History
The park began as Red Elm Park in a natural hollow on Madison Avenue and later took the Russwood name. Its mostly wooden stands hosted the Chicks, Negro league teams, football, wrestling and an Elvis Presley concert in 1956.
On April 17, 1960, after a White Sox-Indians exhibition, a five-alarm fire destroyed the empty park and threatened neighboring hospitals. No one was seriously hurt, but the park was never rebuilt, and the site is now covered by medical buildings and parking.
Why it matters: Its spectacular 1960 fire ended Southern Association baseball in Memphis.
Timeline
- July 4, 1956
Elvis Presley performed at the ballpark.
- August 17, 1959Wrestling crowd record[1]
A Billy Wicks vs. Sputnik Monroe match drew a reported 17,000-18,000.
- April 17, 1960
On Easter Sunday the Indians beat the White Sox 2-1 in an exhibition before about 7,000 fans.
- April 17, 1960
Hours after the game a fire of unknown origin burned the empty wooden park to the ground.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Medical buildings and a parking garage[3] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Memphis Chicks | Southern Association |
|---|---|
| Memphis Red Sox | Negro American League · tenant |
| Memphis Tigers | college football · 1912–1928 · 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 | Red Elm Park |
|---|---|
| Location | 914 Madison Ave., Medical District, Memphis, Tennessee[1] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Football, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | Minor League, Negro Leagues, NCAA |
| Opened | 1896[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | April 17, 1960[1,2,3] |
| Demolished | April 17, 1960[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Capacity notes | Memphis Magazine says the wooden stands eventually held more than 10,000. |
| Closure | Destroyed by fire on April 17, 1960, and never rebuilt. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Russwood Park, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Russwood Park historical marker, Historical Marker Database (Tennessee Historical Commission marker 4E 149). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, coordinates, demolished, opened
- The Russwood Park Fire, Memphis Magazine. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, demolished, 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 (1)
- Start of baseball: Wikipedia says 1896, the state marker says 1899, and Memphis Magazine cites a piece titled 'Russwood Park 1921-1960'.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.