Fairbanks, Alaska - Growden Memorial Park | Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks

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Growden Memorial Park
(Dedicated in 1963 ; Lights Installed in 1964)

Growden: Very Fairbanks | ABL Ballparks Tour | Map of Second and Wilbur | Fairbanks Map

"this diamond is not only the geographic pinnacle of baseball, it's the spiritual pinnacle as well."

Jim Caple, ESPN

"each summer Mother Nature takes pity on Fairbanks and provides long days of what Ed Cheff calls "the most ideal baseball weather in the world. In the East and the Midwest, they're baking in the heat and the humidity. But here it's perfect."

"I've been to Fenway Park. I've been to Yankee Stadium. I was at old Tiger Stadium. But there's nothing like this," he said. "I'm a purist. I love baseball for what it is. And nothing can compete with this. I know you're with ESPN and you've seen it all. Hey, I watch ESPN and nothing on ESPN can top this." Zak Basch

Wilbur Street and Second Ave. Across from the Carlson Center.

"Welcome to Fairbanks, land of the midnight sun, where unusual summer happenings are the norm. And welcome to Growden Memorial Park, home of the Alaska Goldpanners, a park unlike any other in the Alaska Baseball League." Josh Niva

The Alaska Goldpanners might never clinch a national championship at Growden Memorial Park, but still the park has been as much a part of the Goldpanners story as anything else.

Located at the foot of the historic and famous Second Street in Fairbanks, Growden Park has been the home of the Goldpanners since they moved there from their first home, Griffin Field, in time for the 1963 season.

Originally called Memorial Park, the park was renamed in 1964 in memory of James Growden who, along with his two sons, lost his life in a tidal wave created by the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964. Growden had been active in youth activities in Fairbanks for a number of years.

Growden Park became the first outdoor lighted facility in Alaska in 1964. Since then numerous other improvements have been made, so that now the park has come to be regarded as one of the top playing facilities in non-professional baseball.

The seating capacity at Growden is approximately 3,500, although a crowd in excess of 5,200 was on hand for the 1967 Midnight Sun Game, when the Goldpanners played Kumagai-Gumi of Japan.

Spacious, the playing field lists dimensions of 315 feet to left field, 398 to the power alley in left center, 410 to dead center, 398 to right center, before tapering off again to 330 feet along the right field foul line.

"Growden Memorial is an old-fashioned ballpark with no bad seats and ticket takers and vendors that remember your name."
(Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun - Sean Michael Flynn)

2009 Pictures


	First Lighted Outdoor Facility in Alaska Installed in 1964
	Hoisting light poles	Preparing the lights	Preparing the lights
Preparing the lights		1964 Spring	Snowshoe Baseball
	Jim Growden Memorial Monument

Tallest Pressbox in Alaska Installed in 1967


1967 Season Seats Scooned from Sick's Stadium in Seattle Growden Memorial Park includes box seats and grandstand benching from Sick's Stadium, Seattle, home of the old Seattle Rainiers minor league team and the 1969 Seattle Pilots major league team.
Olympic Training Center "Ed Merdes Center" Installed in 1988



"The Olympic Village" Installed in 1986

The Olympic Village

Growden Park / Skatepark