Guide to the Sioux City Explorers Baseball Team

In honor of the Explorers making the 2024 playoffs, here's my official guide to the Sioux City Explorers baseball team:

Sioux City Explorers basics

The Sioux City Explorers baseball team is part of the West Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, which is an MLB affiliate league, and they have had dozens of players called up to the majors! The team colors are red and black, and the team mascot is Slider, a black Newfoundland dog. The team nickname is "the Xs" and their team logo is a block letter X with a baseball flying in front of it.

Sioux City Explorers Team History

The Sioux City Explorers have been in Sioux City since the team started in 1993 (which is why Slider's jersey has a 93 on it!) They played as part of the Northern League from 1993 to 2005 when they joined the AAPB. They have won their division championship several times but have yet to win the league championship.

Sioux City Explorers Home Field and Games

Home stadium: The official full name of the Sioux City Explorers' home field as of September 2024 is "Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park." It's located at 3400 Line Drive, near Sioux City's Cone Park. There is ample parking at the stadium, and it costs a few dollars per game (it was $2 when we went in August 2024, but I think they charge a bit more for playoff games and the Fourth of July games with fireworks.) The stadium is much smaller than an MLB stadium, but larger than high school or college stadiums I've been in, and when I went with my family, the seats were comfy, the lighting was good, and the view was good. The bathrooms seemed reasonably clean, and I really appreciated that there was well lit, wide open space for my toddler to roam a bit behind the stands without being in anyone's way. 

Fun promotions at the Sioux City Explorers home games

The Sioux City Explorers plan lots of fun for their fans throughout their season, including giveaways for things like shirts, hats, baseballs, baseball cards, bobbleheads, and more. They have a great list on their website to make it easy to see what's happening. They also have some promotions that run all season long, for example in 2024 some of those fun promotions included $2 hotdogs on Wednesdays, and an opportunity for kids to run the bases after Sunday games. 

Food at the Sioux City Explorers home games

Enjoy classic ballfield food at the Sioux City Explorers snack bar, including pop, beer, popcorn, candy, hot dogs, nachos, and chicken strips. For dessert, be sure to grab some Dip N' Dots or Frozen Lemonade!

 And listen throughout the game for drink specials--sometimes they choose players and if that player gets a hit, a certain drink or group of drinks will be on a big sale for the rest of the inning!

Fan store

At the stadium there is also a small store with all kinds of great Sioux City Explorers fan apparel and souvenirs. As of September 2024, the kids t-shirts were about $20 and the adult t-shirts and baseball caps were most around $30. Both adjustable and fitted caps are available. I bought my younger kids shirts with Slider on them, and they loved them, and my teen was a big fan of the hats. I also appreciated that they had ponchos for just $2 inside of cute little baseball shaped containers, so if you go on a drizzly day be sure to look for those. 

Two things I would have bought but they did not have were a small plush slider, and a toddler shirt. They had baby sizes, and kids' sizes, but for that 2T to 4T size range there did not seem to be any options when I was there. So I'd love to see both of those items available in future years and I will go buy some if they are!

Sioux City Explorers Home Game Tickets

You can buy tickets to Sioux City Explorers home baseball games in person at the box office, or online from the Sioux City Explorers website. Individual tickets to home games for the 2024 season started at just $10, which seems like a great value to me! 

They also offer special coupons and deals throughout the year, including usually at least one game per season with free tickets from a local radio station, tickets given out through the library summer reading program, and an all-abilities night with free tickets for families that include someone with special needs. 

Birthday Parties and Special Events at Explorers Games

The Sioux City Explorers offer some really fun and surprisingly affordable party options for fans. Their birthday party packages start at $250 for 10 guests, which includes tickets, hot dogs, pop, and even a souvenir baseball!

They also rent out their party deck, and the prices for that (25 person minimum) are just $22 per adult or $17 per child for tickets and a great food buffet featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, and pulled pork alongside chips, cookies, pop, and lemonade. That seems like such a great deal to me for a family reunion, a bachelor party, or a night out with a group or sports team! Last time I went to a game, there was no one on the party deck and my toddler wanted to roam, so we checked it out and it seems like it has a good view and plenty of space for guests. 

Learn more about the Sioux City Explorers

To find out more, visit the Sioux City Explorers website and connect with the Explorers on Facebook. 

Go X's!