History
The Chicago National League club opened this mostly wooden park on the Near West Side in May 1893, after leaving an earlier West Side Park a few blocks north.
The Cubs' best era came here: four pennants between 1906 and 1910, a loss to the White Sox in the 1906 crosstown World Series, and championships over Detroit in 1907 and 1908.
After the 1915 season the Cubs moved north to Weeghman Park, now Wrigley Field. The old park was razed in 1920, and the land became part of the University of Illinois medical complex. A plaque on Wood Street marks the site.
Why it matters: It was where the Cubs won the 1907 and 1908 World Series.
Timeline
- May 14, 1893First National League game[1]
The Chicago club began playing at the park.
- August 5, 1894Fire[1]
A fire broke out during a game against Cincinnati.
- 1906
The Cubs lost to the White Sox.
- 1908
The Cubs beat Detroit for their second consecutive World Series title.
- 1915
The Cubs moved to Weeghman Park (later Wrigley Field) for 1916.
- 1920Demolition[1]
The park was razed.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | University of Illinois medical campus[1,2] |
| Surviving remnants | Commemorative plaque on Wood Street outside the UIC psychiatric institute (dedicated 2009)[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Chicago Colts/Orphans/Cubs | National League · 1893–1915 |
|---|
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | West Side Park |
|---|---|
| Other names | West Side Park |
| Location | Block bounded by Taylor, Wood, Polk and Lincoln (now Wolcott) Streets, Chicago, Illinois[1,2] |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball |
| Level | MLB |
| Opened | May 14, 1893[1] |
| Last used for sports | 1915[1,2] |
| Demolished | 1920[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 13,000[1] |
| Final capacity | 16,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia: 13,000 (1893-1904), 14,200 (1905-07), 16,000 (1908-15). |
| Surface | Grass |
| Closure | Owner Charles Weeghman moved the Cubs to his Federal League park on the North Side after 1915. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- West Side Park, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, remnants, teams
- Chicago's West Side Grounds - Where The Cubs Last Won the World Series, Deadball Baseball (Byron Bennett). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, remnants, 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)
- Wikipedia calls the park West Side Park (II); the common modern name is West Side Grounds.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.