The biggest, most-popular entrance to Nationals Park is the Center Field Gate. The large, open plaza that awaits fans as they walk into the stadium currently includes major stops such as the Team Store, concessions, and even the Kids Fun Zone on the left side. However, the entertainment aspect of this area is severely lacking, unless you are a child having a fun time on the playground.

Gates at Nationals Park open just an hour and 15 minutes prior to first pitch for a vast majority of home games. I believe that more fans would show up on the early side if there were games or attractions like a Home Run Challenge, friendly skill competitions like a baserunning themed race, or even something as simple as an AI photo booth. If people want to partake in these opportunities while not missing any game action, they would be more likely to show up when the stadium opens. This also makes them likely to spend more money at the team’s concession stands during their visit to the Park, so these add-ons could end up being a win-win for both fans and the team.

Following the 2023 season, Nationals Park received multiple physical upgrades, which included a new higher quality scoreboards and LED lights. These were the first such touch-ups since the stadium opened in 2008. The new lighting set-up offered the team cool opportunities that many clubs had already started taking advantage of in recent years, like making light shows for home run celebrations and closer entrances. While every ballpark that I’ve seen with this technology has used it for these purposes, some have become very unique with it as well.

Take the Detroit Tigers for example. I visited Comerica Park in April of 2025, and one of the first things I noticed was that they use a miniature version of their light celebrations for something simple as getting a walk. They don’t do anything colorful for those small, constant instances, but it keeps fans engaged as the contrast of black-and-white grabs their attention no matter what they were looking at when it began. The Nationals should take a page out of Detroit’s playbook and find unique, common instances to show off their capabilities so that fans stay amused and drawn to the action on the field.

When fans think of Nationals Park in-game entertainment, many immediately point to hosts Mike Ploger and Brittney Wilson running daily events like the “Budweiser Tune Tag” or “BetMGM Dinger of the Day”. While segments like these are daily occurences in some form or another, others like the “Dance Cam” don’t make it into the everyday plans.

Some of these rotated packages are fan favorites, while others make people tune out, depending on the situation. To keep those in attendance fully engaged, they should be able to vote by QR code before the game on which segments they wish to see that day. It can be ranked choice, and the stadium entertainment team can map out the game schedule based on that. This would get the attention of fans who may otherwise scroll through social media during a break, as they are more likely to see what they wanted, meaning that they will have higher energy when play is happening as well.

Some may remember that way back when, the stadium used to open the Center Field Gate half an hour prior to all the others. This was to allow fans to witness part of the batting practice window, since the gates would otherwise open right at the end of the visitor’s portion. Nowadays, as mentioned above, all gates open at the same time, 75 minutes before the game. On most days, this does not even overlap with the away team’s warm-ups since evening game times were moved from 7:05 to 6:45 PM.

I have two proposals for this. The first only applies if it is in conjunction with adding more attractions to the plaza. This would be going back to the previous model, opening Center Field two hours before game time for evening games, allowing both batting practice viewing access and the aforementioned extra entertainment that the proposed appendages would provide. The second option (regardless of what happens in Center Field) is to do the same model for one game per homestand, creating the best of both worlds for the team and fans.

Ever since the aformentioned renovations (and as I’ve traveled to see more stadiums), one thing has become very clear to me. Nationals Park lacks a special feature. Almost every stadium has their trademark (Chase Field has a pool, Wrigley has the ivy, Fenway has the Green Monster, etc.), but when fans of other teams hear of Nationals Park, nothing jumps out in that same way.

You may be asking what this has to do with the 2023 offseason upgrades. The answer is that when the scoreboards were replaced, one was left untouched. The circular ribbon above the red seats has been dead for two seasons, yet it still sits there, an eye-sore that comes off wrong for an MLB stadium. I propose that the Nationals kill two birds with one stone, and replace the board with a replica of the Capitol Building’s rotunda that can act as part of a home run celebration, similar to the old colorful sculpture in Miami. A new home run celebration could also be an opportunity for the team to bring back small-scale pyrotechnics to keep fans engaged, while also leaning into the identity of D.C. and creating something that fans will picture when they realize their favorite team is playing in the nation’s capital.