Carson Park (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carson Park |
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| Location | Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
| Owned by | City of Eau Claire |
Carson Park is a cool, historic park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It sits on a 134-acre piece of land that sticks out into Half Moon Lake. This lake used to be part of the Chippewa River! The park has places for baseball, football, and softball. It's also home to the Chippewa Valley Museum.
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Discovering Carson Park's Past
A long time ago, in 1914, the Carson family gave this land to the city of Eau Claire. They named the park after William Carson, a famous lumber businessman. The park officially opened in 1915.
Later, in 1935, a big project started to build sports fields. This included a baseball stadium, a football stadium, and tennis courts. These were built as part of a program called the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The first football game was played in 1936. The first baseball game happened in 1937. The baseball stadium was even added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 because it's so important.
Play Ball! Carson Park's Baseball Stadium
The baseball stadium at Carson Park is a busy place! Many local high school teams play here. These include the Memorial Old Abes, North Huskies, Regis Ramblers, and Immanuel Lutheran Lancers.
It's also home to the Eau Claire Express, a team in the Northwoods League. Other teams like the Eau Claire Cavaliers and Eau Claire Bears also play their games here. Even the Eau Claire Pizza Hut American Legion team uses this field.
The left field wall of the baseball stadium is right next to the football stadium. During football season, temporary seats from the baseball stadium are moved. They are placed in left field, facing the football field, so fans can watch those games too.
For the 2025 Eau Claire Express season, a huge new video board was added. It's called the "WNB Financial Video Board" and measures 36 feet by 20 feet. It shows replays and scores in the outfield.
Touchdown! Carson Park's Football Stadium
The stadium during a game in 2014
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| Location | One Carson Park Drive Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701 |
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| Coordinates | 44°48′32″N 91°31′12″W / 44.80889°N 91.52000°W |
| Capacity | 6,500 |
| Surface | Natural grass (1936–2003), FieldTurf (2004–present) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1936 |
| Construction cost | $60,000 |
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Carson Park's football stadium is where the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Blugolds play. It's also the home field for the Memorial, North, and Regis high school football teams.
The UW–Eau Claire Blugold football team started playing here in 1937. In 1982, a tornado hit Eau Claire and damaged the press box. A new, bigger press box was built in its place. The stadium also got new grandstands and better bathrooms in the late 1990s.
Over time, with so many teams using the field, the grass got worn out. In 2004, a special artificial turf called FieldTurf was installed. This made the field much more durable. New turf was put in again in 2015 to keep it in top shape.
More Fun Things to Do at Carson Park
Carson Park has two interesting museums to explore. The Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum opened in 1934. It shows what life was like in the old logging camps. You can see seven real logging camp buildings there.
The Chippewa Valley Museum opened in 1974. It teaches visitors about the history of the local area. Inside, you'll find an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Outside, there's the Sunnyview School, a one-room schoolhouse from 1882. You can also see the Anderson Log House, a Norwegian log home built around 1866.
The park also has nature trails for walking and other fun activities. Half Moon Lake is where the Eau Claire Ski Sprites started. They are a cool water skiing show team. The Eau Claire Horseshoe Club also calls this park home.
From 1960 to 1996, the historic train Soo Line 2719 was displayed at Carson Park. Now, a miniature train called the Chippewa Valley Railroad runs here. From late May to early September, you can take a ride on this one-half mile train.
The Buckshot Run is a race that starts and finishes at Carson Park. It follows the Chippewa River State Trail through Eau Claire.
