Thirlby Field facts for kids
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Thirlby Field at Harry T. Running Stadium
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Aerial view of Thirlby Field before a high school high school football game in 2020.
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| Location | 410 W. Thirteenth Street Traverse City, Michigan 49684 |
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| Coordinates | 44°45′10″N 85°37′40.5″W / 44.75278°N 85.627917°W |
| Owner | City of Traverse City |
| Operator | TCAPS, GTACS |
| Capacity | 7,000 |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Scoreboard | Daktronics |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1934 |
| Renovated | 1995, 2009 |
| Tenants | |
| Traverse City Central Trojans (1896-present) St. Francis Gladiators (1950-present) Traverse City West Titans (1997-present) |
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Thirlby Field is a large football stadium in Traverse City, Michigan. It is officially called Thirlby Field at Harry T. Running Stadium. This stadium can hold about 7,000 people. Football has been played on this spot since 1896. The stadium itself was built in 1934. It is the home field for three high school teams: the Traverse City Central Trojans, the Traverse City West Titans, and the St. Francis Gladiators.
History of Thirlby Field
How the Field Started
Football games first began on this land in 1896. Back then, the field ran north and south along Pine Street. A local farmer named Mr. Thirlby gave the land to the Traverse City Schools. He wanted them to use it for sports. In those early days, people called it "Thirlby's farm fields." Sometimes, they also called it the "12th Street Athletic Field."
The stadium we see today was built in 1934. It faces east and west. This field was one of the very first sports fields in Northern Michigan to have lights. This meant games could be played at night! The stadium was officially named "Thirlby Field" to honor Dr. E.L. Thirlby. He was a relative of the farmer Thirlby. Dr. Thirlby was also the mayor of Traverse City in 1933 and 1934.
Recent Changes and Updates
For many years, the stadium could hold about 5,000 fans. In 1995, it was made bigger. The seating was increased to about 7,000 people. Thirlby Field is the only football stadium in Traverse City. More improvements were made in 2009. These included new locker rooms for players and public bathrooms. An elevator was also added to the press-box.
Even though it holds 7,000 people, Thirlby Field has seen even bigger crowds. For the yearly football game between TC Central and TC West, up to 12,000 fans have attended. With extra temporary seats, the stadium could even fit 15,000 people. In 2021, the stadium received a brand new scoreboard from Daktronics.
