History
Owner A.J. Heinemann moved the Pelicans' grandstand a few blocks to this Mid-City site, and Heinemann Park opened in April 1915. Major league teams including the Indians, Yankees and Red Sox held spring training here, and it also hosted Negro league games.
Renamed Pelican Stadium in the late 1930s, it hosted the Pelicans until September 1957. The park was razed and replaced by the Fontainebleau Hotel; the building now houses Xavier University students.
Why it matters: It was the center of New Orleans professional baseball for four decades and a regular spring-training stop for major league clubs.
Timeline
- April 13, 1915
The Pelicans beat Birmingham 7-4 before 10,610 in a grandstand moved from their previous park.
- May 15, 1936First night game[2]
The park held its first night game.
- 1938
After the city-backed purchase of the park in 1937 it became Pelican Stadium.
- September 1, 1957Last game[2]
The Pelicans lost 7-3 to Memphis before 941 fans.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Former Fontainebleau Hotel building, now Xavier University of Louisiana dormitories, plus a fast-food restaurant[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| New Orleans Pelicans | Southern Association · 1915–1957 |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Indians (spring training) | American League · 1916–1939 · secondary |
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 | Heinemann Park (1915–1937) |
|---|---|
| Location | Southeast corner of Tulane Ave. and S. Carrollton Ave., Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana[1,2] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | Minor League, Negro Leagues |
| Opened | April 13, 1915[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | September 1, 1957[2] |
| Demolished | 1957–1958[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 10,000[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 9,500[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | SABR: about 10,000 seats in 1915; Wikipedia: 9,500 (1940). |
| Architect | Emile Weil[1] |
| Closure | The Pelicans' last season was 1957 and the land was redeveloped. |
Documented details
Sources
- Pelican Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Pelican Stadium (New Orleans), Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, 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 (2)
- Demolition: Wikipedia 1957 vs SABR 1958.
- SABR gives the renaming as 1937 in its intro and 1938 in its main text.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.