Wahoo!

Approaching Community Maritime Park, Aug-2012.

The seating bowl, as seen from beyond the first-base line.

Nearly every seat offers a view of Pensacola Bay.

Chronological Tour: Stop 364

• Location: Main & Reus Streets (on the bay), Pensacola, Fla. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 2012
• Home team: Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Southern League (2012-present)
• Capacity: 4,400 (approx.)

Rating: 4 baseballs

In addition to the gorgeous views, the park also features a rounded seating area, rather than the more typical (and probably easier to build) squared-off look that has become common. It is not possible to walk all the way around the outfield on the concourse, owing to the fact that city planners wanted to leave intact a public walkway along the water’s edge, but there is a combined general admission area and beer garden in right field. Fans also get a nearly complete auxiliary scoreboard (line score, total runs, count and outs) mounted above the souvenir shop directly behind home plate.

Perhaps the only drawback is that there is very little shelter in the park for those rainy nights. There is sufficient shade, based on the layout of the park and also some tarpaulins mounted above the concession stands. The batter faces southeast here.

Parking runs $3 to $5 at nearby lots, but there is also on-street parking within a few blocks, as meters in the city hall area only operate Monday through Friday during business hours. Concessions are a little bit on the high side; instead of trying the Big Wahoo hot dog, I went with a slice of pizza that completely failed to impress me. On a 2024 visit, I tried a fish sandwich that was much better, expensive but worth every penny.