History
Syracuse built Municipal Stadium in 1934 as a city-owned home for the Chiefs. In March 1942 it was renamed for General Douglas MacArthur.
The park was known for a 434-foot center-field fence, among the deepest in the minors; the first batter to clear it is recorded as Richie Zisk in 1971. In May 1969 a fire, later traced to teenagers who were trying to break into a safe, destroyed the central grandstand, and the Chiefs played elsewhere for a month.
Onondaga County took over the aging stadium in the 1970s and renovated it, but a new ballpark was built next door. After the 1996 season the Chiefs moved, and MacArthur was torn down in 1997 so its footprint could serve as parking for the new stadium.
Why it matters: It was Syracuse's professional ballpark for 63 seasons and was directly replaced by the stadium that still stands beside its site.
Timeline
- March 1, 1934Groundbreaking[1]
Work began on the city-owned Municipal Stadium.
- April 18, 1934
The new ballpark opened for the Syracuse Chiefs.
- March 1942
The stadium was renamed in honor of General Douglas MacArthur.
- May 14, 1969
Fire destroyed the center grandstand, offices and press box; the Chiefs played elsewhere until returning June 14.
- September 3, 1996
The Chiefs closed their final season at the stadium.
- 1997
The stadium was razed to create parking for the adjacent new P&C Stadium.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Parking lot southeast of NBT Bank Stadium[2,4] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Syracuse Chiefs | International League · 1934–1996 |
|---|---|
| Syracuse Braves | American Football League · 1936 · tenant |
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 | Municipal Stadium (1934–1942); Douglas MacArthur Stadium (1942) |
|---|---|
| Location | 820 Second North Street at E. Hiawatha Boulevard, Syracuse, New York[1,4,5] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football |
| Level | Minor League |
| Opened | April 18, 1934[1,2,5] |
| Last used for sports | September 3, 1996[1,3] |
| Demolished | 1997[1,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 8,416[1,5] |
| Final capacity | 10,500[1,5] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia: 8,416 (1934-1941), 10,006 (1942-1984), 10,500 (1985-1996). Stats Crew lists varying figures (10,000 in 1936/1950, 12,500 in 1939, 8,416 in 1994). |
| Construction cost | $284,000[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Owner / operator | City of Syracuse; transferred to Onondaga County in the mid-1970s |
| Closure | Replaced by the adjacent P&C Stadium (now NBT Bank Stadium), which opened in 1997. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- MacArthur Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, demolished, opened, teams
- This Month in History: Municipal Stadium Renamed MacArthur Stadium, Onondaga Historical Association. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use, opened, teams
- MacArthur Stadium, Baseball-Reference (BR Bullpen). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, demolished, teams
- List of baseball parks in Syracuse, New York, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, current land use
- MacArthur Stadium, Stats Crew. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, opened
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)
- Fire date: May 14, 1969 (Wikipedia, Onondaga Historical Association) vs May 15, 1969 (Stats Crew).
- The exact opening (1934-04-18) and closing (1996-09-03) days come from Wikipedia only; the 1934 and 1996/1997 years are corroborated by OHA, Stats Crew and BR Bullpen.
- OHA gives the Chiefs' tenure as '1934 - 1997', which conflicts with the 1996 final season in the other sources.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.