It opened in 1996 as Oldsmobile Park, a tribute to the city’s deep automotive roots. Lansing, after all, helped build America—one car frame and bolt at a time. Naming the new stadium after Oldsmobile wasn’t just branding. It was a kind of benediction. A way to say, “Baseball belongs here, too.”
The field brought with it the birth of the Lansing Lugnuts, a team with a wink and a smile baked into its name. The inaugural season drew more than 500,000 fans, a number that would impress even major league front offices. That first year wasn’t just about the team—it was about the city coming together, shaking off rust-belt stereotypes, and making room for joy.
Since then, the name has changed—from Oldsmobile Park to Cooley Law School Stadium, and finally to Jackson Field, thanks to a partnership with a Michigan-based insurance company. But the soul of the park? That’s unchanged.
With seating for over 10,000 fans, Jackson Field is intimate without being small. You’re never far from the action. Kids line up at the Peanut Barrel concession stand for helmet sundaes. Couples lean against the outfield rail sipping local brews. Fireworks burst on Friday nights. And everywhere, that nostalgic symphony: the crack of the bat, the call of the hot dog vendor, the rising swell of a 7th inning stretch.
What makes Jackson Field special isn’t the architecture—it’s the way it fits so snugly into the life of Lansing. It’s walkable from the Capitol, from Michigan State offices, from local coffee shops and bars. It’s where state workers, students, and families converge after a long day and remember what it means to root for something.
It’s also where tomorrow’s stars play today. Dozens of MLB players—Carlos Beltrán, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette—once ran the bases here. But even if they hadn’t, even if no star had ever passed through, the field would still matter. Because it’s not really about who plays on it. It’s about who fills the stands.