'The Jack' endures in Daytona at minor league baseball's oldest park
'The Jack' endures in Daytona at minor league baseball's oldest park
Mark Lane, Special to The News-JournalFri, May 8, 2026 at 7:10 PM UTC
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How old is Jackie Robinson Ballpark? Did Jackie Robinson play there?
The oldest ballpark in the minor leagues, Jackie Robinson Ballpark celebrates of baseball’s history and is undergoing major upgrades to stay in the game. It’s an intimate park with a 4,200-seat capacity situated by the Halifax River in Daytona Beach’s downtown area.
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Voted the No. 3 minor league park in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards this year, "The Jack" is home to the low-A-level Daytona Tortugas, a Cincinnati Reds affiliate. It’s also the home ballpark for the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats.
Originally known as City Island Ballpark, it was renamed after baseball legend Jackie Robinson in 1988 in commemoration of his historic game played there in 1946.
Where is Jackie Robinson Ballpark?
The Jack is located at 105 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach.
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Why Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona matters
First laid out in 1914, Jackie Robinson Ballpark is the oldest ballpark in use in the minor leagues. It’s the field where Jackie Robinson played the first racially integrated match in modern professional baseball, an exhibition game on March 17, 1946. The ballpark was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1998 and declared a National Commemorative Site in 2025.
What can you see at Jackie Robinson Ballpark?
Jackie Robinson in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform, No. 42, in 1954.
Stop at the Jackie Robinson statue by the Orange Avenue entrance. Snack at the food trucks parked at the food courts. Wander the bleachers for a view of the Halifax River. Bring your dog on “Bark at the Park” nights. A Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum is planned for the team facility beyond right field. Greet the team’s green turtle mascot, Shelldon, as he wanders the stands.
What else is nearby Jackie Robinson Ballpark?
Admire the ballpark from a bench swing at Riverfront Esplanade’s rose garden, across the water from the west side of the ballpark. And note the memorial to Brownie the Town Dog in the park on your way to the ballpark ticket booth. (Brownie wears a baseball-themed scarf on game nights.) Fans often congregate at McK’s Tavern, 218 S. Beach Street.
Plan your visit to Jackie Robinson Ballpark -
Best time: The minor league season runs April to early September.
Hours/admission: Game time is 6:35 except for double headers. Grandstand admission: $15.35. Reserve seating: $18.70
Getting there: City Island is on the mainland side of the Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge, 105 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach.
Learn more: https://www.milb.com/daytona
USA 250 Most Treasured Views is a USA TODAY Network project exploring places across America with historical and cultural significance, created in celebration of the USA 250 initiative marking the nation’s 250th birthday.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona is small with a big history
Source: “AOL Sports”
