Side A: For more than 120 years, the natural amphitheater of Brookside Stadium has been a place of recreation for visitors to enjoy community events, festivals, and even a concert by John Philip Sousa. Engineered by William Stinchcomb, chief architect of the Cleveland Metroparks, Brookside Stadium officially opened as a premier space for sandlot baseball in May 1909. As amateur baseball found increased esteem, both locally and nationally, Brookside Stadium regularly became popular with thousands of spectators. On Sunday, October 10, 1915, it was host to the National Inter-City Amateur Championship, during which a crowd of an estimated 115,000 people witnessed the White Autos beat the Omaha Luxus 11 to 6. Although there was no formal ticketing system to verify the exact attendance, photographs taken that day strongly suggest that Brookside Stadium hosted the largest crowd in amateur baseball history.
Sponsors: Brookside Stadium Preservation Society, SCFBC Community Development Office, City of Cleveland and the Ohio History Connection
Location: Footpaths to park are in the area. Vehicle access can only be made via John Nagy Blvd from Ridge Road (Brookside Reservation entrance). Follow the road to the end at the Fulton Road overpass, where it turns left to go under the railroad tracks. The road may be closed at that point, so you will have walk the rest of the way.