ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After nearly 18 months, the Tampa Bay Rays are only days away from returning home to Tropicana Field.
And activity is buzzing around the facility to everything ready.
One week before officially reopening for the Rays home opener vs. the Chicago Cubs on April 6, crews outside of Tropicana Field were working to put a final coat of paint on some of the exterior doors and railings, wash concrete entrances, and clear debris from Booker Creek.
What You Need To Know
Rays team store is open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ahead of Opening Day
Fans will not be allowed inside the ballpark until April 6
The field is complete, include grass, clay, and dugout areas
MORE: Tampa Bay Rays return to Tropicana Field
While the ballpark won’t open to fans until next Monday, the team store reopened in late March, giving fans one access point to the newly-repaired Tropicana Field.
The store is filled with new merchandise, including items that are a nod to Tropicana Field’s chaotic past 18 months. Every jersey with the new “Webull” patch also has a piece of the tattered roof sewn inside of it. The pieces of the damaged roof were punched into small circular discs and included in the inside sleeve, under the patch.
That little circle you see on the inside of the patch is actually a piece of the tattered Tropicana Field roof that ripped off in Hurricane Milton. It’s sewn into the back of every ‘Webull’ patch on both the Rays jerseys and the ones sold in the team store @bn9 pic.twitter.com/W1TSPOiAok
— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) March 31, 2026
These jerseys are worn by the players each game and also available for sale at the Rays team store.
Bill Walsh, chief business officer for the Tampa Bay Rays, said the damage to Tropicana Field was extensive and they included an industrial hygienist as part of their staff who completes routine air quality testing.
“Water got in everywhere and water as we know finds its way downhill. So it was in places of the building that we didn’t expect,” Walsh said.
Walsh said for the last few days before opening day, the team is working to install the final pieces needed in concession areas, finish painting, clean floors, and put the finishing touches on many of the areas fans will see.
“Tropicana Field was in many ways the poster child for these storms that hit us,” Walsh said. “So its really emotional frankly and really powerful and really exciting to welcome fans back here as a symbol of that residency and recovery.”
Lifelong Rays fans Tyler Groen and Tanner Shipley visited the Rays store the first day it opened. They brought along Shipley’s son to start creating the same memories with him that they had with their parents.
“The young kids are coming up, hopefully they play well,” Groen said. “The Trop will be open and it will be good to see the city get behind everybody again and really embrace the team coming back.”
The Rays new ownership team said they’re focused on making sure fans feel connected to the organization and enjoy coming to games.