Baseball lovers looking for a truly unique experience don’t need to look any further than the Blue Wahoo’s Airbnb- and starting September 27, neither do football fans. The home stadium of the Double-A Southern League’s Pensacola Blue Wahoos, officially dubbed “Admiral Fetterman Field,” has offered Airbnb services since May 22, 2020, providing sports fans with the opportunity to enjoy the Southern League Ballpark of the Year three-time winning stadium’s amenities all to themselves.
The open-air stadium is usually used to house minor-league games or music events but was left empty upon the delay of the 2020 season caused by COVID-19 restrictions. In their efforts to remain in contact with their fans and promote the use of their stadium and team, the Blue Wahoos would attempt to find different ways to put the stadium to use, like hosting golf, various movie nights, fireworks nights, and other small-scale events, until they eventually came upon the idea to convert it into an Airbnb.
The initial launch of the Airbnb in May 2020 garnered attention from news outlets around the world and attracted guests from hundreds of miles away. Despite its success, it was closed upon the start of the new baseball season in 2021. Now that harsher COVID-19 guidelines have lifted and the season is coming to a close, the team is returning to the Airbnb project with fresh ideas. When it reopens, it will offer a 2-in-1 sports experience. The baseball field will be overlayed with a football field built to accommodate the University of West Florida’s home games.
For the price of $1,500 a night, a single group with as many as 10 people (extra people can come as guests for a fee of $300 per person) can stay at the beautiful ocean-side stadium. For various additional fees, extra experiences can be added to personalize the visit, such as fireworks shows or professionally catered, award-winning dinners by the Blue Wahoo’s cook. Each visit is unique to the group of guests involved and has varied from birthday and graduation celebrations to wedding parties.
Upon arrival, guests are given a tour of the stadium and their lodgings. The newly-renovated clubhouse and bedroom are kept extremely clean and contain near-full amenities, including two bathrooms with showers, four couches, two TVs, several chairs, gaming systems, and tables. The attached bedroom contains two TVs, a kitchenette, four bunk beds, and two queen-sized beds, allowing 10 people to sleep comfortably. Guests are encouraged to explore and enjoy the playing fields, including enjoying the batting tunnel and kicking field goals. Balls, bats, and helmets will be provided to guests hoping to enjoy the fields. A staff member is available on-call at all times to provide security and aid guests.
If you’re hoping to book your vacation group at the stadium, act quickly! The Bed and Breakfast is only open during baseball off-seasons, September to February, and reservations are expected to fill quickly with the introduction of the 2-in-1 field.
The stadium is located at 351 W. Cedar Street, in downtown Pensacola. Reservations can be made through the location’s Airbnb listing. Parking is free.
