The 11 oldest ballparks in Minor League Baseball

The majority of Minor League Baseball ballparks were built in the 21st century. Six opened in 2021 alone, followed by four in 2024. Five more are set to debut in 2026, and additional new stadiums will assuredly join the ranks as the 2020s progress.

But what about the ballparks on the other side of the spectrum? Those that have been around the longest?

Ballpark Guides for EVERY Minor League team »

A list of the top 10 oldest stadiums in Minor League Baseball is actually a top 11, as two teams share the No. 10 spot. What follows is a look at these venerable facilities, from oldest to "newest.". All of them are, of course, well worth visiting. In the listings below, click on the stadium name to read its Minor League Ballpark Guide entry.

Jackie Robinson Ballpark (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Opened: 1914 as City Island Ballpark
First Minor League team: Daytona Islanders (Florida State League, 1920)
Current Minor League team: Daytona Tortugas, Florida State League (Single-A CIN; established as the Daytona Cubs in 1993)
In 1989, 75 years after it opened, Daytona Beach's City Island Ballpark was named after Jackie Robinson. This rechristening was in honor of the events of 1946, when Robinson played at City Island Ballpark during Spring Training. This marked his first appearance as an active player in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization, more than one year before his epochal Major League debut. When City Island Ballpark opened during the Woodrow Wilson administration, it was little more than a playing field and wooden bleachers. Many improvements have occurred since, including a $30 million renovation project that began in late 2024.

LECOM Park (Bradenton, Fla.)
Opened: 1923 as City Park
First Minor League team: Bradenton Growers (1923)
Current Minor League team: Bradenton Marauders, Florida State League (Single-A PIT, established 2010)
LECOM Park, which also serves as the Pittsburgh Pirates' Spring Training home, has hosted the Marauders since 2010. Prior to that, one must go back to 1926 to find the last time this Spanish Mission-style facility hosted a Minor League team. Spring Training has been a near-constant, however, beginning with the 1923 St. Louis Cardinals. The LECOM Park moniker was adopted in 2018; from 1962 through 2017, it was known as McKechnie Field in honor of Hall of Famer (and longtime Bradenton resident) Bill McKechnie.

McCormick Field (Asheville, N.C.)
Opened: 1924
First Minor League team: Asheville Tourists (1924)
Current Minor League team: Asheville Tourists, South Atlantic League (High-A HOU; established in 1914 and continuously in operation since 1966)
The Asheville Tourists are one of the longest-running entities in Minor League Baseball and McCormick Field -- named in honor of a pioneering Asheville-based bacteriologist -- has been a part of the team's story for over 100 years. The ballpark is nestled within a hilly landscape, enhancing its intimate throwback atmosphere. The cozy seating bowl offers close-up views of the action, while a carnivalesque atmosphere prevails on the concourse.

Synovus Park (Columbus, Ga.)
Opened: 1926 (as Golden Park)
First Minor League team: Columbus Foxes (1926)
Current Minor League team: Columbus Clingstones, Southern League (Double-A ATL, established 2025)
Synovus Park, the home of the Columbus Clingstones, was one of four new Minor League ballparks to debut in 2025. Or was it? The Clingstones play in what is more accurately described as a massively renovated old ballpark, formerly known as Golden Park. At least 27 Hall of Famers have played at the ballpark since it opened in 1926, including Columbus native Frank Thomas. The grandstand and brick archways ringing the concourse remain intact, supplemented by an array of new structures and group areas. It's brand-new and ancient all at once, a merging of the 1920s and 2020s into a singular Minor League experience. The Clingstones, named after a type of peach, will celebrate their home's 100th birthday in 2026.

Modern Woodmen Park (Davenport, Iowa)
Opened: 1931 as Municipal Stadium
First Minor League team: Davenport Blue Sox (1931)
Current Minor League team: Quad Cities River Bandits, Midwest League (High-A KC; established in 1960 as the Davenport Braves)
The Quad Cities are technically the Quint Cities, comprised of Davenport and Bettendorf in southeast Iowa and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwest Illinois. Modern Woodmen Park, located in Davenport, is situated on the banks of the Mississippi River and features views of the Centennial Bridge crossing the river into Rock Island. A Ferris wheel, constructed on the left-field concourse in 2014, adds to the unique ambience.

Bank of the James Stadium (Lynchburg, Va.)
Opened: 1940 as City Stadium
First Minor League team: Lynchburg Senators, 1940
Current Minor League team: Lynchburg Hillcats, Carolina League (Single-A CLE; established in 1963 as the Lynchburg White Sox)
Bank of the James Stadium, known as City Stadium through most of its existence, was built in tandem with a football stadium located on its third-base side. The Hillcats' name is a reference to Lynchburg's "Hill City" nickname, so it's apropos that the ballpark is set against a backdrop of rolling hills. An extensive series of improvements in 2016 modernized the facility, with more renovations underway.

Excite Ballpark (San Jose, Calif.)
Opened: 1942 as Municipal Stadium
First Minor League team: San Jose Owls, 1942
Current Minor League team: San Jose Giants, California League (Single-A SFG; established in 1962 as the San Jose Bees)
The San Jose Giants appear on two notable Top 10 lists -- oldest ballparks and longest affiliations, as their partnership with San Francisco dates back to 1988. With the exception of a two-year stint in the Pacific Coast League, Excite Ballpark has hosted a California League team in nearly every season since 1942. Originally known as Municipal Stadium, the facility was constructed during the Roosevelt administration as a Works Progress Administration project. These days, it is well loved for its whimsical concourse artwork as well as exemplary churros and barbecue.

Valley Strong Ballpark (Visalia, Calif.)
Opened: 1946 as Recreation Park
First Minor League team: Visalia Cubs, 1946
Current Minor League team: Visalia Rawhide, California League (Single-A ARI; continuously in operation since 1977)
From San Jose, it's an approximately three-hour drive to the next oldest Minor League stadium, Visalia's Valley Strong Ballpark. Also like San Jose, Valley Strong Ballpark has a long history of hosting California League baseball. Valley Strong Ballpark's current grandstand was constructed in 1963, comprised of dirt repurposed from Route 198 construction efforts and then poured over with concrete and gunite. Capacity and amenities have been expanded via a series of renovation projects, resulting in expanded berm and group areas as well as improved player facilities. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most intimate facilities in the Minor Leagues.

Funko Field (Everett, Wash.)
Opened: 1947 as Everett Memorial Stadium
First Minor League team: Everett Giants, 1984
Current Minor League team: Everett AquaSox, Northwest League (High-A SEA; established as the Everett Giants in 1984)
Funko Field is an anomaly among the parks on this list, in that it was open for the better part of three decades before hosting a Minor League team. That team was the Everett Giants, who debuted in 1984 and became the AquaSox in 1995 following an affiliation change from San Francisco to Seattle. The Funko Field name was adopted in 2019, the result of a naming rights deal with the Everett-based toy company. The ballpark, part of a much larger athletic complex, is owned by the Everett School District. A new downtown ballpark is currently in the works for the AquaSox, so make plans to visit Funko Field while there's still time to do so.

FirstEnergy Stadium (Reading, Pa.)
Opened: 1951 as Municipal Stadium
First Minor League team: Reading Indians, 1952
Current Minor League team: Reading Fightin Phils, Eastern League (Double-A PHI; established in 1967 as the Reading Phillies)
Minor League Baseball and Reading, Pa., go hand-in-hand. FirstEnergy Stadium opened in 1951 as Municipal Stadium and began hosting an Eastern League team the following season. The Reading Phillies debuted in 1967, beginning an affiliation that is tied for the longest in Minor League Baseball. FirstEnergy Stadium has long had a reputation for its "best of both worlds" appeal, combining a throwback feel with an oft-zany atmosphere populated by beloved cult figures such as the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor and his pet ostrich, Rodrigo.

Nat Bailey Stadium (Vancouver, B.C., Canada)
Opened: 1951 as Capilano Stadium
First Minor League team: Vancouver Capilanos, 1951
Current Minor League team: Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League (High-A TOR; established in 2000)
Canada's oldest Minor League ballpark is also Canada's only Minor League ballpark. Nat Bailey Stadium, christened as such in 1978 in honor of a local restaurateur, has been a consistent presence on the Minor League scene for 75 years. The Canadians have been part of the Northwest League since 2000, but from 1978 through 1999, a Triple-A Pacific Coast League iteration of the Canadians called Nat Bailey Stadium home. It's a cozy environment, where the cheers of a passionate fanbase echo throughout the covered grandstand to create a real homefield advantage.