History
Built after Eclipse Park burned, the concrete-and-steel park opened in May 1923 with a cavernous center field. The Colonels played there through 1956, sharing it at times with Negro league clubs including the Black Caps and Buckeyes.
The University of Louisville bought the park in 1954. The grandstand came down in 1961, but UofL baseball kept using the field until 1998; it is now an intramural football and soccer field.
Why it matters: It was Louisville's top-level baseball park for more than three decades and a Negro league venue.
Timeline
- May 1, 1923
The Colonels beat Toledo 5-1 before more than 18,000.
- 1954Sold to University of Louisville[2]
UofL bought the park and leased it back to the Colonels.
- September 2, 1956Last Colonels game[2]
The Colonels lost 2-1 to Denver before 1,276 and then moved to the fairgrounds.
- 1961
The grandstand was torn down to expand university practice fields.
- 1998
The University of Louisville stopped playing baseball on the field.
The site today
| Physical status | Partially demolished[2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | University of Louisville intramural football and soccer field[1,3] |
| Surviving remnants | Bricks from the outfield wall and infield dirt were reused at UofL's Jim Patterson Stadium. |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Louisville Colonels | American Association · 1923–1956 |
|---|---|
| Louisville Cardinals | NCAA · tenant |
| Louisville Black Caps | Negro leagues · 1930–1932 · tenant |
| Louisville Buckeyes | Negro American League · 1949 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | South of Eastern Pkwy. and west of Brook St., University of Louisville campus, Louisville, Kentucky[1] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football |
| Level | Minor League, Negro Leagues, NCAA |
| Opened | May 1, 1923[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | 1998[2] |
| Demolished | 1961[2,3] |
| Physical status | Partially demolished |
| Original capacity | 13,000[3] |
| Architect | Leslie Abbott[2,3] |
| Closure | The Colonels moved to the state fairgrounds, and the university later razed the stands for practice fields. |
Documented details
- Center field was listed at more than 500 feet in the 1930s.[1]
Sources
- Parkway Field, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, coordinates, current land use, opened, teams
- Retro Louisville: Rise and fall of Parkway Field, Louisville Courier Journal (via AOL). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, closed, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Parkway Field, The Clio. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, current land use, demolished, opened, 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)
- Opening: Wikipedia gives August 15, 1923; the Courier Journal and Clio say the first Colonels game was May 1, 1923.
- The Courier Journal cites a 1961 report that the stands 'will be demolished'; Clio states they were demolished in 1961.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.