A farewell to landmark Columbia baseball stadium to be held before demolition
Columbia’s landmark Capital City Stadium will get one more moment of glory before it gives way to a new era of development.
Historic Columbia is hosting Closing Day at Capital City Stadium next month for the public to bid a final farewell to the stadium where Hank Aaron played his final minor league baseball game and where many future stars made stops early in their careers.
The 93-year-old stadium has stood empty on Assembly Street near downtown Columbia for several years since the Columbia Blowfish played their final game in 2014. Before the Blowfish, the Capital City Bombers, Columbia Reds and Columbia Comers played there.
The city of Columbia has spent several years shopping the stadium site to developers. This May, a developer is expected to close on the property and eventually demolish the stadium to make way for a new mixed-use construction to include apartments and retail, assistant city manager Missy Gentry said.
Closing Day at Capital City Stadium will be Saturday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The celebration will include tours through the stadium highlighting stories of teams and players who played there, big moments in the venue’s history and racial integration of baseball. There will also be activities for kids, appearances by local baseball players and team mascots, food trucks and beer.
A local filmmaker, Lee Ann Kornegay, will be filming during the festivities as part of a documentary she’s making about the stadium. She plans to film visitors sharing some of their favorite memories of the stadium.
The Closing Day celebration will be free and open to the public.
