Melaleuca Field facts for kids
| Location | 568 West Elva Idaho Falls, Idaho 83406 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°30′19″N 112°02′16″W / 43.505161°N 112.037861°W |
| Owner | Elmore Sports Group |
| Operator | Elmore Sports Group |
| Capacity | 3,400 |
| Field size | Left field: 350 ft (104 m) Center field: 390 ft (122 m) Right field: 335 ft (107 m) |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 2006 |
| Opened | June 22, 2007 |
| Construction cost | $5.6 million ($7.9 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Nielson, Bodily and Associates |
| Structural engineer | ES2 Structural Engineers |
| Services engineer | Havlovick Engineering Services, Inc. |
| General contractor | Bateman-Hall, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Idaho Falls Chukars (PL) 2007–present | |
Melaleuca Field is a cool stadium located in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It's mostly used for baseball games. It is the home field for the Idaho Falls Chukars, a professional Minor League Baseball team.
The stadium was built during the off-season of the Pioneer Baseball League in 2006 and 2007. Besides professional games, local high school teams and American Legion baseball also play here!
How Melaleuca Field Was Built
By 2004, the old stadium on the same spot, called McDermott Field, was very old. It was falling apart and wasn't a good place for baseball anymore. In May 2004, the Chukars baseball team talked to the City of Idaho Falls. They wanted to make big improvements to the stadium.
The estimated cost for these improvements was about $3.35 million. The city agreed to give $2 million for the project. The Chukars then started a special fundraising effort called "Step Up To The Plate." They hoped to raise the remaining $1.35 million.
However, the cost of building went up a lot. This left them short by half a million dollars. Luckily, a company from Idaho Falls called Melaleuca stepped in. They gave $600,000 to finish the building work. Because of their help, the stadium was renamed Melaleuca Field on June 22, 2007.
The old McDermott Field was torn down on October 30, 2006. The new Melaleuca Field stadium was officially opened on June 22, 2007. The new stadium can hold 3,400 people. It also has eight special luxury boxes and two large snack stands. There's even a hot tub area on the right field side!
Stadium Features
The main seating area, called the grandstand, has 1,200 fancy box seats. It also has 1,459 bench seats that have backs for comfort. There are eight special suites with balconies for groups.
The stadium also includes a large press box for reporters. You'll find two big concession stands for snacks and drinks. There's a souvenir shop where you can buy team gear. Plus, there are various offices. The playing field itself is made of natural grass, specifically Kentucky bluegrass.
The walkway around the field, called the concourse, goes all the way around. On the third base side, there's a picnic area. On the first base side, there's a party area with a hot tub. A separate building next to the field has two locker rooms for players and extra storage space.
Awards and Recognition
Melaleuca Field has won some cool awards!
In 2007, it won "Best Ballpark Renovation" in the first-ever Ballpark Digest Awards of Distinction. This award recognized how well the stadium was rebuilt.
In 2015, fans voted Melaleuca Field as the best rookie-level ballpark in Ballpark Digest's "Best of the Ballparks" contest. It was also named the fourth-best rookie-level ballpark by the Digest.
On August 14, 2017, Melaleuca Field celebrated a big milestone. It welcomed its one millionth fan since the new ballpark opened!
