City: Chicago, IL

Category: Spectator Sports

Address: 333 W. 35th St.

Description: Nostalgia at a White Sox game was lost when the South Side team’s 80-year-old Old Comiskey Park was scrapped for its flashy new, 41,000-plus-seat stadium in 1991. But the White Sox still have one huge up on the Chicago Cubs—a World Series title. It came in 2005 under manager Ozzie Guillen who was in charge of the American League club until near the end of the 2011 season. It also helped erase the scar of its old 1919 betting scandal that led to the team’s notorious past nickname, the Black Sox. These days, games at “the Cell” offer fan-friendly extras like water spritzers for cooling down on hot days; a kids’ area with baseball clinics, batting cages, and practice pitching areas (sneakers necessary); the Speed Pitch to test your tossing speed; fun photo-ops with player cut-outs; and the White Sox legends sculpture plaza featuring Minnie Minoso, Carlton Fisk, Charles Comiskey himself, and others. Concessions here offer up the standard dogs and suds, but also venture into veggie burgers, deli sandwiches, quesadillas, ice cream, and the Rookie’s Club, serving up kid faves like PB&J. Individual tickets range from about $15 to $90, depending on day, time, and opponent—the most expensive seats are for Chicago’s famous Cross-Town Classic rivalry games against the North Side Chicago Cubs that decide which crowd can go home crowing. Parking in official lots is $23, but we suggest the Red Line El train, which takes you within walking distance at its 35th Street stop; the Green Line is just a couple of blocks east of the Red Line; and the Metra now has a stop at 35th Street along its Rock Island Line. The Sox season runs from early April through September, or longer if they make it to another playoff.