List of baseball parks in Louisville, Kentucky facts for kids
Louisville, Kentucky, has a rich history of baseball, and many different stadiums have hosted exciting games over the years. This article will take you on a tour of the most important baseball parks where professional and college teams have played in Louisville. From the very first fields to the modern stadiums of today, each one has a unique story in the city's sports history.
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Famous Baseball Parks in Louisville
Louisville has been home to many baseball teams, and each team needed a place to play. Here are some of the most well-known baseball parks in the city's history.
Early Baseball Parks
Baseball has been popular in Louisville for a long time. The first teams played in fields that might look very different from today's stadiums.
Louisville Baseball Park
The Louisville Baseball Park was one of the earliest places where professional baseball was played in the city.
- Home of: The Louisville Grays, a team that played in the National League from 1876 to 1877.
- Location: It was located near 4th Street and Hill Street. Today, this area is known as St. James Court.
Eclipse Park (First Version)
The first Eclipse Park was a popular spot for baseball games in the late 1800s.
- Home of:
- Semi-pro teams started playing here around 1874.
- The Louisville Eclipse team played here from 1882 to 1893 in the American Association and later the National League.
- Location: You would have found it near 28th Street and Elliott Street. Today, this spot is a public park called Elliott Park.
Eclipse Park (Second Version)
A second version of Eclipse Park was built very close to the first one.
- Home of:
- The Louisville Colonels played here from 1893 to 1899 in the National League.
- Another version of the Louisville Colonels also played a partial season here in 1901.
- Location: This park was just south of the first Eclipse Park, near 28th Street and Broadway. Now, you'll find commercial buildings in its place.
Eclipse Park (Third Version)
The third and final Eclipse Park was home to a very important team for many years.
- Home of: The Louisville Colonels, who played in the American Association from 1902 to 1922.
- Location: This park was located near 7th Street and West Kentucky Street. Today, homes stand where the stadium once was.
Mid-Century and Modern Parks
As baseball grew, so did the stadiums. Newer parks were built to host bigger crowds and more modern games.
Parkway Field
Parkway Field was a long-standing home for both professional and college baseball.
- Home of:
- The Louisville Colonels continued to play here from 1923 to 1956.
- The University of Louisville baseball team also played their games here.
- Location: It was part of the University of Louisville campus, near Eastern Parkway and Brook Street. Today, it's still used as an athletic field.
Cardinal Stadium
Cardinal Stadium, also known as Fairgrounds Stadium, was a large venue that hosted many teams.
- Home of:
- The Louisville Colonels played here from 1957 to 1962 and again from 1968 to 1972.
- The Louisville Redbirds and later the Riverbats also called this stadium home from 1982 to 1999.
- The University of Louisville baseball team also played here.
- Location: It was located at 937 Phillips Lane, as part of the Kentucky Exposition Center. The stadium has since been torn down, and the area is now a vacant lot.
Louisville Slugger Field
Louisville Slugger Field is one of the most well-known stadiums in Louisville today. It's named after the famous baseball bat company.
- Home of: The Louisville Riverbats, now known as the Louisville Bats, have played here since 2000. They are part of Triple-A East baseball.
- Also used by: The Louisville City FC soccer team played their games here from 2015 to 2019.
- Location: You can find this stadium at 401 East Main Street, right in downtown Louisville.
Jim Patterson Stadium
Jim Patterson Stadium is the modern home for college baseball in Louisville.
- Home of: The University of Louisville baseball team has played here since 2005.
- Location: It's located near Central Avenue and 3rd Street.
See also
- Lists of baseball parks
