Hilltop Park — officially named American League Park — was a wooden baseball stadium that stood in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, occupying the block bounded by Broadway, 165th Street, and 168th Street. Built in roughly six weeks at a cost of around $75,000 on one of the highest natural elevations in Manhattan, it opened on April 30, 1903, and served as home to the New York Highlanders, the franchise that would later become the New York Yankees.
The park earned its popular nickname from its commanding hilltop location overlooking the Hudson River. Despite never being the most comfortable or well-finished venue of its era — the outfield lacked grass on Opening Day and players initially had to dress at nearby hotels — it hosted nearly a decade of American League baseball and witnessed some of the most memorable pitching performances of the Deadball Era before closing on October 5, 1912.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): New York Highlanders (1903–1912); New York Giants (1911, temporary)
- Location: Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City
- Opened: April 30, 1903
- Closed: October 5, 1912
- Demolished: 1914
- Capacity: About 16,000 seated
- Notable Fact: Cy Young threw a no-hitter at Hilltop Park on June 30, 1908
A Decade of Deadball Baseball
Hilltop Park witnessed some of the sharpest pitching of its generation. On June 30, 1908, Boston’s Cy Young threw a no-hitter against the Highlanders on the very same grounds. Just months later, Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators recorded three consecutive shutouts at the park across a single September weekend in 1908 — a feat still celebrated in baseball lore. The Highlanders themselves were never pennant winners during their decade at the park, but the ballpark drew competitive crowds and became a genuine fixture of early New York baseball life.
In 1911, after fire gutted the Polo Grounds, the New York Giants used Hilltop Park as a temporary home for about two months while their own ballpark was rebuilt. The arrangement underscored how the two New York clubs, rivals on the field, could share the same turf out of necessity. The Highlanders played their final game at Hilltop Park on October 5, 1912, then departed to rent the rebuilt Polo Grounds from the Giants, soon adopting the name New York Yankees.
Legacy and the Site Today
After the Highlanders’ departure, Hilltop Park stood unused and was torn down in 1914. The site remained a vacant lot for more than a decade before the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center — now NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital — opened there in 1928, permanently erasing the diamond and grandstands from the Manhattan streetscape.
A historical plaque in Washington Heights commemorates the site’s baseball past. Hilltop Park is remembered as the cradle of the Yankees franchise, the place where one of baseball’s most storied dynasties took its first uncertain steps, long before Yankee Stadium rose in the Bronx.
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Hilltop Park FAQs
Why was it called Hilltop Park?
The stadium sat on one of the highest natural elevations in Manhattan, giving it commanding views of the Hudson River. Although its official name was American League Park, fans and the press quickly adopted the nickname Hilltop Park for that reason.
What happened to Hilltop Park after it closed?
The Highlanders played their last game there on October 5, 1912, and the wooden structure was demolished in 1914. The site stood vacant until Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (now NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital) was built and opened there in 1928.
Did any famous baseball moments happen at Hilltop Park?
Yes. Cy Young pitched a no-hitter at Hilltop Park on June 30, 1908, and Walter Johnson threw three consecutive shutouts there in September 1908. The park also briefly housed the New York Giants in 1911 while the Polo Grounds was repaired after a fire.
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Photo: Uploaded to enWiki by en:User:Randall311 / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.