Last Wednesday afternoon, after a wonderful stop into Miami’s Dorsey Park, I hopped on Route 95 North and headed towards another Florida baseball destination – Palm Beach. Palm Beach, Florida is one of many cities to host Spring Training fans every season during the winter months. And like many Spring Training facilities, it hosts two Major League Baseball teams, both former recent World Series Champions – Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. After a few lefts and rights off the highway, I wound up down a palm tree lined road, found parking in the visitor’s lot, and started my Palm Beach baseball experience at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches.
A few significant baseball and safety signs caught my eye as I exited my rental car. Huge logo signs for the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals – W for the Nationals, H for the Astros – were right there in the front gate area for fans to observe and maybe snag a selfie or family photo next to. The one sign that really, really caught my attention was near the pond/lake area. It read in part, “alligators in the area,” and that was enough for me to stay clear of the water area. Still, pretty cool sign and very Florida specific. And with that, I took the stairs up to the front gate area to see what I could see.
Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches, Spring Training Baseball Site
As I approached the front gate area, I noticed a ticket office light on and approached it. There was a man working in the office and I greeted him like I greet everyone. “Hi, big baseball fan here, just wanted to check out the field and get the vibe of the stadium.” The man, Bobby Knapp, liked what I had to say and invited me to experience the inside of the stadium, to which I gladly accepted. Knapp, an account executive with Cacti Park, met me at the front gate, unlocked it for me, and we chatted it up a bit about baseball. Knapp walked me to my familiar spot behind home plate and we conversed about South Florida baseball, Spring Training games, and baseball in general. He showed me where the two teams (Astros, Nationals) had practice facilities and where and where not to go at Cacti Park. Knapp was great, he was an awesome host, and a trusted Cacti Park employee. He pointed to the walkway around the concourse and let me take a self tour of the park, mentioning that he would catch up with me later. And so I set out to experience what I could of Cacti Park.
In our conversation, Bobby had mentioned that Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches was recently ranked the #2 Spring Training baseball facility in a 2026 poll. I found the rankings via USA Today’s 10 Best, and in fact, Cacti Park was ranked #2. Here is what the reviewer wrote, “At CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, spectators can catch spring training action featuring two Major League Baseball Teams: the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals. In addition to the stadium that dominates the facility, there’s also six practice fields for each team. Whether in a suite or a seat, on the party deck or the lawn, fans can take in all the action.” From what I could see, the views of the field were incredible. The South Florida blue skies and ideal temperatures for nearly year round baseball certainly don’t hurt their case. It was a beautiful walk around the baseball field, I could have walked it ten times without too much urging.
Peppered inside the stadium were reminders of the success of both the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals baseball teams. World Champions banners, post season banners galore lined the concourse area and on the Houston Astros offices. Both teams have had their ups and downs in the past few seasons, but both have generational talent on their roster, which is always a positive heading into any off season. And both feature baseball talent from my home state of Rhode Island – Houston Astros (starting SS) Jeremy Pena and the Washington Nationals (Harrisburg Senators, LHP) Alex Clemmey.
After a wonderful walk around Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches, I found my way back over to the front gate area and let myself out. I was hoping to run into Bobby one more time to thank him, but he was not in his office. No worries, I was just so appreciative that he took the time to chat with me about Cacti Park and why it is truly one of the best Spring Training facilities in all of Major League Baseball. For me and my time and my money, I would take a long drive if necessary to catch a game at Cacti Park. Cacti Park is a beautiful, clean, safe multi-team facility with a ton of Florida character and amazing views of the field. And do yourself a favor – do not feed the animals and beware of alligators as you walk up to and into Cacti Park. Overall, it was an amazing Palm Beach baseball experience visiting Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches, Spring Training facility for the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals in beautiful Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
For more information on Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches, reach out to Bobby Knapp – bknapp@cactipark.com.
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