Visit League Stadium for Baseball Games and Hollywood History

Huntingburg, Indiana, is unique to Indiana’s baseball history and cinematic lore. It is most notably known for its connection to the iconic film “A League of Their Own,” which brought the town’s historic League Stadium into the national spotlight. I visited the stadium and spoke with a staff member who worked there when it was filmed.

A special thanks to Visit Dubois County for hosting my trip to the area and League Stadium.

From Local Games to the Big Screen

League Stadium, constructed in 1894, is a vintage baseball park and one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the United States. Its classic design and nostalgic atmosphere made it an ideal filming location for the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.” The stadium was the home field for the Rockford Peaches, a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

It took Columbia Pictures only 45 minutes to choose League Stadium as the perfect site for filming “A League of Their Own,” and director Penny Marshall agreed. The production company remodeled parts of the original field and grandstand in 1991, and the renovations remain today. Original advertisements and some props from the movie are still visible along the outfield fence. Budweiser and Coca-Cola each paid a million dollars to have their signs featured in the film, and Columbia Pictures paid the City of Huntingburg $140,000 per day to use the stadium.

League Stadium Secrets from an Insider

Huntingburg Parks & Recreation Director Dale Payne gave us a stadium tour and shared many first-hand stories. Dale started working at the park just before filming began, and as one of the only park employees at the time, he had a front-row seat to all the action.

He shared stories of the film staff and movie stars swimming in the park’s pool, having to mow the park at night due to daytime filming, and how the crew brought in their own water tanks. He also shared how Columbia Pictures paid a roofing company and the nearby homeowners to stop working during filming because hammering could be heard from three blocks away.

Dale said that if you arrived early enough before filming, you could see Gina Davis reading a book in a shady spot most mornings. Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, and Madonna would arrive in Lincoln Continentals in the morning after staying overnight in Evansville, which was a 45-minute drive.

League Stadium’s Enduring Legacy

The 1995 HBO film “Soul of the Game,” which focuses on the Negro League baseball, was filmed at League Stadium by HBO. However, with a smaller budget, they only paid $1,500 daily to use the stadium for 3 ½ weeks.

In 1996, professional baseball arrived at League Stadium with the formation of the Dubois County Dragons of the Heartland League. Although the league folded in 1998 after three seasons, professional baseball didn’t stay away for long. The Frontier League’s Dubois County Dragons began playing at the stadium in 1999. The Dragons remained at the stadium from 1999 to 2002 before relocating to Wisconsin. In 2005, baseball returned with the arrival of the Dubois County Bombers.

The seating capacity of League Stadium was expanded to approximately 3,300 in 2021 with the addition of the ‘Upper Deck & Patio’ along the left-field baseline. Additional renovations were completed in 2023, including new MLB-style stadium seats, an expansion of the team gift shop, a renovation of the team’s stadium office, and the addition of the Peaches Wine Bar. The Flyboys & Whiskeys liquor bar opened its doors in 2024.

League Stadium is still actively used for baseball games, including the Dubois County Bombers of the Ohio Valley League. The stadium is open for tours, where visitors can walk on the same field as the movie stars. Baseball fans visit Huntingburg to experience the nostalgia and see the film’s location. I love that the stadium raises awareness about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

For those planning a visit, here are my recommended activities:

• Take a tour of League Stadium.
• Attend a Dubois County Bombers game. The Bombers take the field in retro-styled uniforms while Peaches entertain the crowds. Check out their fun promo nights.
• Explore the town of Huntingburg and its historic sites.
• Watch “A League of Their Own” before or after your visit to enhance the experience.
• Grab an “Almost Famous Spiked Lemonade” at Flyboys & Whiskey, the Peaches Wine Bar, or “The Dugan”- a champagne cocktail created by Tom Hanks himself!
• Purchase a candy-filled baseball bat from The Sweet Spot vintage candy cart. 
• Get a picture with the team bus used by the Dubois County Bombers, a collegiate summer league baseball team. 

The Heartland Historic Baseball Trail 

While there isn’t a specific “Baseball Trail” dedicated solely to Huntingburg, a “Heartland Historic Baseball Trail” showcases locations in Southern Indiana and Louisville that contribute to the broader narrative of American baseball.

1. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory 
2. League Stadium in Huntingburg  
3. Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in Jasper  
4. Gil Hodges Mural in Petersburg and Gil Hodges Field in Princeton: Gil Hodges was born in Princeton and raised in Petersburg.  
5. Bosse Field in Evansville: The third oldest ballpark used for professional baseball in the country and a filming location for “A League of Their Own.” This stadium is also featured in 100 Things To Do In Indiana Before You Die.

My visit to Huntingburg

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A post shared by Jamie Ward (@fieldsandheels)

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• Discovering Dubois County: Fun, Food, and German Heritage in Southern Indiana
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