History
Charles Ebbets built the park on a low-lying Flatbush tract once nicknamed Pigtown, breaking ground in March 1912. After an exhibition against the Yankees, the Dodgers played their first league game there on April 9, 1913.
The compact ballpark grew over the decades, peaking at about 35,000 seats in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It saw its first night game in 1938 and hosted the 1949 All-Star Game. In 1955 it was home to Brooklyn's lone World Series champion.
In 1956 Walter O'Malley sold the property to developer Marvin Kratter, and after the 1957 season the club moved to Los Angeles. The last game, on September 24, 1957, drew only 6,702 fans.
Demolition began on February 23, 1960, and an apartment complex opened on the site in 1962. A few pieces survived elsewhere: the cornerstone is at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and the flagpole stands outside Barclays Center.
Why it matters: It was the stage for the Brooklyn Dodgers' entire golden era, and losing it after 1957 became a symbol of franchise relocation in American sports.
Timeline
- March 4, 1912Groundbreaking[1]
Construction began on the former 'Pigtown' site in Flatbush.
- April 5, 1913
The Dodgers met the New York Yankees in an exhibition before the official opener.
- April 9, 1913
Brooklyn lost its National League home opener to Philadelphia, 1–0.
- June 15, 1938First night game[1]
The park's first game under lights drew 38,748; Johnny Vander Meer threw his second straight no-hitter that season here.
- 19551955 World Series title[1]
The Dodgers won the only World Series championship of their Brooklyn era.
- October 31, 1956
Walter O'Malley sold the park to Marvin Kratter, who planned apartments for the site.
- September 24, 1957
Brooklyn shut out Pittsburgh before 6,702 fans in the final game at the park.
- February 23, 1960
Wreckers began razing the park with a wrecking ball painted like a baseball; former Dodgers attended.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Ebbets Field Apartments, a residential complex opened on the site in 1962[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Brooklyn Dodgers | National League · 1913–1957 |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers | NFL · 1930–1944 · tenant |
| Brooklyn Eagles | Negro National League · 1935 · tenant |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | National League · 1946–1948 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | 55 Sullivan Place, Flatbush/Crown Heights; block bounded by Bedford Ave., Sullivan Place, McKeever Place (formerly Cedar St./Cedar Place) and Montgomery St., Brooklyn (New York City), New York[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football, Soccer, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | MLB, NFL, AAFC, Negro Leagues |
| Opened | April 9, 1913[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | September 24, 1957[2,3,4] |
| Demolished | 1960[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 18,000[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 31,902[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia lists 18,000 at opening (1913), a peak of 35,000 (1937–1945) and 31,902 (1955–1957). SABR gives about 24,000 at opening (30,000 planned) and just under 32,000 in the final season. |
| Architect | Clarence Randall Van Buskirk[1] |
| Construction cost | $750,000 (1913)[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Owner / operator | Brooklyn Dodgers (1913–1956); developer Marvin Kratter (from 1956) |
| Closure | The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles after the 1957 season; the park had already been sold to a residential developer. |
Documented details
- The ballpark's cornerstone is on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.[4]
- The park hosted what Wikipedia describes as the first known televised soccer game in the US, on June 17, 1947.[1]
- The flagpole from Ebbets Field was installed in front of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.[1]
Sources
- Ebbets Field, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Ebbets Field (Brooklyn, NY), Society for American Baseball Research (John G. Zinn). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, demolished, opened
- On This Day in History, February 23: Ebbets Field Is Demolished, Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, demolished, opened
- Ebbets Field's last game, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed
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 (5)
- Opening capacity: Wikipedia 18,000 vs SABR about 24,000.
- Sale price to Marvin Kratter (1956): Wikipedia about $2,000,000 vs SABR $3 million.
- Score of the final game: Hall of Fame says Dodgers 2, Pirates 0; Brooklyn Eagle says 3-0.
- Wikipedia says the park 'closed' in January 1958; this record uses the last game (1957-09-24) as the closing date.
- The apartments on the site are called Ebbets Field Apartments by Wikipedia and 'Jackie Robinson Apartments' by the Brooklyn Eagle.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.