What's new at American Family Field in 2025

This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy's Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MILWAUKEE -- Starting in 2025, the only thing some fans will need to clear the turnstiles at American Family Field is a smile.

The Brewers announced Monday that they will begin using facial recognition technology to speed ticketholders through two entry points at the ballpark. The system, called MLB Go-Ahead Entry, will be at the third-base gate and at home plate west beginning with the home opener, and is available to any ticketholder who registers via the MLB Ballpark app and uploads a selfie.

“It’s a great system that people can opt into -- it’s not mandatory,” Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said. “It’s been used at about seven ballparks to date and it’s been very successful.”

Fans who carry a bag will still have to go through the additional security step of a bag inspection, but those who enter with only their phone in their pocket can proceed through the metal detector. In fan surveys, he said, quicker ingress to the ballpark has long been a top priority, and if this year’s trial proves successful, the Brewers plan to expand it to additional gates.

For more information on MLB Go-Ahead Entry, visit brewers.com/GoAheadEntry.

Of course, fans can still enter the old-fashioned way, such as it is in an era of digital tickets. The Brewers said they would offer express lanes at every gate in 2025 for guests who do not have a bag, or whose bag is 9” x 5” x 2” or smaller.

Here are some of the other Brewers-funded projects coming to AmFam Field this season:

? Based on the success of the 3rd St. Market Hall Annex down the right-field line, the Brewers have decided to add “The Alley” Food Truck Park on the left field loge level, with a new bar and at least four “trucks” -- a full-sized food truck won’t clear the ramps, so the Brewers are in the process of building stationary replicas -- serving local fare. The club is in the process of selecting tenants and expects to announce those details in March.

? The rideshare lot is moving to the Molitor Lot on the other side of Interstate 94, exchanging a longer walk for increased capacity and quicker entry and exit for rideshare vehicles after games. This new dropoff/pickup location will be accessed via Bluemound Road and Yount Drive.

? The team store at home plate has been refreshed for 2025, with a new “Customization Corner” for personalized jerseys.

? Fans will notice that a block of approximately 1,600 seats in the right-field corner of the terrace level is being retired from service as the Brewers expand offices for the baseball operations department. When complete, the Brewers expect to install a new video board at that location.

“One thing I can say about the Brewers is we keep hiring,” Schlesinger said. “In the baseball operations department, they keep bringing in talented people on the field as well as behind the scenes, and they are literally bursting at the seams of their current location. …

“It’s obviously a noticeable change in the ballpark, and one that we need to do to continue to compete and bring in the best people we can to elevate our baseball operations staff and continue to play meaningful games and have a really great farm system and just continue to have the team we want to have for a long time.”

Of course, the biggest change at American Family Field in 2025 won’t be a tangible addition, but a loss. The Brewers remain in discussions with the family of the late, legendary Bob Uecker about an event “later this summer” to honor the longtime radio voice of the club, Schlesinger said.

At the same time, officials are discussing plans for a permanent tribute beyond the two statues of Uecker already at the ballpark. Schlesinger described a type of “Uecker experience” that would be a permanent addition to the stadium, but he expects it to be several years in the making.

“The biggest change is no Ueck,” Schlesinger said. “We’re still dealing with the loss. We miss him every day. For somebody who was so part of the brand and represented everything that was great about the Brewers, Milwaukee, baseball, America, you can’t replace him. You can’t replicate him. You’ve got to miss him. It’s going to be so strange to be here at Opening Day 2025 and not have him here.”