History
Athletic Park was dedicated in May 1888 on a single rectangular city block in a residential neighborhood, with an opening game between Milwaukee and Saint Paul.
The American Association Brewers made it their home from 1902 through 1952. It was renamed for owner Otto Borchert after his death in the late 1920s, and later owners included Bill Veeck in the early 1940s.
Beyond the Brewers, the park housed the Negro National League Bears in 1923, the NFL's Milwaukee Badgers, a 1933 Packers game, and the 1944 Milwaukee Chicks of the women's professional league. It also hosted Negro American League playoff games in 1937.
The Brewers played their last game there in September 1952, with Milwaukee County Stadium nearly finished. The city cleared the grandstand, used the lot as a playground, and Interstate 43 was built over it by 1963.
Why it matters: It was Milwaukee's main professional ballpark for more than six decades and a home to Negro league, women's and early NFL teams.
Timeline
- May 19, 1888
The park opened with a game between Milwaukee and Saint Paul.
- May 11, 1902Reopened for American Association[1]
Harry Quinn's redeveloped park reopened for the new American Association Brewers.
- October 1, 1933Packers game in Milwaukee[1]
The Green Bay Packers lost 10-7 to the New York Giants before about 13,000 fans.
- June 6, 1935First night game[1]
Permanent lights were installed and the Brewers played their first night game.
- June 15, 1944Windstorm damages roof[1]
A storm tore off part of the roof during a game against Columbus.
- September 21, 1952Final game[1]
The Brewers' playoff loss to the Kansas City Blues was the last game played at the park.
- December 1952
The grandstand was torn down after the city bought the property; its wood was given away as kindling.
- 1963
After about a decade as a playground, the block was taken by I-43.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Interstate 43 right-of-way[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Milwaukee Brewers | American League / National League · 1902–1952 |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee Badgers | NFL · 1922–1926 |
| Milwaukee Bears | Negro National League · 1923 |
| Milwaukee Chicks | All-American Girls Professional Baseball League · 1944 |
| Green Bay Packers | NFL · 1933 · secondary |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Athletic Park (1888–1927); Brewer Field; Borchert's Orchard |
|---|---|
| Location | Rectangular block along N. 7th and 8th Streets (Clio lists 3000 N 8th St), Milwaukee, Wisconsin[2] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football |
| Level | Minor League, Negro Leagues, NFL, AAGPBL |
| Opened | May 19, 1888[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | September 21, 1952[1,2,3] |
| Demolished | 1952–1953[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 18,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | 18,000 including standing room in 1952 (Wikipedia). |
| Construction cost | $40,000 (1888)[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Owner / operator | Purchased by Otto Borchert in 1920; bought by the City of Milwaukee in 1952 |
| Closure | The Brewers' lease ended and Milwaukee County Stadium was built to replace it. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Borchert Field, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Borchert Field (Athletic Park), Clio. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Milwaukee Brewers (1902-1952), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, teams
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (3)
- Demolition: Wikipedia body says December 1952, its infobox says 1953; Clio says 1952. Recorded as a 1952/1953 range.
- Athletic Park name end year: 1927 (Wikipedia infobox) vs 1928 (Wikipedia text and the Brewers article).
- Western League Brewers years differ between the Wikipedia infobox (1888-1894) and text (1886-1892).
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.