History
The Millers opened the park in June 1896; it was briefly called Wright Field after a newspaper naming contest. A 1911 rebuild replaced the original wooden stands and raised capacity to about 10,000.
A short right-field fence made the park a haven for left-handed sluggers, including Joe Hauser in 1933 and Ted Williams in 1938. Willie Mays played here briefly in 1951 before his call-up to the Giants.
The Millers won the 1955 Junior World Series in the park's final game and then moved to Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The ballpark was razed and the bank that owned the land moved its Lake Street branch onto the site.
Why it matters: It was the home of one of the American Association's flagship franchises for six decades and a showcase for future Hall of Famers.
Timeline
- June 19, 1896First game[2]
The Millers beat Milwaukee 13-6 in the park's first game.
- 1911Grandstand rebuilt[2]
A roughly $30,000 renovation added a new grandstand, a concrete wall and a Tudor-style entrance building.
- 1933
Joe Hauser hit 69 home runs for the Millers, 50 of them at Nicollet Park.
- September 1955
The Millers clinched the 1955 Junior World Series against Rochester in the final game at the park.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Commercial and residential buildings; for decades a Northwestern National Bank (later Wells Fargo) branch occupied the site[1,2,3] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Minneapolis Millers | American Association · 1896–1955 |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis Marines / Red Jackets | NFL · tenant |
| Minneapolis Millerettes | All-American Girls Professional Baseball League · 1944 · 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 | Wright Field (1896–1896) |
|---|---|
| Location | Block bounded by Nicollet Ave., W. 31st St., Blaisdell Ave. and the Lake St. side, Lyndale neighborhood; home plate in the southwest corner, Minneapolis, Minnesota[1,2,3] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football |
| Level | Minor League, NFL, AAGPBL, NCAA |
| Opened | June 19, 1896[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | September 1955[1,2,3] |
| Demolished | c. 1955[2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 4,000[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 10,000[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia lists 4,000; SABR and Thornley say a 1911 renovation raised capacity to about 10,000, roughly two and a half times the original. |
| Construction cost | $4,000 (1896, per Wikipedia); 1911 renovation about $30,000 (SABR)[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Closure | The Millers moved to the new Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington for 1956. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Nicollet Park, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, opened, teams
- Nicollet Park (Minneapolis), Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, events, opened
- Twin Cities Ballparks, Stew Thornley. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, demolished, 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 (3)
- Opening day: Wikipedia June 20, 1896 vs SABR June 19, 1896.
- Final game: Wikipedia September 28, 1955 vs SABR September 29, 1955; this record uses month precision.
- No source gives an exact demolition date; SABR and Thornley say only 'soon after' the 1955 season.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.