Abandoned Cooper Stadium

Built in 1931, Cooper Stadium was originally named Red Bird Stadium, as it was officially named and owned by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cooper Stadium also had the names Jets Stadium and Frankin County Stadium before officially being named Cooper Stadium in 1984.

Cooper Stadium was also home to the sport of football from 1939 to 1941, as the Columbus Bullies were named two-time defending champions of the third American Football League.

Cooper Stadium closed on September 1st, 2008 after the Columbus Clippers lost to the Toledo Mud Hens in front of a crowd of 16,770 fans.  The third largest known crowd in the stadium's history.

Today, half of the stadium stands are left abandoned. A true eyesore for the surrounding public.  

 Photo Credit: The Columbus Dispatch (Newspaper)

After six years of being abandoned and standing tall, the scoreboard, infield, and half of the stadium were demolished in the Spring of 2014.  However, the remaining half has stood abandoned for the past three years due to lack of funds to complete demolition. 

Photo Credit: Ballpark Digest 

This is what the stadium looked like in its prime.  However, today it looks like this:

The Columbus Clippers moved to Huntington Park after the 2008 season.  Huntington Park is located in the downtown area of Columbus, Ohio.

This was our view from the edge of the remaining portion of the stadium.  Columbus Police was nice enough to grant us access to the abandoned property.  He watched from a distance as we explored the abandoned property.


As a young child, my grandparents would take me to Cooper Stadium, and we would all buy cow bells with the Clippers logo on them.  The stadium had a short tune it played with the last line being, "Columbus Clippers ring your bells" and then everyone would ring their cowbells.  Apparently even those vandalizing the stadium recall this. 






On certain days throughout the season, they had "Dime-A-Dog Night"  They sold hotdogs for $.10 each.  It was a deal even back then.
















When it was first announced that the stadium would be closing and that the Clippers would be moving to a new stadium in downtown, people flocked to the stadium to create memories there.  Some even went as far as to steal stadium seats in hopes of keeping a piece of history for their very own.

Programs from 2008 litter the grounds.


The 2007 schedule still hangs in the locker room.


 


The only known baseball still on the grounds shows its age.







This was our first trip to the stadium since its abandonment in 2008.  It may not be standing the next time we return.