Spring training in Jupiter

Jupiter & Juno BeachOctober 29, 2026

Spring training on the coast north of the residence

Every year in the third week of February, Major League Baseball comes back to the Palm Beaches. Two ballparks within half an hour of the residence host four teams between them: the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins share Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in the Abacoa neighborhood of Jupiter, and the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals share CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach. From the twelfth floor you can be in a seat behind the dugout in about twenty-five minutes, and back on the balcony for the last of the afternoon light.

Spring training is baseball at its most relaxed. The ballparks are small, the seats are close to the field, the players walk between practice fields a few feet from the fence, and a game is as much an afternoon in the sun as a contest. Regulars bring a hat and a scorecard, buy a hot dog in the third inning and stay for the late innings, when the young prospects come in and play for a job.

What this guide covers

• The 2027 schedule as the teams have released it, and the dates still to come.
• Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium: tickets, the back fields, autographs, seats, shade and parking.
• CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach as a second ballpark for the same week.
• The rest of Jupiter and Juno Beach: the beaches, the inlet, Riverbend Park and dinner on the water.
• A day-by-day plan for a spring-training week based at the residence.

A week like this suits the residence well. Late February and March bring warm days, cool mornings and dry weather on this stretch of coast, and the residence sleeps six, so a group of friends can share it, split the driving and still have a quiet morning on the balcony before the first pitch. The when to visit guide covers the season month by month.

The 2027 spring schedule

The 2027 Grapefruit League opens on Friday, February 19, and the teams have released their spring schedules. The Cardinals will play their thirtieth spring in Jupiter: thirty games between February 19 and March 21, nineteen of them at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, fifteen as the home side and four as the visitors against the Marlins, who share the ballpark. They open on February 19 as the visiting team, and the regular season begins for them on Thursday, March 25, in Cincinnati.

Over in West Palm Beach, the Astros open their eleventh spring at CACTI Park on the same Friday, February 19, at home against the Nationals. They have fifteen home games there, and the Nationals mark their tenth spring at the park in 2027.

Dates the teams have released

• Friday, February 19: opening day across the Grapefruit League; Astros host the Nationals at CACTI Park.
• Saturday, February 20: Cardinals host the Astros in Jupiter.
• Sunday, February 28: Cardinals host the Nationals in Jupiter.
• Tuesday, March 2: Cardinals host the Red Sox in Jupiter; Astros host the Tigers in West Palm Beach.
• Thursday, March 4: Cardinals host the Braves in Jupiter.
• Saturday, March 6: Cardinals host the Mets in Jupiter; Astros host the Yankees in West Palm Beach.
• Sunday, March 7: Astros host the Cardinals in West Palm Beach.
• Sunday, March 14: Cardinals host the Mets in Jupiter.
• Wednesday, March 17: a split-squad day for the Cardinals, one team against the Marlins in Jupiter and one against the Nationals in West Palm Beach.
• Sunday, March 21: Astros host the Cardinals in West Palm Beach, the last weekend of spring games.

Start times are announced later in the winter. Most spring games begin around midday or early afternoon, with a few evening games each spring. The Marlins and Nationals post their full home calendars on their own spring training pages, so look there for the days that fill in between the dates above.

The teams' spring pages are the place to confirm the schedule before you set your dates, and they will post any update to the calendar as the league and the players settle the agreement that follows the current one, which runs through December 1, 2026. On the days between games, the week fills easily with the beaches, the river and the spa.

Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Abacoa

Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium sits at 4751 Main Street in Jupiter, at the heart of Abacoa, a walkable neighborhood of shops, apartments and restaurants built around a town center. It is a ballpark on a human scale: about 7,000 seats in all, counting the box seats, bleachers, a party deck and a grass berm, with six suites above home plate. The Cardinals and the Marlins have shared it for spring training for more than twenty years, and in summer it is home to minor league baseball.

Around the stadium is the part that makes spring training different from a regular-season game. The complex has twelve major league practice fields, six for each team, plus two half-sized infields. On any morning in February and March, you can watch pitchers throw bullpen sessions, infielders take ground balls and hitters work in the cages, sometimes within a few yards of where you stand.

How the complex fits together

• The stadium is in the middle, with the grandstand and concession stands behind it.
• The Cardinals' practice fields are off the right-field side, reached by following the sidewalk down the right-field line.
• The Marlins' practice fields are on the other side of the complex, with their own entrance off Stadium Boulevard.
• Abacoa town center is across Main Street, with lunch and a cold drink a short walk away.

In 2026, Cardinals fans reached the back fields through a fan area on the Marlins' side of the complex. Check the teams' spring pages for the current entrances before your first visit, and give yourself a few extra minutes to find your way on the first morning.

The ballpark is about twenty-five minutes north of the residence by car. From Singer Island you cross to Interstate 95 and head north to the Donald Ross Road exit, then follow Central Boulevard into Abacoa. The rental car guide covers picking up a car at the airport or on the island.

How tickets go on sale

Tickets for spring games at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium are sold through the Cardinals' and Marlins' spring training pages, the ballpark's own website and the stadium ticket office by phone. Season tickets and mini plans come first, and single-game tickets follow in the new year. For 2026, Cardinals single-game tickets went on sale on Saturday, January 10, at 9 a.m. Central time, and a similar January sale is the pattern to expect for 2027.

A simple plan for buying

1. Pick your games when the schedule is out. The schedule is already released, so you can choose your days now and set a reminder for the on-sale date.
2. Watch for the January announcement. The teams post the exact on-sale date and time a week or two ahead.
3. Buy the weekend games first. Saturday and Sunday games against popular opponents, like the Mets, the Yankees and the Red Sox, are the ones fans pick first, and weekday afternoons give you a wider choice of seats.
4. Add parking when you buy. Parking passes can be bought with your tickets online, which saves a stop on game day.
5. Keep the tickets on your phone. If your tickets are mobile, download them before you leave the residence so they are ready to scan the moment you reach the gate.

The ballpark offers a range of seats, from the home plate boxes close to the field to value seats farther down the lines and the berm in right field. All-inclusive tickets in The 101 Club include food and drink with the seat, and the newer Jupiter Medical Center Champions Club is another premium choice.

For CACTI Park in West Palm Beach, tickets for Astros and Nationals home games are sold through each team's spring training page and MLB.com, on a similar winter timetable. If you plan to see both ballparks, buy the two sets of tickets at the same time so the days fit together.

We would buy through the teams' own sale, where you know the date, the time and the seat you are getting. Some resale sites list 2027 games early, before the start times are set, and the January sale is the simpler route.

The back fields and morning workouts

For a lot of fans, the mornings on the back fields are the heart of spring training. Before the games begin, and on game days before the gates open, players work out on the practice fields around the stadium, and you can stand at the fence and watch. Pitchers and catchers usually report about a week to ten days before the first game, which points to the second week of February in 2027, and the first full-squad workouts follow a few days later.

What you see on a workout morning

• Bullpen sessions, with pitchers throwing to catchers while coaches watch from a step away.
• Fielding drills, with infielders taking ground ball after ground ball and outfielders working on throws.
• Batting practice on the practice fields and in the cages.
• Groups moving between fields, often walking right past the fans along the fence lines.

Workouts start in the morning and often run until lunchtime. Times shift from day to day and are posted by the teams, and local writers who cover the clubs share them each morning during camp. On game days the work begins about three hours before first pitch, so a 1 p.m. game means the fields are busy from about 10 a.m.

In the early days of camp, before the games start, the back fields are the whole show. A morning there pairs well with the rest of a day in Jupiter: watch the pitchers throw, eat lunch in Abacoa, and drive over to the beach or the river in the afternoon. In 2026 the Cardinals' fans watched from the Kissell Quad, four fields with bleachers on the Marlins' side, where players rotated through their drills.

Practical notes

• Arrive early. The first hour of the morning is when the most players are on the fields.
• Wear walking shoes. The fields spread over a large area, and the stroll from the parking to the fences is part of the morning.
• Bring water and sunscreen. The bleachers by the fields are in the open.
• Stop at the check-in table. In 2026 everyone checked in at a table at the back-fields entrance, a quick stop on the way to the fences.

Autographs and meeting the players

Spring training is the easiest time of year to get a signature from a Major League player. The ballparks are small, the players come and go on foot, and many of them sign for fans along the fences before games and after workouts. The teams set the rules, and they change from spring to spring, so treat any autograph as a happy bonus of a morning at the fields.

Where autographs happen

• Before games, along the fences of the practice fields and near the dugouts during batting practice.
• After workouts, as players walk from the practice fields back to the clubhouse.
• Near the player gates outside right field at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, where players arrive and leave.

Players and coaches do not sign during the game itself. Once the first pitch is thrown, the signing stops until the game is over, and on most days the regulars come out of the game by the middle innings and head back to the clubhouse.

Some springs the teams also sell on-field experiences during home batting practice, with an escort to a roped-off area behind home plate and a good chance at a signature. These are listed on the teams' spring pages when they are offered.

What helps

• A ballpoint pen and a permanent marker. A blue marker works best on a baseball.
• A clean ball, a card or a cap, kept in a bag so it stays dry.
• Patience and a smile. Players sign for the people who are polite, and the fans who wait quietly at the end of the line often do well.
• The early days of camp. In the first week, with fewer games and more time between drills, players have more time for fans.

At CACTI Park in West Palm Beach, the practice fields sit next to the walkway into the stadium, and fans look for autographs there before entering. Arriving when the facility opens gives you the best chance. Older children who love the game will remember a morning like this for years.

Seats, shade and the berm

Most seats at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium are in the sun, which is part of the pleasure on a February afternoon when the rest of the country is in coats. Field boxes run around the infield from one outfield corner to the other, a loge tier runs from about third base to first base, and the press box and suites sit above home plate. The last few rows of the loge boxes in front of the press box are the regular seats with cover overhead.

Choosing a seat

• For shade, look for the last rows of the loge boxes in front of the press box, or book a suite or a covered group area.
• For a close view, the home plate and field boxes put you a few rows from the action.
• For a relaxed afternoon, the grass berm in right field lets you spread out on a blanket and watch with the sun at your back.
• For a group, the party deck and group areas can be booked through the ticket office.

Day games start in the early afternoon, when the sun is high, so plan for it. Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and reapply in the middle innings. A light long-sleeved shirt is the regulars' trick. The breeze off the coast usually keeps the stands comfortable, and by the late innings the light softens and the shadows reach the infield.

For a group of six, buy your seats together in one order on the day the sale opens. That is the easy way to sit side by side in the same row, especially for the weekend games, and pairs are simple to add later in the winter.

On a cool morning in February, a light sweater is useful for the first hour at the back fields. By the afternoon game you will be in short sleeves. The packing list covers what to bring for a late-winter week, from the ballpark to dinner on the water.

Parking, gates and the bag rules

Getting into Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is easy once you know the layout. Paid parking is in the Abacoa parking garage next to the ballpark, with more parking in the open lots around the complex. You can buy a parking pass with your tickets online or at the ticket office, which saves time at the entrance on a weekend game day.

On game day

• Come with time to spare. On weekends and for the Cardinals' popular games, an early arrival gets you a space in the garage or the closest lots, a short walk from the gates.
• Wear comfortable shoes. On the bigger game days the walk in from the outer lots takes a few minutes, an easy stroll through the complex.
• Gates open well before the game, so you can be in your seat for batting practice; the time is posted with each game.
• Try Gate C on weekend game days, a handy way in when the ballpark is full of fans.

Bags and what you can carry in

• Small bags only. In 2026 bags and purses could be up to 16 by 16 by 8 inches, and any backpack had to be clear.
• Bags are checked at the gate, and a small clear bag keeps the entrance quick and easy.
• Check the current rules on the teams' spring pages before you go, as the policy can change from year to year.

At CACTI Park, the main entrance is off Haverhill Road. Astros fans usually park in the northwest lot and Nationals fans in the south lot, with general parking in Lot F. Parking can be bought ahead of time online with your ticket, and on workout-only days parking is free. Rideshare drop-off and pick-up is in Lot A, right off the Haverhill entrance, and gates open ninety minutes before first pitch.

With a group of friends, one car is simpler than two. The building's valet parking at the residence is paid and run by the building, and it makes the morning departure quick: call down for the car while you finish your coffee.

What to bring to a spring game

A spring game is a long afternoon outdoors, so a small bag of the right things makes it easy. Most of what you need is already in the residence or in your suitcase, and the rest you can pick up on the way north.

For the ballpark

• Your tickets and parking pass on your phone, with the phone charged.
• A hat and sunglasses. A cap from the team you came to see is a good souvenir.
• Sunscreen, applied before you leave and again in the middle innings.
• A light long-sleeved shirt for sun cover in the afternoon.
• A light sweater for a cool morning at the back fields or an evening game.
• A refillable water bottle, if the ballpark allows one. At CACTI Park one water bottle up to 20 ounces is allowed per person.
• A glove for foul balls in the stands, and to bring an older child closer to the game.
• A pen, a marker and a ball or card for autographs.
• A small clear bag that fits the ballpark's size rule.
• Walking shoes for the back fields and the walk from the parking.

For the car

• A small cooler for the drive back, with cold water and a snack.
• A beach towel and swimsuits if you plan to stop at the beach on the way home.
• A blanket for the berm in right field.

The residence has a full kitchen with Miele appliances, so a picnic for the drive is easy: sandwiches from the morning's shopping, fruit and cold drinks. The coffee, breakfast and groceries guide lists the shops near the residence, and the laundry in the residence takes care of the sunscreen and the dust from the back fields at the end of the day.

Leave valuables at the residence, in the safe in the king suite's walk-in closet. A ballpark day is easier with less to carry.

Lunch in Abacoa town center

Abacoa town center is right across Main Street from the ballpark, and it makes lunch before a game or a drink afterward easy. The neighborhood was planned to be walked: shaded sidewalks, a central green, apartments above the shops and restaurants along Main Street and Town Center Drive. On game days the streets fill with fans in red and teal.

Places near the ballpark

• JJ Muggs Stadium Grill, directly across the street from the stadium, a big sports bar with burgers, wings and a long menu, and the classic pre-game stop.
• Copa Cabana on Main Street, with a broad lunch and dinner menu and seats inside and out.
• DAS Biergarten, a beer garden a little farther down the road.
• Costello's Trattoria for Italian, and Hokkaido Hibachi and Sushi for Japanese.
• Jumby Bay Island Grill for island-style plates.

Check that a place is open before you make it the plan, and book a table ahead for a group on a weekend game day.

Eating inside the ballpark

The concession stands behind the grandstand serve the ballpark classics and a few local plates. In recent springs the menu has included the jumbo hot dogs in a pretzel bun, the shrimp po'boys, crab cake sliders and mahi-mahi tacos at the island grill, and St. Louis-style hot dogs for Cardinals fans. There is beer, wine and a few cocktails at the stands, and an air-conditioned group area in right field with a buffet.

If you go in for an early afternoon game, a light breakfast at the residence and a hot dog in the third inning will carry you to a late lunch. Then you can walk back across Main Street once the game is over, find a table outside and talk over the best plays of the game while you eat.

Abacoa also has a public golf course a short drive from the ballpark. If someone in your group would rather play a morning round than watch a workout, our Palm Beach Gardens golf season post covers winter golf a few miles south.

CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach

The second ballpark of the week is CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, at 5444 Haverhill Road in West Palm Beach. It opened in 2017 as the spring home of the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals, and in 2027 the Astros play their eleventh spring there and the Nationals their tenth. The stadium seats about 6,400, with box seats around the infield and lawn seating beyond.

The two teams split the complex down the middle. Each club has its own training facility and practice fields on its side of the stadium, and fans walk past the practice fields and workout areas on the way to their seats. The Nationals' dugout is on the first-base side and the Astros' on the third-base side.

Why it is worth a day

• It is the closer ballpark, about twenty minutes from the residence across the Intracoastal and west through Riviera Beach.
• The facility is open to fans beyond the main stadium, so the back fields are easy to reach.
• Different opponents. The Astros' 2027 home games include the Mets four times, the Cardinals three times, the Yankees and the Tigers.
• A full bar and ballpark food, with the Craft Corner bar for beer, wine and cocktails, and a Sunday brunch ticket on some days.

The park sits beside Lincoln Park, with a playground, a splash park and a walking trail of nearly two miles around the complex. After Sunday games, children aged four to twelve can run the bases, lining up between sections 121 and 122.

Pair a game here with an evening in West Palm Beach. Clematis Street and the waterfront are about fifteen minutes east, and our December in West Palm Beach post and the Palm Beach dining guide have places to eat on the way home.

A day at CACTI Park

A day at CACTI Park starts on the practice fields. On game days the teams begin their workouts about three hours before first pitch, and the home team takes batting practice in the stadium a little under three hours ahead of a 12:05 or 1:05 game, with the visitors an hour later. Gates to the stadium open ninety minutes before the first pitch, which leaves an hour or more for the fields.

A sample day

1. 9 a.m.: leave the residence after breakfast on the balcony; the drive is about twenty minutes.
2. 9:30 a.m.: park in the lot for your team's side and walk the practice fields, where players sign before entering the stadium.
3. 10:10 a.m.: home batting practice in the stadium for a 1:05 game.
4. 11:35 a.m.: the gates open; find your seats and something to eat.
5. 1:05 p.m.: first pitch.
6. About 4 p.m.: the game ends, and you are back on Singer Island for a swim in the residents' heated pool before sunset.

Seats and shade

The third-base side gets the shade first, and most seats on that side are covered by the middle of the game. The higher rows in sections 110 to 116 and in sections 102 to 106 are the first to get shade. For a sunny afternoon, the lawn is the relaxed choice.

Getting there

• By car: about twenty minutes from the residence. General parking is in Lot F, with paid parking that can be bought ahead with your ticket.
• By rideshare: drop-off and pick-up are in Lot A, off the Haverhill Road entrance. With a group of friends and an evening in town to follow, this leaves the car at the residence.
• Accessible parking and shuttles are reached through the main entrance on Haverhill Road.

For a day without a car, our getting around without a car guide covers rideshare from the island.

Planning around both ballparks

With two ballparks twenty minutes apart and four teams between them, a spring-training week from the residence can hold as many games as you like, with all four clubs and their visiting opponents within half an hour. The teams play each other often, so the same matchups appear at both parks, and on split-squad days a single club plays two games at once, one team at home and one on the road.

Ways to plan the week

• Follow one team. Cardinals fans can see their team in Jupiter and then again in West Palm Beach when they visit the Astros on March 7, March 15 and March 21.
• See all four. A Cardinals game, a Marlins game, an Astros game and a Nationals game fit easily into a week, with free days between for the beach.
• Pick the big visitors. The Mets, the Yankees and the Red Sox travel in from their own spring homes elsewhere in Florida for games at both parks, and those games draw their own fans.
• Use the split-squad days. On Wednesday, March 17, the Cardinals play the Marlins in Jupiter and the Nationals in West Palm Beach at the same time, so you can choose your park.

One game a day is plenty

The Grapefruit League plays almost every day, and it is tempting to fill every afternoon. We would keep to three or four games in a week. A spring game takes most of a day once you add the drive, the back fields and lunch, and the days between are for the beach, the spa and the river.

Look at the Marlins' and Nationals' home schedules when they are out, and lay the four calendars side by side. The days when one park has a morning workout and the other an afternoon game are the easiest to combine. The events calendar for the Palm Beaches shows what else is on in late February and March, from the arts festivals to the boat show.

The residence makes a good base for both parks: Jupiter is north, West Palm Beach is west and south, and the island sits between them, so neither drive is long.

Driving to the ballparks from Singer Island

Both ballparks are easy drives from the residence, and the roads north and west are the same ones you will use for the rest of the week. A car is the simplest way to see spring training, since neither ballpark is on the train line.

To Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter

• About twenty-five minutes from the residence by car.
• The route: head west over the Blue Heron Bridge on Blue Heron Boulevard to Interstate 95, drive north to exit 83 at Donald Ross Road, go east about a mile to Central Boulevard, turn left and follow the signs into Abacoa.
• The scenic option home: drive east from Abacoa to the coast and come south on A1A through Juno Beach, with the ocean on your left for much of the way.

To CACTI Park in West Palm Beach

• About twenty minutes.
• The route: head west off the island to Interstate 95 or local roads, then to Haverhill Road and the main entrance.
• Rideshare works well here, with a drop-off lot by the main gate.

Timing tips

• Leave a little early on weekends, so you can park, find your seats and settle in well before first pitch.
• Linger after the game. A drink in Abacoa or a walk through the practice fields is a pleasant end to the afternoon, and the lot is quiet by the time you leave.
• Save both addresses in your phone: 4751 Main Street in Jupiter, and 5444 Haverhill Road in West Palm Beach.

For guests flying in, President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), formerly Palm Beach International (PBI), is about fifteen minutes from the residence, and the rental counters are at the airport. The getting to Singer Island guide covers arrival, and the rental car guide has the details on renting for the week. The building's valet parking is paid, and EV charging is available for guests with an electric car.

A car also opens up the rest of the week: Juno Beach, the inlet, Riverbend Park and dinner in Jupiter are all within thirty minutes.

Juno Beach, the pier and the turtle hospital

Juno Beach sits between Singer Island and Jupiter, and it is the natural stop on the way to or from the ballpark. The town is small and green, with a long public beach backed by dunes and sea grape, and US Highway 1 and A1A running close to the water.

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center

At 14200 US Highway 1, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center runs an outdoor sea turtle hospital, a campus of exhibits and a daily discovery show in an outdoor amphitheater. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and general admission is free. Our post on the turtle hospital at Juno Beach covers a visit in detail, and a morning there fits well before an afternoon game in Jupiter.

The Juno Beach Pier

The Juno Beach Pier reaches about 990 feet over the Atlantic, with a pier house that has a snack bar, a gift shop and rental poles and bait for anglers. The Loggerhead Marinelife Center has managed it since 2014. The pier is closed for repairs as of late October 2026, and the center, which runs it, posts when it reopens, so look there before you plan a walk out over the water; the beach beside it stays open. The beach on either side makes a fine walk on any morning of the week.

A morning at Juno Beach

• Arrive at opening at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and see the turtle patients in the quiet of the first hour.
• Walk the beach south of the center, a long stretch of sand with room to spread out.
• Check the pier and, if it is open, walk to the end for the view back down the coast toward Singer Island.
• Drive on to Abacoa for lunch and an afternoon game, about fifteen minutes north and west.

March is when the nesting season begins on this stretch of coast, and the beaches of Juno and Jupiter are among the busiest loggerhead nesting beaches anywhere. Our sea turtle season post explains what that means for an evening on the sand, and why the beachfront lights go dark.

The inlet, the lighthouse and the Jupiter beaches

Jupiter wraps around its inlet, where the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal meet the ocean, and a free afternoon after a morning at the back fields is well spent on the water. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse has stood over the inlet since 1860, and our post on it covers the climb, the museum and lunch nearby; the day trips guide folds it into a longer day.

The Jupiter beaches

• Jupiter Beach Park, at 2462 Jupiter Beach Road on the south side of the inlet, has a guarded beach of about 1,700 feet and a jetty that is open around the clock for fishing, with boats running in and out of the inlet beside it.
• Carlin Park, on A1A in Jupiter, has a guarded beach of about 3,000 feet, shaded picnic shelters, tennis and pickleball courts and the Seabreeze Amphitheater.
• DuBois Park, on the north side of the inlet at 19075 DuBois Road, has a calm lagoon on the Intracoastal side, guarded on weekends during the school year, and the DuBois Pioneer Home, which shares a National Register listing with the ancient Jupiter Inlet shell mound beside it.

An afternoon on the inlet

1. Start at Jupiter Beach Park and walk out along the jetty to watch the boats come through the inlet.
2. Drive around to DuBois Park for the lagoon, the pioneer home and a view of the lighthouse from the water's edge.
3. Stay for sunset and dinner on the water, a few minutes away.

The guarded beaches fly flags for conditions, and county lifeguards post the day's notes on the county parks pages. Check them before a swim, and bring water shoes for the lagoon. Late-winter water is cool and clear, and on a bright March day the inlet is full of boats, paddleboards and anglers.

Our Singer Island beaches guide covers the beaches close to the residence for the days when you would rather stay on the island.

Riverbend Park and the Loxahatchee

A few minutes inland from the inlet, Riverbend Park gives a spring-training week a quiet morning on the river. The Palm Beach County park, at 9060 Indiantown Road in Jupiter, covers about 645 acres along the Loxahatchee, the river that runs past the lighthouse to the sea. Part of the Loxahatchee National Wild and Scenic River runs through it.

What to do at Riverbend

• Paddle the river. The park has about five miles of waterways, and the rental concession, Jupiter Outdoor Center, rents canoes and kayaks for a paddle under the cypress.
• Walk or cycle the trails. Nearly ten miles of shell-rock trails loop through oak hammock, pine woods and wetland, past lakes like Cow Pen Lake.
• See the battlefield. The park holds the site of the Loxahatchee battles of the Second Seminole War, with markers along the trail.
• Fish the freshwater lakes with a Florida fishing license.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset. Mornings are cool and quiet in late February and March, the best time to see wading birds and turtles sunning on the logs, and you can be off the water by lunchtime and at the ballpark for an afternoon game. Riverbend is about thirty minutes from the residence, a short drive west of Interstate 95 on Indiantown Road.

Tips for the morning

• Book a kayak or canoe ahead on a weekend in season.
• Bring insect repellent, water and sun cover.
• Wear shoes that can get wet for the launch.
• Pack lunch from the residence kitchen and eat at the picnic tables by the river.

Our parks and nature guide covers Riverbend alongside Jonathan Dickinson State Park farther north and the other wild places within an hour of the residence.

Dinner on the water in Jupiter

Jupiter is a waterfront town, and the end of a spring-training day is the time to eat looking at the inlet. In season, book ahead for a group at the restaurants around the inlet and along the Intracoastal, and plan to arrive in time for the last of the light.

Where to eat by the water

• Jetty's, at 1075 North A1A in Jupiter, is a long-running waterfront restaurant near the inlet. It opens at 5 p.m. every evening, with brunch on Sundays, and takes reservations through OpenTable.
• The Square Grouper Tiki Bar, at 1111 Love Street on the inlet, looks across the water to the lighthouse and has live music on a regular calendar of evenings and weekend afternoons. It is for guests 21 and over, with photo ID at the door.
• Guanabana's, an open-air restaurant under palm thatch beside the river, is the relaxed choice for fish tacos and a cold drink after the beach.
• The Jupiter Riverwalk follows the river with a paved path and several waterfront restaurants along it, an easy place to choose a table on the night.

Planning the evening

1. Book a table for sunset on game days, when Cardinals fans head out to dinner in Jupiter too.
2. Give the evening a designated driver, or take a rideshare home; the drive back to Singer Island is about thirty minutes.
3. Bring a light layer. The breeze off the inlet is cool in the evening in late February.

March is the heart of stone crab season along this coast, and the seafood houses from Jupiter to Palm Beach serve the claws chilled with mustard sauce. Our stone crab season post and the waterfront seafood guide list the tables worth booking.

Closer to home, Sailfish Marina on Singer Island and the restaurants along the Intracoastal in Palm Beach Gardens make good choices for a night when you would rather drive ten minutes. Our Sailfish Marina evening post covers one.

Back at the residence after a day game

After a day game, the whole evening is yours to enjoy, back up on the twelfth floor with the ocean right there in front of you. A 1 p.m. spring game is usually over by about four in the afternoon, and the drive home puts you on Singer Island with time for a swim before the light goes.

An evening at home

• A swim in the residents' heated pool, or a soak in the whirlpool after a day on your feet at the back fields.
• A walk on the private beach, with beach-butler service on the sand during the day.
• A drink on the balcony, which faces east over the Atlantic and catches the evening colors over the water.
• Dinner in the residence, with the full Miele kitchen and a dining table that seats a group of friends.

The resort's spa is an elevator ride below, with about 100,000 square feet of wellness space and 22 treatment rooms. After a week of sun and walking, a massage or an afternoon in the hydrothermal areas is a good reset. Spa treatments are run by the resort and booked and paid for with the resort, separately from the stay; our wellness page and the spa and wellness guide describe what is there.

Mornings before a game

The residence faces east, so the sun rises over the ocean in front of the balcony. A slow coffee there, a workout in the fitness centre or a class on the yoga terrace, and a short walk on the beach make a gentle start before the drive north. Our post on a morning on the balcony describes one.

The residence has two suites: a king suite and a queen suite with a workspace, each with its own bathroom, and a sofa bed in the living room. For a group of friends following a team for a week, that means a room for everyone and a laundry in the residence for the ballpark shirts. The amenities page lists everything included.

A spring-training week, day by day

Here is a week we would plan around the dates the teams have released, from Friday, March 5, to Saturday, March 13, 2027. Start times come out later in the winter, so set the plan by the days now and fill in the hours when the teams post them.

The week

1. Friday, March 5: arrival. Land at DJT, pick up the car, shop for groceries, and check in between 4 and 10 p.m. with the smart lock. Dinner on the balcony.
2. Saturday, March 6: Cardinals and Mets in Jupiter. Back fields in the morning, lunch in Abacoa, the game in the afternoon, and the drive home down A1A through Juno Beach.
3. Sunday, March 7: Cardinals at the Astros in West Palm Beach. A slow morning at the residence, the practice fields at CACTI Park, the game, and dinner in West Palm Beach.
4. Monday, March 8: a day at home. The private beach, the heated pool, and a spa treatment booked with the resort.
5. Tuesday, March 9: Juno Beach. The Loggerhead Marinelife Center at opening, the beach, and an afternoon game in Jupiter if one is on the card.
6. Wednesday, March 10: Riverbend Park. A morning paddle on the Loxahatchee, lunch from the residence at the picnic tables, and an afternoon back at the pool.
7. Thursday, March 11: the inlet. The back fields early, then the lighthouse, Jupiter Beach Park and DuBois Park, and dinner on the water in Jupiter.
8. Friday, March 12: Mets at the Astros in West Palm Beach. The last game of the week, and a final evening on the balcony.
9. Saturday, March 13: departure. Checkout is at 10 a.m.

A longer stay adds Sunday, March 14, when the Cardinals host the Mets in Jupiter. Early check-in is not offered from December to April, so plan a lunch on the way in, and a late flight home gives you a last morning on the beach.

Our itineraries page has more plans for three days, five days and a week.

A week with friends in the late-winter season

For friends who follow a team together, the week is easy to share: the residence takes up to six guests, and both ballparks are a short drive away, so the group can split into a back-fields crew and a beach crew on the same morning. Our stays for friends page covers how a group shares the residence, and the house rules set out the details: guests are 25 and over, quiet hours are 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the residence is for staying, with no parties or events.

Late February and March around the Palm Beaches

• The Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington runs through the same weeks, with show jumping and polo; our Wellington equestrian season post covers a day there.
• The PGA Tour stop at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, at the turn of February into March; see our Palm Beach Gardens golf season post.
• The Palm Beach International Boat Show on the West Palm Beach waterfront, usually late in March.
• Sea turtle nesting begins on the beaches in March.

If you are coming earlier in the winter, our posts on Christmas on Singer Island, the Palm Beach holiday season and December in West Palm Beach cover the holidays.

Booking the week

Late February and March are the high season on this coast, and spring-training weeks book early. Once you have chosen your games, check the residence's calendar and reserve the nights, then buy the tickets when they go on sale in January. The how to book page explains where the calendar is and how a reservation works.

Spring training is a short season, five weeks from the first game to the last. A week of it from the twelfth floor, with baseball in the afternoons and the ocean in the mornings, is one of the easiest ways to spend late winter in Florida.

Common questions

When does spring training start in 2027?

The Grapefruit League opens on Friday, February 19, 2027. The Cardinals and Astros both play that day, and the Cardinals' spring runs to March 21, with nineteen games at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter. Pitchers and catchers usually report about a week to ten days before the first game. Start times are posted later in the winter on the teams' spring pages.

Which teams train near Singer Island?

Four teams. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins share Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Abacoa, Jupiter, about twenty-five minutes north of the residence. The Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals share CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, about twenty minutes away. Visiting teams include the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Braves and Tigers.

When do spring training tickets go on sale?

Season tickets and mini plans come first, and single-game tickets usually go on sale in January. For 2026, Cardinals single-game tickets went on sale on Saturday, January 10. Tickets are sold on the teams' spring training pages, the ballpark's website and the stadium ticket office by phone. Buy weekend games against popular opponents first.

Can you watch spring training workouts?

Yes. Players work out on the practice fields around both ballparks in the mornings, and fans watch from the fences and bleachers. Workouts begin in the second week of February when pitchers and catchers report, and on game days they start about three hours before first pitch. At CACTI Park, parking is free on workout-only days.

How do you get autographs at spring training?

Players often sign along the fences of the practice fields before games and after workouts, and near the player gates. They do not sign during the game. Bring a ball, a card or a cap and a blue permanent marker, arrive early, and be patient at the fence. The first week of camp, before the games begin, gives players the most time for fans.

Where is the shade at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium?

The back rows of the loge boxes in front of the press box have cover overhead, and the suites and group areas are covered too. The rest of the seats are in the sun, a warm pleasure on a February afternoon. The berm in right field is good for a blanket and a relaxed afternoon. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and a light long-sleeved shirt for the early innings.

How far is the residence from the ballparks?

Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter is about twenty-five minutes north by Interstate 95 and the Donald Ross Road exit. CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach is about twenty minutes away. President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), formerly Palm Beach International (PBI), is about fifteen minutes from the residence.

What else is there to do in Jupiter and Juno Beach in March?

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, the beaches at Carlin Park and Jupiter Beach Park, the lagoon at DuBois Park, and a paddle on the Loxahatchee River at Riverbend Park. In the evening, Jupiter has restaurants on the inlet and the river. All of them are within about thirty minutes of the residence.

Sources

• Cardinals announce 2027 spring training schedule (Yardbarker)
• Cardinals' 30th spring training in Jupiter, 2027 schedule (Roundtable)
• Astros unveil 2027 spring training schedule (Fantasy Nerds)
• St. Louis Cardinals spring training home, Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium (Spring Training Online)
• Washington Nationals, CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches (Florida Grapefruit League)
• How to watch Cardinals spring training in 2026 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium (STL Sports Page)
• Single-game tickets for 2026 spring training go on sale Saturday (STL Sports Page)
• CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches spring training guide (Girls at the Ballpark)
• Roger Dean Stadium (Stadium Journey)
• Riverbend Park (Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation)
• Juno Beach Pier (Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation)
• Visit (Loggerhead Marinelife Center)
• About the pier (Loggerhead Marinelife Center)
• Jupiter Beach Park (Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation)
• Carlin Park (Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation)
• DuBois Park (Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation)
• The Square Grouper Tiki Bar, Jupiter Inlet
• Jetty's Waterfront Restaurant, Jupiter

Photographs

• Cover photo: “Roger Dean Stadium” by Jtesla16, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “FloridaVsFAUFITTEAMBallparkOverview” by Porsche997SBS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Cacti Park Palm Beach FL td (2024-06-29) 20 - Nationals 4” by Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Juno Beach Florida Pier” by Photo by and (c)2016 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Jupiter Inlet from Lighthouse Nature Trail” by Toramarie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Cow Pen Lake in Riverbend Park Jupiter FL” by Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Photographs of the residence and the resort are the owner’s own.