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Site redevelopedBaseballPartially verified

Westgate Park

San Diego, California · Ballpark

Westgate Park was the Pacific Coast League Padres' privately built ballpark in Mission Valley from 1958 to 1967. It was razed and Fashion Valley mall now covers the site.

Opened
1958
Closed
1967
Demolished
c. 1969
Capacity
8,268
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Replaced by San Diego Stadium

History

Banker C. Arnholt Smith built the 8,268-seat park for about $1 million to replace Lane Field, naming it for his Westgate tuna company. It was designed to be expanded for a possible major league team.

The city instead built San Diego Stadium, and the Padres moved there for 1968. Westgate Park was torn down and Fashion Valley mall took over the land.

Why it matters: It hosted PCL championship teams and was planned as a future major league park before San Diego Stadium took that role.

Timeline

  1. April 28, 1958
    Opening doubleheader[1,2]

    The Padres swept the Phoenix Giants in a day-night doubleheader.

  2. September 3, 1967
    Last game[1]

    The final game drew a record 15,229.

  3. December 1967
    Mall plans[1]

    Plans for Fashion Valley mall on the site were unveiled.

The site today

Physical statusSite redeveloped[1]
Current useFashion Valley shopping mall[1,2]
Mapped locationFormer venue site

Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)

Teams & events

San Diego PadresMLB · 1958–1967

Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.

Venue facts

LocationFriars Rd. at State Route 163, Mission Valley, San Diego, California[1,2]
Venue typeBallpark
SportsBaseball
LevelMinor League
OpenedApril 28, 1958[1,2]
Last used for sportsSeptember 3, 1967[1,2]
Demolishedc. 1969[1]
Physical statusSite redeveloped
Final capacity8,268[1,2]
Construction costAbout $1 million (private)[1,2]
Owner / operatorC. Arnholt Smith
ClosureThe Padres moved to the new San Diego Stadium.

Documented details

  • Its four light towers leaned in toward the field.[2]
  • The Padres won PCL titles at the park in 1964 and 1967.[2]

Connected venues

Sources

  1. Westgate Park, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19
    Supports: address, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
  2. Westgate Park (San Diego), Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed 2026-10-19
    Supports: address, capacity, closed, construction cost, current land use, 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.

See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.

Other former venues in San Diego

Balboa Stadium

San Diego, California · Football · 1915–1966

Balboa Stadium, built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, was the San Diego Chargers' home from 1961 to 1966. The original stadium was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by a small 3,000-seat field in 1978.

Site redevelopedPartially verified

Closed in the same era

Sportsman's Park

St. Louis, Missouri · Baseball · 1909–1966

Sportsman's Park stood at Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street. Rebuilt in steel and concrete in 1909, it was home to both St. Louis major league teams for decades until 1966. The land became a Boys Club athletic field.

Site redeveloped

Ponce de Leon Park

Atlanta, Georgia · Baseball · 1907–1965

Ponce de Leon Park was Atlanta's principal ballpark for nearly six decades, home of the minor-league Crackers and the Negro league Black Crackers, remembered for a magnolia tree in play in deep center field.

Site redeveloped

Crosley Field

Cincinnati, Ohio · Baseball · 1912–1970

Crosley Field, first called Redland Field, was the Cincinnati Reds' ballpark in the city's West End from 1912 to mid-1970. It hosted the first night game in the major leagues.

Site redeveloped

Shibe Park

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Baseball · 1909–1970

Shibe Park, renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953, was Philadelphia's major league ballpark from 1909 to 1970. It was the Athletics' home and later the Phillies'. A church now occupies the site.

Site redeveloped