Haight Street Grounds facts for kids
| Location | near Golden Gate Park San Francisco, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°46′3.17″N 122°27′5.46″W / 37.7675472°N 122.4515167°W |
| Record attendance | 22,000 (Nov. 25, 1889) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | March/April 1887 |
| Closed | March 1895 |
| Demolished | 1895 (130 years ago) |
| Tenants | |
| California League (professional baseball) Big Game (college football) |
|
The Haight Street Grounds was an old sports field in San Francisco, California. It was one of the first places where people played baseball in the city. It was also used for exciting college football games. This field was open from 1887 to 1895.
What Was the Haight Street Grounds?
The Haight Street Grounds was a special place built for sports. It was located in San Francisco, right next to Golden Gate Park. You could find it between Stanyan, Waller, Shrader, and Frederick streets. It was also across Stanyan Street from where Kezar Stadium would later be built.
This field was first made for a professional baseball league called the California League. On April 3, 1887, the very first game was played there. It was between two teams, the Haverlys and the Pioneers. A huge crowd of 10,000 fans came to watch!
The California League stopped playing in 1893. By March 1895, there were plans to build homes on the land where the ballpark stood. The last baseball game ever played at the Haight Street Grounds was on March 10, 1895. Soon after, the field was taken down.
Birthplace of the Big Game
Even though it was built for baseball, the Haight Street Grounds is famous for something else. It was the very first home of the Big Game! This is a super important college football game played every year. It's between two big California universities: Stanford and California.
The first four Big Games were all played at the Haight Street Grounds. Here are the dates they happened:
- March 19, 1892
- December 17, 1892
- November 28, 1893
- November 29, 1894
