​INDIANAPOLIS — Minutes before Victory Field opened its doors for the Indianapolis Indians’ game Saturday night against the Toledo Mud Hens, fans crowded the sidewalk along Maryland Street. The home team’s banner hung between the JW Marriott and a nearby parking garage, ushering guests to the long-awaited event with the message: Best Summer Ever. Celebrating 30 years of Victory Field.
When the clock struck 6 p.m., the celebration commenced. Some of the architects who worked on the ballpark in 1996 were recognized, and Indians President and CEO Randy Lewandowski, along with Bruce Schumacher, the chairman of the board, received a mayoral proclamation. The families of the late Jim Morris and Dr. Gene Sease—two leading private fundraisers and champions for Victory Field’s construction—threw out the first pitches and helped lead the crowd in the call of “play ball.” Pat Early, former president of the Capital Improvement Board (CIB), and Barney Levengood, former executive director of the CIB, played pivotal roles in bringing the ballpark to life. Former Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and former Governor Evan Bayh also partnered on a bipartisan effort that helped deliver Victory Field to White River State Park.
Saturday’s festivities offered a look back. “When you hit a milestone, it gives you an opportunity to look back,” Lewandowski said. “We’ve brought back some of the employees who were here in 1996 when we opened it. The dignitaries and the politicos and the VIPs who helped make it happen. It’s a great reflection on how far we’ve come, but it’s also not the end, and it will serve as a springboard for us to consider what the next 30 years can look like, and that’s the mindset we’ll carry tonight as we move forward.”
Earlier in the day, Toledo’s Max Clark, the Mud Hens’ center fielder, raised his fist to the crowd as he exited the field after warming up, in a moment captured before the game against the Indians honoring Victory Field’s 30th anniversary on July 11, 2026.
Victory Field’s origin story begins at a time when Bush Stadium—downtown’s old ballpark on 16th Street—needed more than a facelift and when downtown Indianapolis was undergoing an economic upswing. The idea of a modern ballpark took root in the 1990s. What once stood as an old diesel repair shop on the current site became a symbol of urban renewal and baseball culture. Before groundbreaking on the southwest corner of downtown, the Capital Improvement Board joined forces with the Indians to secure the land, and construction operated on a budget of $18 million, funded by a mix of public and private investments. The plan was to create an affordable, family-friendly baseball experience around downtown’s developing landscape, a hub that would attract other projects and stimulate growth.
Victory Field catalyzed a wave of development, paving the way for major downtown landmarks such as Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the JW Marriott hotel, and White River State Park, as well as the NCAA headquarters. The ballpark became more than just a venue for baseball; it became a catalyst for Indianapolis’s revitalization, drawing people to a vibrant, multi-use destination that offered entertainment, culture, and a new sense of place in the heart of the city. Victory Field today stands as a testament to how a single project can energize a downtown, creating a year-round gathering spot that continues to drive economic and social activity in Indianapolis.