History of Slugger Field

This year, the Bourbon Classic will be held at historic Louisville Slugger Field. This historic venue is filled with rich history and tradition, along with recent renovations and upgrades to make the guest experience even better than ever. 

Prior to the Slugger Field baseball stadium, the building was actually a train shed and home to the Brinly-Hardy warehouse. Brinly-Hardy operated at this location for over 140 years before moving across the Ohio River to their new headquarters in Indiana. Although the warehouse and train shed are no longer operational, these historical building structures are not only preserved, but incorporated into the Slugger Field design. When guests enter the stadium at the concourse level, they are actually entering through the old train shed. 

In November of 1998, the City of Louisville and the Louisville Bats Minor League Baseball team broke ground on Slugger Field along with the Louisville mayor at the time, Jerry Abramson, and Kentucky Governor, Paul Patton. Restoring the train shed building, whilst still building a modern ballpark would provide a truly unique experience for patrons. Mayor Abramson said, “We believe the combination of the historic train shed building and the modern, comfortable ballpark integrated with it will provide a feel and an aura that could not be replicated anywhere.”  Guests would feel like they were back in the glory days of baseball, while still enjoying modern stadium amenities. About a year and a half later, in April of 2000, the stadium opened. 

Slugger Field, named for the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat, seats over 13,000 guests. It sits on the banks of the Ohio river, with the state of Indiana visible from inside the stadium. Slugger Field is currently home to the Minor League Baseball team, the Louisville Bats. It was even briefly home to a professional soccer team. 

During the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, the stadium was not open to the public. At this time, Slugger Field underwent some extensive renovations. These renovations were completed with improving the guest experience in mind. There are several new bars, suite upgrades, family and play area upgrades, and more. 

Slugger Field provides guests with a unique feel and experience. It has a rich history and tradition preserved into its very structure, while still maintaining the modern day comforts of a new stadium. This combination makes it the perfect venue for the 2021 Bourbon Classic.