Tucked along the Thames River in the Ontario city of London is a baseball field older than legendary MLB ballparks like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. It’s actually officially recognized as the oldest continuously operating baseball diamond on the planet.
Labatt Memorial Park opened as Tecumseh Park in 1877 and has hosted organized baseball ever since. But the journey to a place in the record books wasn’t easy.
The historic field nearly lost its claim to fame in the late 2000s, when a baseball diamond in Massachusetts was briefly awarded the Guinness title of the “World’s Oldest Continually Operating Baseball Grounds.”
There was later a dispute, which came down to a technicality involving the placement of home plate after flooding forced adjustments to the field layout decades earlier.
Guinness inevitably reversed the decision and officially recognized London’s park as the rightful record holder in 2009, cementing Labatt Memorial Park’s place in history.
The park’s story dates back to the London Tecumsehs baseball club, one of Canada’s earliest organized teams. The original grounds were built on what was once a swampy riverside property, transformed into a permanent baseball venue beside the Thames, proving that baseball fans have always been committed.
The stadium has welcomed many legendary baseball figures since its inception, including Ty Cobb, Satchel Paige, and Canadian icon Fergie Jenkins. The site has also hosted concerts, rallies, and community events outside of baseball, making it a longtime entertainment hotspot for locals.
Today, visitors can still catch games at the park — complete with on-site concessions selling burgers and hot dogs, so move over Loonie Dogs! — or book-guided tours through the historic grounds and the Roy McKay clubhouse, which houses the park’s collection of baseball memorabilia.
And with baseball fever still running high after the Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series run last year, there may be no better time for Ontario sports fans to visit one of the game’s most historic venues.
For those who have followed Doors Open Ontario over the years, the famous baseball field has also been part of the event’s lineup. Although not included on this year’s list of heritage attractions, guided tours are available for $10 and are sold directly through the stadium’s official website.
You would think a record-setting site like this would attract crowds from across the province, but many Ontario residents still have no idea the historic ballpark exists. One Reddit user surprisingly even wrote, “I was amazed when I found out the world’s oldest baseball park was an hour away from me. This is so cool.”
Labatt Memorial Park is located at 25 Wilson Ave. in London, Ont.
Recent Posts:
Escape to this Ontario island with white sand beaches and ‘Caribbean vibes’
On a job hunt? CNE is hiring for the summer in Toronto
