A wide view of Eldredge Park with packed stands during a day game from the right-field corner.

Eldredge Park

Our home field of Eldredge Park, located next to Nauset Middle School in Orleans, was named “the best summer collegiate park in the nation” in 2004 by Baseball America. The picturesque park has served Orleans for more than 100 years after being originally founded in the early 1900s by local Lewis Winslow “Win” Eldredge in the interests of young people of Orleans needing a playground.

Today, Eldredge Park is a mainstay attraction for the Town of Orleans. With modern amenities and charms once described by Philadelphia Reporter Joe Parillo as a “Normal Rockwell painting come to life,” a visit to Eldredge Park is at the top of all Cape Codders’ summer bucket lists. Learn more about Eldredge Park’s history here.

Address

80 Eldredge Park Way
Orleans, MA 02653

History of Eldredge Park

The history of the Firebirds franchise is intrinsically interwoven with the history of the Town of Orleans, particularly with the creation and continued improvements of our beloved Eldredge Park. Established in 1928 as a Cape Baseball League team, the Firebirds (previously known as the Sparklers and Cardinals throughout the years) established themselves as a Major League-caliber team with the late 1960s improvements to Eldredge Park.

Eldredge Park — originally constructed in the early 1911, only one year following the creation of Fenway Park in Boston — became the park we know and love with major park renovations starting in 1966. Between 1966 and 1967, the Town of Orleans allocated $30,000 for improvements to the park, including construction of the bandstand, tennis courts, picnic areas, and the relocation and reorientation of the baseball diamond.

The 1967 CCBL All-Star Game was the scene of the dedication of the “New Eldredge Park”, with Massachusetts Governor John Volpe and dozens of NBL scouts attending the grand opening of the park. Today, Eldredge Park is recognized in the Orleans Historical Properties Survey and the Massachusetts Historical Commission, paying homage to the 106-year journey that has created one of the most iconic ballparks on Cape Cod and the team that calls it home.

50 Years of Eldredge Park - 1967-2017 - Image

Lighting Added in 1979

Newspaper clipping with photo of Eldredge Park during first night game and caption talking about addition of lights for the 1979 season (cost in excess of $90k)
Newspaper clipping with the headline "Night Lighting on the Way for Eldredge Park Playground"

Eldredge Park over the Years

A black-and-white photo of baseball players in the dugout and fans in the stands at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass. It appears to be the 1960s.
A black-and-white photo of Massachusetts governor John Volpe and a few other men in suits smiling and laughing at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass. The year is 1967.
A black-and-white photo of Massachusetts governor John Volpe smiling and cheering with his right hand raised. He's in the stands at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass., which are full of baseball fans. The year is 1967.
A black-and-white photo of two men next to wheelbarrows full of dirt. One man holds a shovel. They're renovating the Eldredge Park baseball field in Orleans, Mass.
A black-and-white photo of baseball fans seated at tables and in the stands at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass. They appear to be watching a game, though we can't see the field.
A black-and-white photo of a man speaking into a microphone at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass. Governor John Volpe stands next to him, while another man stands behind Volpe. All three are wearing dark suits.
A woman and her three children happily raise white Orleans Firebirds flags at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass.
A woman, two children and a man smile for the camera in the stands on a sunny day at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass. All are wearing Orleans Firebirds hats. In the background, the Firebirds play a game against one of their CCBL opponents.