🏛 Historic Stadium
Forbes Field stood in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1970, serving as one of Major League Baseball’s most storied venues. Built in just 122 days at a cost of roughly $1 million, the concrete-and-steel ballpark was the first of its kind in the National League and only the third in all of MLB, a revolutionary design choice that guaranteed it would outlast the wooden parks of its era.
Home to the Pittsburgh Pirates for six decades, Forbes Field witnessed some of baseball’s most indelible moments — including Babe Ruth’s final three career home runs on May 25, 1935, and Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, still considered one of the greatest moments in baseball history. The Pirates played their last game there on June 28, 1970, before the stadium was demolished in 1971 to make way for the University of Pittsburgh’s expansion.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB, 1909–1970); Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL, 1933–1963); Homestead Grays (Negro Leagues, 1922–1939)
- Location: Oakland neighborhood, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Opened: June 30, 1909
- Closed: June 28, 1970
- Demolished: 1971
- Original Capacity: 23,000 (expanded to 35,000 by final season)
- Architect: Charles Wellford Leavitt Jr.
- First Broadcast: First live radio broadcast of an MLB game, August 5, 1921
A Stage for Baseball History
Forbes Field earned its legendary status through a series of moments that transcended the sport. On May 25, 1935, a 40-year-old Babe Ruth stepped to the plate and belted three home runs — including the first ball ever hit over the right-field roof — in what turned out to be the final home run performance of his career. Twenty-five years later, Bill Mazeroski sent a Ralph Terry pitch over the left-field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, giving the Pirates a 10–9 victory over the New York Yankees in what remains the only walk-off homer to end a World Series Game 7.
The ballpark also hosted the first live radio broadcast of a major league baseball game on August 5, 1921, a technological milestone that would forever change how Americans experienced the sport. The Pittsburgh Pirates won World Series championships in 1909, 1925, and 1960 while calling Forbes Field home, cementing the park’s place in franchise and national baseball lore.
Legacy and What Remains
Although Forbes Field was torn down in 1971 after the Pirates moved to the newly constructed Three Rivers Stadium, its memory was carefully preserved. A section of the original brick outfield wall still stands on the University of Pittsburgh campus, and home plate was relocated inside the university’s Posvar Hall, encased beneath a glass display for visitors to see. Each October 13 — the anniversary of Mazeroski’s 1960 homer — fans gather at the wall to commemorate the shot heard across Pittsburgh.
Forbes Field’s influence on ballpark design was profound. Its concrete-and-steel construction proved that permanent, multi-decade venues were achievable, inspiring a generation of parks. Today it is remembered not just as a place where games were played, but as a living piece of American sports culture whose remnants continue to draw pilgrims to Oakland six decades after its gates closed for good.
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Forbes Field FAQs
When was Forbes Field demolished?
Forbes Field was demolished in 1971, the year after the Pittsburgh Pirates played their final game there on June 28, 1970. The Pirates relocated to Three Rivers Stadium for the 1971 season.
What is Bill Mazeroski’s connection to Forbes Field?
Bill Mazeroski hit his famous walk-off home run at Forbes Field on October 13, 1960, in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, giving the Pittsburgh Pirates a 10–9 victory over the New York Yankees — the only walk-off home run to end a World Series Game 7 in history.
Does anything remain of Forbes Field today?
Yes. A section of the original brick outfield wall still stands on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland. Home plate was also preserved and is on display under glass inside the university’s Posvar Hall, marking the exact spot where Mazeroski’s iconic homer cleared the wall.
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Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.