History
Several ballparks used the riverfront Exposition grounds in Allegheny City from the 1880s. The Players' League Burghers built the 1890 park, and the National League Pirates moved in the next year.
The low riverside field flooded often, which led to unusual ground rules. The Pirates won three straight pennants here, and in October 1903 the park hosted the first games of the first modern World Series.
Barney Dreyfuss moved the Pirates to Forbes Field in June 1909. The Federal League's Rebels used the park in 1914-15. It was eventually razed, and the site now lies in parking lots near PNC Park, where a marker and plaque recall it.
Why it matters: It hosted the first modern World Series in 1903.
Timeline
- 1890
The Burghers built this version of the park for the 1890 season.
- April 22, 1891Pirates' first game[2]
The National League club began play at the park.
- July 4, 1902Flooded outfield[1]
Floodwater reached thigh level in the outfield during a doubleheader.
- October 6, 1903
The park hosted the first World Series games played in a National League city.
- June 29, 1909
The Pirates beat the Cubs 8-1 and moved to Forbes Field.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
|---|---|
| Current use | Parking lots on Pittsburgh's North Shore; Interstate 279 passes over part of the site[1] |
| Surviving remnants | Pennsylvania Historical Marker 'First World Series' (1998) and a plaque marking the believed home plate location (2018)[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Pittsburgh Burghers | Players' League · 1890 |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | National League · 1891–1909 |
| Pittsburgh Rebels | Federal League · 1914–1915 |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | Exposition Park |
|---|---|
| Other names | Exposition Park |
| Location | North bank of the Allegheny River across from downtown, between the later Three Rivers Stadium and PNC Park sites, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[1] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football |
| Level | MLB, Players League, Federal League |
| Opened | 1890[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | c. 1915[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 16,000[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | Both Wikipedia and Ballparks of Baseball give 16,000; Wikipedia says the 1890 park held about 10,000. |
| Surface | Grass |
| Closure | Frequent flooding and limited size led the Pirates to build Forbes Field; major league use ended with the Federal League in 1915. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Exposition Park (Pittsburgh), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, events, opened, remnants, teams
- Exposition Park, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, events, opened, remnants, teams
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Wikipedia's infobox lists the Federal League tenancy as 1913-1915; its text says Federal League play began in 1914.
- No source gives a demolition date ('eventually razed').
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.