Forbes Field
| "The House of Thrills" "The Old Lady of Schenley Park" "The Orchard of Oakland" |
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| Location | 230 South Bouquet St. in Oakland, adjacent to Schenley Park |
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| Capacity | 23,000 (1909) 41,000 (1925) 35,000 (1970) |
| Field size |
1909: Left Field—360 feet (110 m) Deepest corner—462 feet (141 m) Center Field—442 feet (135 m) Right Field—376 feet (115 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Hand-operated |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 1, 1909 |
| Built | March – June 1909 |
| Opened | June 30, 1909 |
| Closed | June 28, 1970 |
| Demolished | 1971 |
| Construction cost | Estimated US$1–2 million ($26.7 million – $53.3 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Charles Leavitt, Jr. |
| General contractor | Nicola Building Company |
| Tenants | |
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Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) (1909–1970) Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers (NFL) (1933–1963) Philadelphia–Pittsburgh "Steagles" (NFL) (1943) "Card-Pitt" (NFL) (1944) Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA) (1909–1924) Homestead Grays (Negro leagues) (1922–1939) Pittsburgh Americans (AFL) (1936–1937) Pittsburgh Phantoms (NPSL) (1967) |
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| Designated | July 7, 2006 |
| Official name | Forbes Field wall: remnant |
| Designated | 1977 |
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise. The stadium also served as the home football field for the University of Pittsburgh "Pitt" Panthers from 1909 to 1924. The stadium was named after British general John Forbes, who fought in the French and Indian War, and named the city in 1758.
The US$1 million ($26.7 million today) project was initiated by Pittsburgh Pirates' owner Barney Dreyfuss, with the goal of replacing his franchise's then-current home, Exposition Park. The stadium was made of concrete and steel (one of the first of its kind) in order to increase its lifespan. The Pirates opened Forbes Field on June 30, 1909, against the Chicago Cubs, and would play the final game that was also against the Cubs on June 28, 1970. The field itself featured a large playing surface, with the batting cage placed in the deepest part of center field during games. Seating was altered multiple times throughout the stadium's life; at times fans were permitted to sit on the grass in the outfield during overflow crowds. The Pirates won three World Series while at Forbes Field and the other original tenant, the Pittsburgh Panthers football team had five undefeated seasons before moving in 1924.
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Wikipedia