Fair Park
1. A sign proclaiming the name of this fair park located at the entrance of the grounds
Fair Park
| Built | 1938 |
| Opened | 1938 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Torn Down | Still Stands |
| Used by/for | Hot Springs Merchants (Semi-Pro), 1950s
Heber Springs Panthers (High School), Unknown-2008 |
| Location | 311 Walnut St, Heber Springs, AR |
| Capacity | 500 |
History:
Fair Park, used entirely for amateur and semi-pro baseball, is one of the oldest standing ballparks in Arkansas.
Built in 1938 by the Young Business Men Club (YBMC), the field is located at what used to be the Cleburne County Fairgrounds. The county has since built new fairgrounds, but the ballpark still stands.
2. Outside the park.
Fair Park was used by high school and American Legion teams until recently when new fields were built. The field was also used by a semi-pro team in Heber Springs known as the “Merchants” during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.
Fair Park is truly a wooden ballpark, being made of wood with wooden bleachers and a wooden roof. The park features a grandstand, seating about 500, behind homeplate that only extends down the 1st baseline. Dimensions are estimated be about 330-400-275.
3. A view of the 1st base side of the wood grandstand.
The ballparks future is uncertain. As of mid-2009, the park was grown up, run down and in poor overall condition. The one thing that has probably kept the ballpark around this long is the YBMC, which to this day still sponsors the ballpark.
For more and larger photos of this ballpark, see the Fair Park Gallery.