History
Charles Comiskey's Saints opened the park in April 1897; Comiskey soon took the franchise to Chicago, where it became the White Sox, and a new Saints club took over the grounds. After a 1915 fire the park was rebuilt in steel and concrete with the field reoriented.
The Saints played here through 1956 before moving to Midway Stadium. The park was demolished and a Red Owl supermarket put a home-plate plaque in its floor; a later plaque is now part of a display at the bank on the site.
Why it matters: It hosted the Saints for six decades and was the first home of the franchise that became the Chicago White Sox.
Timeline
- April 30, 1897
The Saints beat Connie Mack's Milwaukee club 10-3 in the opener.
- November 14, 1915
Fire destroyed the grandstand; it was rebuilt for 1916 with the diamond turned so home plate sat in the northwest corner.
- July 20, 1951
High winds flattened the right-field fence, which was rebuilt shorter and taller.
- September 5, 1956Last game[3]
The Saints shut out the Minneapolis Millers 4-0 before about 2,000 fans.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
|---|---|
| Current use | Retail and bank buildings; a Red Owl grocery store was built on the site after demolition[2,3] |
| Surviving remnants | Wikipedia reports part of the southwestern foundation is still visible; a home-plate plaque is displayed at the bank building on the site.[2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| St. Paul Saints | Western League / American Association · 1897–1956 |
|---|
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | Southwest corner of Lexington Ave. (Parkway) and University Ave.; block bounded by Lexington, University, Fuller and Dunlap, St. Paul, Minnesota[1,3] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball |
| Level | Minor League |
| Opened | April 30, 1897[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | September 5, 1956[2,3] |
| Demolished | 1956–1959 |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Surface | Grass |
| Closure | The Saints left for the new Midway Stadium after the 1956 season. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Twin Cities Ballparks, Stew Thornley. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, events, opened
- Lexington Park, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, coordinates, current land use, opened, remnants, teams
- Lexington Park (St. Paul, MN), Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, events, opened
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 (1)
- SABR gives both 'April' and 'summer' of 1994 for the replacement plaque.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.