus at Saint Paul Union Depot — and Union Depot sits about two blocks south of CHS Field's Broadway entrance. Metro Transit bus routes 21, 54, 63, 70, and Express 94 also serve the Lowertown area. For solo fans and small groups arriving from Minneapolis without a car, the Green Line is a legitimate and convenient option — exit at Union Depot and walk north on Broadway to the east gate.
For a group of 15 or more people that wants to arrive together, leave when the game ends (not when the next eastbound train departs), and have one clear pickup point after the final out, a private bus rental to CHS Field handles coordination that a train schedule cannot. You set the pickup time, the bus is on Broadway, and everyone boards. You do not split across platforms or watch half the group catch an earlier train.
Union Depot (214 4th St E, Saint Paul, MN 55101) is worth knowing as a staging point in either case. The depot handles Amtrak service, has its own ABM-managed parking in Lots A, B, C, and D (Lot B is the closest to CHS Field at about a 3-minute walk), and houses 1881 Eating House — a full-service modern American restaurant with steak, walleye, and pork chops that functions as a natural pregame dinner stop. Your bus drops the group at Union Depot for dinner, the group walks two blocks to the gates, and the bus is back on Broadway for the post-game pickup.
It's also the cleanest post-game rendezvous point for groups that want one clear address to regroup before the ride home.
Getting to CHS Field: Every Transportation Option Compared
A party bus or charter bus rental to CHS Field is not automatically the right call for every group — a solo fan on the Green Line pays less and arrives just as easily. But once your group grows past a few cars' worth of people, the coordination cost of separate vehicles tips the math decisively. Here's an honest look at how the main options compare:
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Parking / access | Post-game exit | Best group size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private charter bus or party bus | One flat rate, split by the group | Yes — one vehicle, one arrival | Bus drops on Broadway at the east gate; no parking needed | Bus stages nearby; boards when you're ready | 15–56 |
| METRO Green Line | Per ticket (Metro Transit fares) | Only if everyone catches the same train | Union Depot station, 2-block walk to Broadway gate | Wait for next eastbound departure; no group control | Any, but no group coordination |
| Rideshare (Uber / Lyft) | Per car each way + post-game surge pricing | No — multiple cars, multiple ETAs | Drop-off varies; pickup surges after the final out | Post-game surge in Lowertown foot traffic | 1–4 per car |
| Drive & park | $5–$10/car + gas + cash required at many lots | No — cars arrive and exit separately | Surface lots fill before first pitch; ramps by the hour | Lowertown post-game exit + I-94 crawl | 1–2 cars maximum |
For one or two people, the Green Line from Minneapolis is fast, cheap, and genuinely convenient. For a small group in one car, the Wall Street surface lots are the closest option — have cash ready and arrive 90 minutes before first pitch on a popular night. But once your group fills four cars or more, the parking coordination, the cash-only problem, the post-game regrouping, and the I-94 congestion all push toward one bus.
A single 40-seat coach replaces about 10 cars, 10 parking transactions, and 10 separate post-game navigation problems — and splits the cost across the whole group rather than charging each car separately.
Group Areas and Party Decks at CHS Field
CHS Field built group hospitality into its design from the start, and the specialty areas fill quickly on popular promotion nights — especially the giveaway games and Friday fireworks dates that the Saints load into the calendar each summer. If your outing is centered on one of those dates, booking the group area and the bus at the same time is the move, not the other way around. Here's what's available:
Treasure Island Terrace is the Saints' most popular group area — a multi-level patio in the right field corner with close views of the field and the between-inning promotions the Saints are famous for. The sight lines put you right in the thick of what's happening, and the open-air patio format works for groups that want to stand, move around, and stay loose rather than sit in fixed seats. It's also the area most likely to book out first on marquee dates.
Blaze Sun Deck is an elevated outdoor space launched in 2019 with high-top seating and views of both the playing field and the downtown Saint Paul skyline. It accommodates two separate groups of 80–100 guests each or a single party of up to 150–200. For a large-group outing — a company summer event, a nonprofit gala with a ballpark backdrop, a reunion — this is the deck that gives you scale without losing the ballpark feel.
Book through the Saints' group sales team; packages vary by headcount and food-and-beverage arrangement.
Securian Financial Club is the highest-end option at CHS Field: 4,000 square feet of climate-controlled indoor space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the field, nine 65-inch flat-screen TVs, a built-in bar, house sound, and wireless microphone capability. It seats up to 200 guests or holds 250 for a cocktail event, and catering runs exclusively through the ballpark's catering partner. It's available for non-game events when the Saints are on the road, making it a year-round corporate events venue in its own right.
For corporate groups, client entertainment outings, or any occasion where indoor comfort matters as much as the game itself, this is the room. Reach the events team through the Securian Club event page on chsfield.com.
The Lawn is the grassy berm beyond left field — capacity up to 1,000 people at $5 per person, purchased at the box office. It's the lowest-barrier group option in the park and the one that draws families spreading out a blanket on a warm July evening. For an informal group outing where people want room to roam rather than a reserved deck, The Lawn is the budget-conscious play.
Northland Ford Dealers Corner sits in left field with bistro lights and high-top seating, with easy access to the City of Baseball Museum — a small exhibit documenting the history of the sport in the Twin Cities that's genuinely worth 15 minutes before the game. For groups that want a corner space with neighborhood-restaurant energy rather than a full party-deck setup, it's a comfortable option.
The main CHS Field number for group reservations is 651.644.3517, and the full event inquiry form lives on the CHS Field visitor guide. Lock in the group area first — then call 612-661-1670 to match a bus to your headcount and pickup location.
Pairing a Saints Game with the Lowertown Bar District
The walkability of Lowertown is what separates a CHS Field game from most minor league ballpark nights — and a bus rental to CHS Field is what makes the whole evening work rather than just the 9-inning portion. Your bus drops the group in Lowertown 90 minutes before first pitch, everyone spends the pregame at a brewery on Broadway, walks to the gate, and the bus is back on Broadway when the final out lands. Here's where groups headed to a Saints game land most often, according to the Visit Saint Paul guide to dining near CHS Field:
MetroNOME Brewery (385 Broadway St, Saint Paul) is on Broadway steps from CHS Field's east entrance — live music in the taproom, rotating craft pours, and an easy walk across the street to the gate when it's time to head in. For groups that want live music and craft beer in one stop before the first pitch, this is the obvious pregame anchor. See MetroNOME Brewery's site for current hours and what's playing.
Barrel Theory Beer Company (248 E. 7th St.) is one block south — a serious craft brewery in a historic Lowertown building with barrel-aged stouts, sours, and Double IPAs in a cozy, no-frills taproom. It's a two-minute walk to the Broadway gate and the kind of place where a group lingers longer than planned, so build that into your pre-game window.
Dark Horse Bar & Eatery (250 E. 7th St.) is right next to Barrel Theory with elevated pub fare and a full menu — the option for groups that want a real meal rather than just pints before the game. Friday and Saturday hours run until midnight, making it a post-game stop as well.
The Bulldog Lowertown overlooks Mears Park with a floral-covered patio, elevated pub grub, and a wide rotation of beers on tap — about two blocks from the east gate and the spot for outdoor patio seating on a summer evening when the weather cooperates.
1881 Eating House at Union Depot is the sit-down dinner option — steak, walleye, pork chops, and a full bar two blocks from the Broadway gate. For a group that wants a pregame dinner with proper service rather than bar seating, drop at Union Depot, eat at 1881, and walk to the game. The bus picks up post-game on Broadway or back at Union Depot, depending on where the group finishes the night.
For the full Lowertown neighborhood guide, Visit Saint Paul covers galleries, the Farmers Market, and the Art Crawl alongside the dining scene. The whole district is walkable in under 10 minutes end to end — which is exactly the argument for a bus rental that drops your group in the heart of it rather than in a ramp two blocks away with a clock ticking on the parking meter.
What Size Bus Fits Your CHS Field Group?
The right vehicle for a Saints game trip comes down to headcount, where you're coming from, and whether the group is making a night of Lowertown or a straight point-to-point run. Here's how the full vehicle lineup maps to the most common CHS Field group sizes:
| Vehicle | Capacity | Best for | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van or 14-passenger Sprinter limo | Up to ~14 | Small friend groups, executive client outings, birthday parties of 10–12 | Premium leather, USB charging, tinted windows; Sprinter limo adds club seating |
| Party bus (15–25 passengers) | 15–25 | Celebration groups, bachelorette outings, birthday parties that include a Saints game | LED lighting, premium sound, flat-panel TVs, perimeter seating |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | 15–35 | Office groups, neighborhood associations, family reunions, most mid-size company outings | Reclining seats, powerful A/C, overhead storage, easier on tighter Lowertown blocks than a full-size coach |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Large company outings, out-of-town groups from MSP Airport, multi-group fan travel | Reclining seats, climate control, overhead bins, WiFi, power outlets, onboard restrooms, undercarriage bays |
For most Saints game trips originating in St. Paul, Minneapolis, or the near suburbs, a minibus rental is the sweet spot — enough seats for the core group, more maneuverable than a 45-foot coach on Lowertown's narrow blocks, and the A/C matters on a warm August evening. For groups over 35, especially those making the run from MSP Airport or organizing a multi-stop evening in Lowertown before the game, a full-size charter bus gives you the undercarriage storage and onboard restroom that make a longer approach comfortable. ADA-accessible vehicles are available — note the need in your quote request.
Charter Bus and Party Bus Rental Prices for a CHS Field Trip
Stpaulpartybuscompany.com pulls quotes from a large network of bus companies serving St. Paul and the Twin Cities — fill out the online form or call 612-661-1670 and pricing comes back in about a minute. To give you a planning baseline: a 15–35 passenger minibus runs $200–$250/hour on weekdays and $200–$275/hour on weekends; a 25-passenger party bus runs $250–$350/hour weekdays and $275–$375/hour on weekends; and a full-size charter bus (40–56 passengers) runs $200–$350/hour either way. A Saints game evening — pickup, a Lowertown pregame stop, the game itself, and the ride home — typically runs three to five hours total.
The per-head math tends to close the argument fast. A 20-person group on a weekend minibus at, say, $238/hour for four hours comes to roughly $950 total — about $47 per person. That's against driving in five cars: $10 per vehicle in parking alone gets you to $50 before gas and the post-game rideshare surge that Lowertown always delivers on a Friday night.
One flat rate, split across the group, with no one calculating a separate parking transaction. Final pricing moves with the date, vehicle, total hours, and pickup location — the way to know your actual number is to request a quote. See the St. Paul party bus prices page for more context on what shapes the quote, then call 612-661-1670 any time to get a quote for your date and headcount.
The St. Paul Saints Season at CHS Field
The Saints are the Minnesota Twins' Triple-A affiliate in the International League, which means the roster rotates with Twins prospects, the occasional major-league rehab stint from a recognizable name, and the between-inning mayhem that has made the Saints one of the most entertainment-forward minor league franchises in the country. The season typically opens at CHS Field in late March or early April and runs through a mid-September finale, with a full slate of promotional dates threaded through the summer homestands.
The promotional calendar is where group planning matters most. Fireworks nights, jersey giveaways, and theme nights routinely sell out the bowl and create competition for the closest surface lots well before the first pitch. If your group is targeting a specific promotion — a fireworks Friday, a giveaway night, or any of the August homestand games — lock in your group area reservation and your bus quote together, not sequentially.
The group areas book from the same pool of dates as your bus, and the popular ones go first. The current schedule and promotion calendar live on the CHS Field visitor guide.
Booking advice for popular nights: Friday fireworks dates and jersey giveaway games at CHS Field draw the most group bookings and fill the closest parking fastest. If you're targeting one of those nights, four to six weeks of lead time on the bus is the safe window — two to three weeks is workable for a standard Tuesday or Wednesday game. The earlier you call, the better the vehicle selection.
Call 612-661-1670 to check availability for your date.
Frequently Asked Questions About Renting a Bus to CHS Field
Where does a charter bus or party bus drop off at CHS Field?
Most buses approach via Broadway Street and drop at the east entrance to CHS Field, which is steps from the main gate. Buses coming from downtown Minneapolis typically approach via I-94 Exit 241B (5th Street) and work east to Broadway. Buses from the east take I-94 Exit 243 (Kellogg/Mounds), follow Kellogg to Broadway, and turn right for about 1.5 blocks.
The CHS Field directions page has the turn-by-turn approach from all four compass directions.
Does CHS Field have its own parking lot?
No. CHS Field does not operate an on-site stadium parking lot. Parking for games is in the surrounding Lowertown surface lots and downtown ramps — more than 3,000 spaces within a three-block radius, though many surface lots closest to the ballpark are cash-only and fill before first pitch on popular nights. The CHS Field parking page has the current lot map and advance reservation links.
How much does parking cost near CHS Field?
Surface lots within a few blocks of CHS Field typically run $5–$10 per vehicle for a game, and many require cash. Parking ramps along 7th Street at 4th, 5th, and 6th Street intersections charge by the hour and accept credit cards. Union Depot Lot B — a three-minute walk from the Broadway entrance — has run about $4 for two hours per recent booking-site data.
For a group arriving in multiple cars, each car solves the parking transaction separately; a bus eliminates the whole problem for one flat group rate.
How far is Union Depot from CHS Field?
About two blocks south — a three- to five-minute walk north on Broadway to the east gate. Union Depot (214 4th St E, Saint Paul, MN 55101) is the eastern terminus of the METRO Green Line and has four parking lots managed by ABM Parking. It's also a useful pre-game dinner stop (1881 Eating House is inside the building) and the cleanest post-game rendezvous point for groups using a mix of transit and private bus.
Can my group take the Green Line to a Saints game?
Yes. The METRO Green Line terminates at Union Depot Station in Lowertown, and from there CHS Field is a two-block walk north on Broadway. Metro Transit bus routes 21, 54, 63, 70, and Express 94 also serve the area.
For small groups or individuals coming from Minneapolis without a car, the Green Line is a legitimate option. For groups that need to arrive together, hold a specific departure window, and regroup at a specific post-game pickup point, a private bus rental handles coordination that a fixed train schedule cannot.
How early should our group arrive on game day?
For a weeknight game with no special promotion, 45–60 minutes before first pitch is plenty — it gives you time for a pregame stop at MetroNOME Brewery or Barrel Theory and still makes gates. For a Friday fireworks night or a popular jersey giveaway game, the closest surface lots fill 90 minutes before first pitch, and the Lowertown bar district gets crowded in the pregame window. Build in 90 minutes or more before gate time if your itinerary includes a Lowertown stop on a high-demand night.
What group area at CHS Field holds the most people?
The Lawn (the grassy berm beyond left field) holds up to 1,000 at $5 per person. For reserved group areas, the Blaze Sun Deck accommodates 150–200 in a single group, and the Securian Financial Club holds 200 seated or 250 for a cocktail event in 4,000 square feet of climate-controlled indoor space. Contact CHS Field's group events team through the Securian Club event page or the main line at 651.644.3517 for availability and group area pricing.
How far in advance should I book a bus for a Saints game?
Two to three weeks of lead time is usually enough for a standard weeknight game. For Friday fireworks dates, jersey giveaway games, and August homestand weekends — the peak Saints attendance nights — four to six weeks is the safer window. The popular game nights draw concurrent bus requests from across the metro, and the best vehicles at the right sizes go first.
Call 612-661-1670 any time to check what's available for your specific date.
Are out-of-town group runs from MSP Airport to CHS Field available?
Yes. A charter bus pickup from MSP Airport (Bloomington) to CHS Field in Lowertown is about a 12–15 mile run on I-35E north to I-94 east — roughly 20–30 minutes outside of peak traffic. For groups flying in for a Saints game or a Lowertown event, one bus picks up the whole group at the terminal curb rather than splitting everyone into rideshares.
The MSP Airport shuttle guide has the full detail on airport pickups and terminal logistics.
Book Your Bus to CHS Field Today
CHS Field is 7,210 seats in one of the Twin Cities' most walkable neighborhoods, and a St. Paul bus rental is the one move that makes the whole evening — Lowertown dinner, the game, the post-game brewery stop — work as a single coordinated trip instead of a logistics puzzle. Stpaulpartybuscompany.com connects you to a large network of bus companies serving St. Paul and the greater metro, so you fill out one quick form or call 612-661-1670 and compare vehicles, pricing, and availability in about a minute. No parking math, no cash scramble at a Lowertown surface lot, no post-game rideshare surge. The bus is on Broadway when you need it.
The rest of the evening belongs to the Saints.
Headed to Grand Casino Arena (formerly Xcel Energy Center) for a Wild game or a concert on the same trip? The Grand Casino Arena bus guide covers drop-off, parking, and group logistics for the arena two miles west of CHS Field.
