Visit Hill City's City Stadium
Welcome to City Stadium, now in its ninth decade and still going strong. Soak up scenic views and bold hues within a throwback environment, and make sure to watch out for a cadre of classic monsters.
Hill City Howlers (Cleveland affiliate since 2015)
Established: 1963 (as the Lynchburg White Sox)
Ballpark: City Stadium (opened in 1940)
League: Carolina League
Notable Alumni: Steven Kwan, Shane Bieber, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, José Bautista, Jeff Reardon
Championships: 1978, 1983, 1984, 1997, 2002, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2025
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Lynchburg, Va., is a small city situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or, more simply, "The Hill City." One of its very first professional baseball teams, in the 1890s, was named the Hill Climbers. Today's Minor League team was known as the Hillcats from 1995-2025 and became the Hill City Howlers for the 2026 season.
All these upward-sloping entities bookend a long line of Lynchburg baseball teams, most of which bore the name of their Major League parent club. Lynchburg, which has hosted a Minor League team in every season since 1963, was a member of the Class A Advanced Carolina League from 1966-2019. In 2022, as part of a larger realignment of Minor League Baseball, the Carolina League was reclassified as a Single-A circuit.
The "Hillcats" name was adopted in 1995, in tandem with an affiliation switch from Boston to Pittsburgh. Lynchburg then partnered with Cincinnati (2010) and Atlanta (2011-14) before beginning its current affiliation with Cleveland. The "Hill City Howlers" identity came into being early in the 2026 calendar year and features a spate of classic monsters in secondary logos -- the leader of them being a werewolf named Indy.
"I think doing something fresh, something that could excite our community, was important," said Dylan Narang, who became owner of the Hill City club in 2024. "First it was a wolf, but why stop at wolf? Let's go to werewolf. And then why stop at werewolf? Why don't we do a bunch of monsters?"
City Stadium
Ballpark Location (via Google Maps)
Hillcats Roster
Hillcats Schedule
3180 Fort Avenue
Lynchburg, VA, 24501
(434) 528-1144
Capacity: 4,281
Dimensions: right field, 325; center field, 390; left field, 325
City Stadium is the fifth-oldest ballpark in all of Minor League Baseball. The first game ever played there, in 1940, was an exhibition between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers. From 2005-19 the facility was known as Calvin Falwell Field, in honor of longtime Lynchburg Baseball Corporation president Calvin Falwell. (Falwell's cousin, the Reverend Jerry Falwell, founded Lynchburg's Liberty University.)
It was built at the same time as an adjacent football stadium, located just beyond the third-base side of the ballpark. As one would expect from a facility that is over 80 years old, it has been renovated extensively on multiple occasions. Narang and his team have worked in conjunction with the city of Lynchburg to provide a new scoreboard ahead of the 2026 season, as well sky-deck seating and a third-base bar on the way.
A previous round of improvements was implemented after the Elmore Sports Group bought the club in 2016. This included a new playing surface, parking lot, netting, front row seats, party decks and social areas. Portions of the bleachers were removed in order to accommodate these latter two additions, creating a more open and dynamic ballpark experience.
Nonetheless, City Stadium has a classic feel. How could it not, given its age and location? The ballpark looms above fans as they make their way from the parking lot to the front entrance, with a staircase leading further upwards to the main concourse. The imposing, boxy exterior belies a charming interior, featuring a covered grandstand and seating extending down the base lines. A party deck is located down the third-base line; a three-tiered social area on the first-base side features rows of picnic tables painted in vivid blues and greens. It's all set against a backdrop of rolling hills, which is of course what Lynchburg is known for.
Concessions
One would be hard-pressed to find a better-named concession stand than the Howlers' Hot Diggity Dog Weiner Emporium. Frankfurter options at this fine establishment include a mac and cheese dog topped with bacon and barbecue sauce. The Pitchin' Kitchen, meanwhile, offers "Burgers, Fries, Drinks and More." The "more" part of that equation includes the three-layer BBQ parfait, featuring baked beans on top of pulled pork on top of mashed potatoes.
The Howlers' most unique food offering is the Cheesy Western, available at a standalone concourse kiosk. This sandwich is modeled after the signature dish at Lynchburg's Texas Inn; it consists of a burger topped with onion, pickles, sweet relish, cheese and a fried egg. As for (alcoholic) drinks, the Devil's Backbone Taproom is a concourse bar that serves beers from the local brewery of the same name.
Mascot
Southpaw took up residence at the ballpark in 2017, after the team adopted him from the Lynchburg Humane Society. He is a graduate of the Feline Training Academy, and went on to receive a Masters Degree in Mascoting. Southpaw is over six feet tall and has bright green fur, so he's pretty easy to spot within the confines of the ballpark.
Local Attractions
The Lower Bluffwalk, in downtown Lynchburg, offers scenic views of the James River and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Most of the businesses along the bluffwalk operate out of industrial buildings, many of which still feature their original signage. Public art is displayed prominently, and food and beverage options abound.
If those scenic views inspire you to leave city streets for hiking trails, you'll find no shortage of options for any degree of difficulty. The Lynchburg Riverwalk Trail runs over five and a half miles and intersects with other trails. Cole Mountain, along the Appalachian Trail, is roughly 40 miles north-northwest of City Stadium and rewards a moderate effort with fantastic views. McAfee Knob, a challenging hike and one of the A.T.'s most iconic vistas, is less than a 90-minute drive to the west of Lynchburg.
Back at City Stadium, there is a row of "Bedford Boys Seats" in section 4. An accompanying plaque explains that these seats were "placed in memory of the 19 'Bedford Boys'...who made the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day." Bedford, located to the west of Lynchburg, is now home to the National D-Day Memorial.
There are plenty of further opportunities to explore the history of Lynchburg and the surrounding area. Destinations include the Legacy Museum of African American History, the Monacan Ancestral Museum and Liberty University's Jerry Falwell Museum.
Food and Drink
From 1906 through 1912, Lynchburg fielded a Minor League team named the Shoemakers. This moniker was a nod to Lynchburg's Craddock Terry Shoe Company, which was founded in 1888 and grew to be the fifth-largest shoe company in the world. The Craddock Terry Hotel, and its onsite Shoemakers American Grille, operate out of a former shoe company building.
The Texas Inn, commonly known as the T-Room, has two Lynchburg locations. This 24-hour diner is the home of the Cheesy Western.
Or, why not treat yourself to a self-guided brewery tour? Route 151 features numerous locally beloved breweries -- including Devil's Backbone, Bold Rock, and Blue Mountain -- all in the general area.
Where to Stay
Lynchburg, and the surrounding area, is home to a number of historic, higher-end hotels. Bed and Breakfasts are also an option, and chain hotels are prevalent in the region as well. These are especially prevalent south of the ballpark, clustered around Liberty University.
Moving On
The Minor League team closest to the Howlers are the Salem Red Sox, also members of the Carolina League, located approximately 65 miles to the west. Virginia's three other Minor League teams are all located on the eastern side of the state: the Fredericksburg Nationals, Richmond Flying Squirrels and Norfolk Tides. The Howlers could also be incorporated into a road trip itinerary incorporating North Carolina ballclubs such as the Winston-Salem Dash, Greensboro Grasshoppers, Durham Bulls and Carolina Mudcats. If you're heading in that direction from Lynchburg, consider incorporating summer-collegiate Appalachian League teams such as the Pulaski River Turtles and Danville Otterbots.
The Road to Cleveland
The Howlers are the only team in the Cleveland farm system who are not located in Ohio. From Lynchburg, the team's prospects progress to the Cleveland suburb of Lake County, Akron, Columbus and, finally, Cleveland.
Single-A: Hill City Howlers
High-A: Lake County Captains
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks
Triple-A: Columbus Clippers
