History
Boston's new American League club built a wooden park on a former circus lot along Huntington Avenue for about $35,000. It opened on May 8, 1901, with a 12–4 win over Philadelphia. The site was just across the railroad tracks from the National League club's South End Grounds.
On October 1, 1903, the park hosted Game 1 of the first World Series between the American and National League champions; Pittsburgh won that game. The next spring, Cy Young pitched the first perfect game of the modern era there.
The club, called the Red Sox from 1908, announced plans for a new concrete park in 1911. Its last game there was on October 7, 1911, and it moved to the new Fenway Park in April 1912. The old grounds were demolished in 1912.
Northeastern University bought the land in 1934 and dedicated its Cabot center there in 1954. A Cy Young statue near Churchill Hall marks the old infield.
Why it matters: It was the site of the first modern World Series game and the first home of the Boston Red Sox franchise.
Timeline
- May 8, 1901
Boston beat the Philadelphia Athletics 12–4 in the new American League club's first home game.
- October 1, 1903
Pittsburgh beat Boston 5–3 in Game 1 of the first World Series between the AL and NL champions.
- May 5, 1904Cy Young's perfect game[1]
Young threw the first perfect game of baseball's modern era.
- October 7, 1911
The Red Sox beat Washington 8–1 in their final game at the park before moving to Fenway Park.
- 1912
The park was razed after the Red Sox moved to Fenway Park.
- 1954
Northeastern, which bought the land in 1934, dedicated its Cabot center on the site.
- 1993
A statue of Cy Young and a plaque were placed where the pitcher's mound had been.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,4] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Northeastern University campus; the Cabot Physical Education Center (dedicated 1954) covers most of the footprint[1,4] |
| Surviving remnants | No structure remains. A Cy Young statue and plaque (1993) mark the site of the infield/pitcher's mound.[1,4] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Boston Americans/Red Sox | American League · 1901–1911 |
|---|
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 | Huntington Avenue American League Base Ball Grounds |
|---|---|
| Other names | Huntington Avenue American League Base Ball Grounds |
| Location | Huntington Ave. near Rogers Ave., Roxbury/Fenway area; now Northeastern University campus (Cabot Center and the adjacent World Series Way), Boston, Massachusetts[2] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball |
| Level | MLB |
| Opened | May 8, 1901[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | October 7, 1911[2,3] |
| Demolished | 1912[1,2,4] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 9,000[1,2,3] |
| Final capacity | 14,000[1,2,3] |
| Capacity notes | ballparksofbaseball.com gives about 9,000 at first and 14,000 after expansions; Baseball-Reference Bullpen gives 9,000; Wikipedia lists 11,500. The first World Series game drew more than 16,000, including overflow crowds (Northeastern). |
| Construction cost | $35,000 (1901)[1,2] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Owner / operator | Boston Americans/Red Sox |
| Closure | The Red Sox moved to the larger, concrete-and-steel Fenway Park for the 1912 season. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Huntington Avenue Grounds, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, remnants, teams
- Huntington Avenue Grounds, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, construction cost, demolished, opened
- Huntington Avenue Grounds, Baseball-Reference Bullpen. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, opened
- The first World Series was held at Northeastern 122 years ago, Northeastern Global News (Northeastern University). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use, demolished, events, remnants
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)
- Capacity: Wikipedia 11,500 vs 9,000 (ballparksofbaseball.com original figure; Baseball-Reference Bullpen).
- Current use: Baseball-Reference Bullpen also names Tufts Medical College as an occupant of the former site. Wikipedia and Northeastern name only Northeastern University facilities.
- Wikipedia gives no exact last-game date (it says the park closed after the 1911 season); 1911-10-07 comes from ballparksofbaseball.com and Baseball-Reference Bullpen.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.