Breese Stevens Field facts for kids
Aerial shot of Breese Stevens Field (c. 2019)
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| Address | 917 E Mifflin St Madison, WI 53703-2831 |
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| Location | Tenney-Lapham |
| Coordinates | 43°04′59″N 89°22′23″W / 43.08306°N 89.37306°W |
| Public transit |  Metro Transit |
| Owner | City of Madison Parks Division |
| Operator | Big Top Sports & Entertainment |
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | May 5, 1926 |
| Renovated |
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| Architect | Claude & Starck |
| Tenants | |
| Madison Blues (WIL/WSL/TSL/IIIL) (1926–1942) Madison Muskies (MWL) (1982–1983) Edgewood College Eagles (NCAA) (1990–2019) Madison 56ers (UPSL) (2005–present) Madison Radicals (UFA) (2013–present) Madison East High School (WIAA) (2015–present) Forward Madison FC (USL1) (2019–present) Madison Women's Pro Soccer (USLS) (2025–future) |
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Breese Stevens Field is a cool sports stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. It's super old, being the oldest brick grandstand in Wisconsin! You can find it just a few blocks from the Wisconsin State Capitol.
The field is named after Breese J. Stevens, who was a mayor of Madison a long time ago. His wife sold the land to the city, asking that it be named after him. This historic place became a Madison Landmark in 1995. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Today, Breese Stevens Field can hold about 5,000 people for games. For big concerts, it can even expand to fit over 9,000 fans!
Many teams call this field home. These include teams from Edgewood College and Madison East High School. You'll also see the Madison 56ers amateur soccer team and the Madison Radicals, a semi-professional Ultimate frisbee team. The professional soccer team Forward Madison FC also plays here. The field has hosted many events, from soccer tournaments to concerts and even rodeos!
Contents
A Look Back: Breese Stevens Field History
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How the Park Was Created
Back in 1922, people in Madison felt there weren't enough sports fields. So, the city council started looking for a new place for athletes to play. They looked at different spots before choosing a block of land owned by Breese Stevens's widow.
To help pay for the land, a judge named Burr W. Jones allowed the city to sell some land he had donated earlier. He asked that the new field be named after him. However, Mrs. Stevens wanted the field named after her late husband. So, in 1923, the city council agreed and bought the land for $35,000.
In the 1980s, there was a plan to tear down the stadium. But many people in the community loved the field and protested. Because of their efforts, the plan was stopped, and the stadium was saved!
Building the Stadium
The city of Madison built the main brick grandstand in 1925. It was designed in a beautiful style called Mediterranean Revival. The field officially opened on May 5, 1926. Almost 4,000 people came to watch the governor throw the first pitch!
In 1934, a stone wall was built around the field. This was part of a project by the Civil Works Administration, which helped people find jobs during tough economic times. The concrete bleachers were also added then. A wooden press box was built in 1939. Later, in 1947, a new electric scoreboard was put up.
Bringing Lights to the Field
A really exciting event happened on July 7, 1930: the first-ever night-baseball game in Wisconsin! A touring team called the California Owls played using their own special floodlights. Many people came to watch, which showed how popular night games could be.
Local businesses then worked together to install 90 powerful floodlights on ten tall towers. This cost $29,100, but the company got a share of ticket sales until the cost was covered. The lights officially debuted on May 15, 1931, with a big parade and a Madison Blues baseball game.
Having lights meant events could happen at night, which made the field much more useful. High school sports benefited greatly, as they could collect money from night games. The lights also helped the Madison Blues baseball team attract more fans. Soon, night boxing and football games were also held at the field.
Exciting Sporting Events
Breese Stevens Field quickly became the top spot for major sports in Madison, outside of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It was used all year for many different sports. Today, it's the home field for the Forward Madison FC soccer team.
Baseball Games
Breese Stevens Field was once a popular baseball stadium. It was home to the semi-professional team, the Madison Blues, from 1926 to 1942. The Blues even won a championship in 1938!
The field also hosted special games with famous major league teams. These included the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. Even teams from the Negro leagues, like the Kansas City Monarchs with legendary pitcher Satchel Paige, played here. In 1941, future Milwaukee Braves star pitcher Warren Spahn played on the mound.
In 1944, a special World War II fundraising game was held. Famous football player Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch hit a grand slam home run! This event raised $22,000 for war bonds. In 1946, the New York Yankees even held a tryout camp at Breese.
The field also hosted amateur baseball, college baseball for the University of Wisconsin, and industrial league games. Softball games, including girls' softball, started being played here as early as 1933.
Football Games
High school football games were a big part of the field's schedule. Many local high schools played their home games here. For years, Madison East and Central High Schools had a tradition of playing each other on Armistice Day.
Only a few National Football League (NFL) games were played at Breese. In 1929, the famous player Red Grange helped his team, the Chicago Bears, win a game here. The Bears played in Madison because their usual stadium was busy. High school football returned to the field in 2015, with Madison East playing its home games there again.
Other Sports and Events
In 1938, Jesse Owens, a gold medalist sprinter from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, ran in exhibition races at the field!
The Madison Stampede rodeo event was held for six days in 1931. Midget auto races were also held in 1938, but they were stopped the next year due to noise concerns.
The stadium hosted high school soccer tournaments from 1989 to 2002. It was also the home field for Madison East and Madison La Follette high school soccer teams.
Since 2013, the Madison Radicals of the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) have played their home games here. In 2018, the Radicals won their first league title at Breese Stevens Field!
Breese Stevens Field is also home to several soccer teams. The Madison 56ers have played here since 2005. The professional team Forward Madison FC started playing at the field in 2019.
Saving and Improving the Field
By the late 1960s, Breese Stevens Field started to lose its top spot as new, modern sports facilities were built in other parts of Madison.
In the 1970s, the field was showing its age. There were ideas to use the land for other things, like a civic auditorium or a college campus. In 1979, it was estimated that fixing the field would cost $240,000.
In 1981, the city council even voted to spend $60,000 to tear down the grandstand. Officials were worried about safety issues. However, many people spoke up to save the field. This public support led to the field becoming a soccer venue in 1982.
Minor league baseball also returned briefly in 1982 with the Madison Muskies. In 1983, the city council voted to spend $230,000 to slowly fix up the park. This included repairing the grandstand roof and walls. In 2014, the old grass field was replaced with artificial turf.
Before Forward Madison FC arrived in 2019, the field got even more upgrades in 2018. These included new bathrooms, a concession stand, and more seating. These improvements brought the capacity up to about 5,000 people, making it a great place for sports and events once again!
