{"id":15036,"date":"2019-10-12T08:06:56","date_gmt":"2019-10-12T15:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/?p=15036"},"modified":"2025-07-25T12:03:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T19:03:24","slug":"one-of-first-lighted-baseball-parks-in-nation-now-indianapolis-zoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2019\/10\/12\/one-of-first-lighted-baseball-parks-in-nation-now-indianapolis-zoo\/","title":{"rendered":"West Washington Street Park, one of first Lighted Baseball Parks in Nation, now Indianapolis Zoo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where the Indianapolis Zoo is now used to be one of the first lighted baseball parks in the nation. Called West Washington Street Park, it was also one of its biggest – it held 20,000 people.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before that though, Indianapolis baseball roots went all the way back to 1876 when the Indianapolis Westerns played at South Street Park which is now a parking lot for Banker\u2019s Life Field-house where the Indiana Pacers of the NBA play their basketball games. Known in 1877 as the Blues, in 1878, they were called the Indianapolis Hoosiers for one year when they played in the National Association of Professional Baseball Players (aka, the National League of today) that had formed the year before. When management ran out of money to pay their players, Indianapolis sadly stopped being a Major League baseball city for good. Having been relegated to the Minor Leagues in 1905, by the time West Washington Street Park was built, the American Association\u2019s AAA Minor league team, the Indianapolis Indians, played before 4,000 people.<\/p>\n

In 1909, the ball field was completely rebuilt, and the seating capacity was enlarged to 20,000, the most in the minor leagues. It also boasted the largest playing field of any minor league park, and was larger than many major league parks of its era. Aside from hosting the Indians, this venue was also home to the Indianapolis ABCs of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1926.<\/p>\n

This baseball complex also featured some of the first lights for night baseball in all of America. In addition, two of the game\u2019s greatest players of all time, Babe Ruth and Lou Gerhig even played an exhibition game here. On his last at bat, Babe, the Sultan of Swat, hit one so far out of the park, that Indianapolis locals talked about it for years.<\/p>\n

In 1931, baseball moved a little over a mile and a half north, still on the river, to Bush Stadium, at 16th Street. In doing so, they brought the light standards from West Washington Park to the new stadium. There the Indianapolis Indians played from 1931 to 1996 until they came back. Only to the other side of the river.<\/p>\n

They returned to a beautiful baseball complex called Victory Field. A few hundred yards from West Washington Park, this park is on land once occupied by the Kingan pork people. Now, it is one more attraction in White River State Park.<\/p>\n

\"56927258_2289218958032470_966822994032721920_n\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"56910135_2289218914699141_2144211720439070720_n\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where the Indianapolis Zoo is now used to be one of the first lighted baseball parks in the nation. Called… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[128,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indianapolis-history","category-uncategorized-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3VuuR-3Uw","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17951,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2025\/07\/26\/nbg-indianapolis-history-index\/","url_meta":{"origin":15036,"position":0},"title":"NBG Indianapolis History Index","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"July 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Athenaeum (Das Deustsche Haus) Built 1893 Bicycle Stair Ramp at the Athenaeum Boston based Sasaki Associates Transformation of the Indianapolis Riverfront! Cadillac Co. of Indiana\/Automobile College Carl Fisher\u2019s original bike shop on Pennsylvania Ave Carl Fisher saturated Indianapolis with the Eagle HiWheel Indianapolis and the Nation, the Houses that Carl\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis History"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis History","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14169,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2019\/03\/13\/evolution-of-the-white-river-indianapolis-1863-to-present\/","url_meta":{"origin":15036,"position":1},"title":"Evolution of the White River, downtown Indianapolis, 1862 to present, w\/ Kingan Pork, Beveridge Paper, Perry W smokestack, Acme-Evans Flour mill, Brower & Love Cotton Mill and the Indiana Bleaching Company","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"March 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The Kingan Pork Packing plant in the first picture, a drawing, occupied 27 acres on both sides of the river where the Zoo, Victory Park (a baseball stadium) and the rest of\u00a0\u00a0White River State Park are located now. They employed 5,000 (mostly Irish) people and were one of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How Indy Built America"","block_context":{"text":"How Indy Built America","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/how-indy-built-america\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-13-at-10.07.58-PM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-13-at-10.07.58-PM.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Screen-Shot-2019-03-13-at-10.07.58-PM.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13553,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2018\/10\/06\/indianapolis-water-co-first-1870-water-pumphouse-in-white-river-state-parlk\/","url_meta":{"origin":15036,"position":2},"title":"Indianapolis Water Co First 1870 Water Pumphouse in White River State Park","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"October 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This one-story, brick structure with slate roof and copper finishings, sits in White River State Park next to the White River at the approach to the old\u00a0Washington Street Bridge that connects, as an esplanade, to the\u00a0Indianapolis Zoo. It\u00a0was built\u00a0 in 1870. \u00a0 \u00a0 In 1908 the\u00a0Indianapolis Water Company, which bought\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16503,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2022\/03\/04\/indianapolis-points-of-interest-index\/","url_meta":{"origin":15036,"position":3},"title":"Indianapolis Points of Interest Index","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"March 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"-\u00a0\u00a0Athenaeum (Das Deustsche Haus) Built 1893 - Belmont Beach - Central Canal -\u00a0Christ Church, an Episcopal church built in 1857 on Monument Circl - Circle City Industrial -\u00a0Louis Schwitzer, First IMS Winner and Builder of Circle City Industrial Complex -\u00a0City Market 1886 with Bicycle Garage Indy -\u00a0Columbia Club at the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/TopOfMonumentLadyVictory.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13309,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2018\/09\/07\/first-bridge-to-indianapolis-over-the-white-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":15036,"position":4},"title":"Washington St. Bridge from Downtown Indianapolis over the White River, 1870","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"September 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Below is the bridge I go over almost every day on my way from the zoo to downtown Indianapolis. Now an esplanade, in 1834 it was NOT the covered bridge you see in the first picture here. It was also NOT a part of the National Road Thomas Jefferson signed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/37078652_2102456676708700_3123482895495200768_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16506,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2022\/03\/02\/indianapolis-zoo-trail\/","url_meta":{"origin":15036,"position":5},"title":"Indianapolis Zoo Trail","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"March 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 8\/10 of a mile in length, the Indianapolis Zoo Trail, is an asphalt path between the animal sanctuary and the White River. Flanked by limestone walls and a verdant tree canopy it connects a bridge promenade with West Indianapolis. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=m7mJP814PVY","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ZooTrailwLightning.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ZooTrailwLightning.jpeg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ZooTrailwLightning.jpeg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ZooTrailwLightning.jpeg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ZooTrailwLightning.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15036"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17964,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15036\/revisions\/17964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}