Legion Park

Exterior of Legion Park, Aug-2002.

Notice the light stanchion in the middle of the seating area, near a portal.

On this evening, the park is a sunny oasis in a sea of storm clouds.

Chronological Tour: Stop 225

• Location: 25th Street North at Missouri River, Great Falls, Mont. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1940 (renovated 1948, 2008)
• Additional names: Centene Stadium (2008)
• Home team: Great Falls Selectrics (1948-55), Electrics (1956-63), Giants (1969-83), Dodgers (1984-2002), White Sox (2003-07), Voyagers (2008-present), Pioneer League
• Capacity: 3,800

Rating: 2 baseballs

Legion Park, so named because it was constructed as a showcase for American Legion Baseball, contains a good-sized grandstand consisting of aluminum bleachers, about half of which are covered by a roof. Blue stadium seats have been installed for the boxes. One unusual feature is the light stanchions that actually rise from the middle of the stands near first and third base.

The field itself features quite a bit of foul territory, especially deep in the outfield.

Rather than building an entirely new facility, Great Falls worked to preserve and upgrade the existing park, adding spectator amenities while bringing the facility into line with Minor League Baseball standards.

Many sources list the opening of Legion Park as 1956. However, Fred Sagebaum, who grew up in Great Falls and who now lives in Butte, submitted the following 27-Feb-2004:

“It was built in 1940. The air base teams there used it during and after the war. Seating and other improvements were added in 1948, when the city joined the Pioneer League. The first phase of the recent renovation is completed on the third-base side. Capacity is now 4500. The old grandstand area has character, and I’m glad they retained it as it is.”

The overall upgrades added box seats down the third-base line as well as a new entry pavilion, a picnic area, and a sizable concession stand down the left-field line. The main concession area beneath the grandstand is intact.