History
Built beside George Wiedenmayer's brewery on Hamburg Place, the park opened with an exhibition on April 5, 1902 and was home to Newark's Eastern (later International) League clubs, which won the 1913 pennant. On July 17, 1904 the New York Highlanders played a Sunday game there against Detroit to avoid New York's blue laws.
A neighboring chemical company took part of the property in December 1918, ending professional use, and the remains burned in May 1925. Davids Stadium, later Ruppert Stadium, was built on the same footprint in 1926.
Why it matters: It hosted a single regular-season major-league game, the Highlanders' Sunday game of July 17, 1904.
Timeline
- April 5, 1902First game[1]
An exhibition between Newark's Eastern League club and the semipro Star Athletics opened the park; the official home opener followed on May 8, 1902.
- July 17, 1904Highlanders' Sunday game[1]
The New York Highlanders beat Detroit 3–1, a game moved from Manhattan to avoid New York's Sunday laws; it was the only regular-season major-league game at the park.
- 1913International League pennant[1]
The Newark Indians won the 1913 International League pennant.
- September 23, 1918Lewis–Leonard bout[1]
Ted 'Kid' Lewis and Benny Leonard fought an eight-round no-decision before more than 10,000 fans.
- December 1918Property sold off[1]
Heller & Mertz Chemical acquired enough of the property to make it unusable for pro baseball; the Bears moved to Harrison Park.
- May 1925Remains burn[1]
What remained of the park was destroyed by fire.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Industrial park (former Ruppert Stadium site)[1] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Newark Sailors / Indians | Eastern League / International League · 1902–1915 |
|---|---|
| Newark Indians | International League · 1916 |
| Newark Bears | International League · 1918 |
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 | Wiedenmayer's Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Hamburg Place, Ironbound, Newark, New Jersey |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball |
| Level | Minor league, MLB |
| Opened | April 5, 1902[1] |
| Last used for sports | December 1918[1] |
| Demolished | May 1925[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 1,400[1] |
| Final capacity | 13,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | 1903 grandstand seated 1,400; about 8,000 by 1908; 13,000 seats plus 2,000 temporary by 1911 (up to 20,000 with standing room). |
| Closure | A neighboring chemical company acquired part of the property in December 1918, making it unusable for professional baseball. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Wiedenmayer's Park (Newark, NJ), SABR Ballparks Project (Bill Lamb). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, events, opened
- Wiedenmeyer's Park (park NWK01), Baseball Data Hub. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Spelled Wiedenmeyer's by Baseball Data Hub and Wiedenmayer's by SABR.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.