Wade Stadium

Duluth’s baseball haven has hosted the boys of summer since 1941

By Tom Olsen tolsen@duluthnews.com

More than 380,000 bricks were salvaged from nearby Grand Avenue to build this iconic ballpark in West Duluth.

A $230,000 project funded by the Works Progress Administration, the stadium opened July 16, 1941, with the Duluth Dukes and Superior Blues squaring off in a Northern League baseball game at what was then known as the Duluth Municipal All-Sports Stadium.

It wasn’t until 1954 that the ballpark took its current name in honor of Frank Wade, longtime owner of the minor league Dukes.

Through the club’s years as a major league affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, the park hosted to future greats such as Hank Aaron, Roger Maris, Willie Stargell and Lou Brock.

But the Dukes shuttered in 1970, leaving the Wade without much upkeep for the next two decades as it continued to host University of Minnesota Duluth and local high school baseball games. During this time, it also hosted of a series of high-profile concerts, including Willie Nelson, the Beach Boys and Three Dog Night.

The Duluth-Superior Dukes brought professional baseball back in 1993, winning a league championship in 1997, before relocating to Kansas City, Kan., after the 2002 season. Since 2003, the ballpark has been home to the Duluth Huskies, a summer collegiate team, and continues to host high school and college games.

With bricks literally crumbling from the walls and the natural grass surface plagued by drainage issues, a much-needed $4.6 million renovation project was completed in 2015, bringing artificial turf, an improved drainage system, new brickwork, improved lighting and a new scoreboard to the aging park. u