Professional Baseball in Omaha: From the Omahogs to the Royals

Published November 13, 2023 | Updated September 9, 2026

November 13, 2023

The predecessor to Rosenblatt Stadium was Vinton Street Park. The ballpark, located near 13th Street and Vinton Street, was built in 1900 and was the home of the Omahogs as well as Indians, Rangers, Rourkes, Buffaloes, Crickets, and Packers. The team was owned and managed by Billy “Pa” Rourke, who had been a scout working for the Chicago Cubs. Professional baseball proved to be popular in Omaha and, as a result, the stadium was renovated to increase capacity, which included an auto yard allowing fans to watch games from their car. Both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played exhibition games at the stadium in 1927.

1916 Durham Museum photo of Vinton Street Park.

Ticket sales struggled during the Great Depression, and while the addition of lights helped, the team struggled to pay its bills. The team left for Council Bluffs in 1935. A new team called the Robin Hoods called the stadium home in 1936, but disaster struck on August 14th when a fire destroyed not only the stadium but also 12 nearby houses. Despite calls to immediately replace the stadium, it would not happen for 12 years.

1952 Durham Museum photo of Omaha Municipal Stadium looking east.

In 1945, voters approved a bond issue to build a new baseball stadium on a 40-acre parcel of land overlooking Riverview Park (current-day Henry Doorly Zoo). The original plans called for a brick facade, though it was dropped for less expensive concrete. Construction was completed in the fall of 1948. The new park, Omaha Municipal Stadium, was located about a half mile south of the old stadium. It became the home of the Omaha Cardinals, the single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, starting in 1949.

While Omaha Mayor Johnny Rosenblatt led the effort to build the new stadium with the express purpose of bringing minor league baseball to Omaha, he saw an opportunity to also draw the College World Series. The CWS was still in its infancy and played its first two seasons in Kalamazoo, Michigan and its third season in Wichita, Kansas. The pitch was successful, as the CWS relocated to Omaha for its 1950 season.

Bonus photo from 1971 of the Henry Doorly Zoo with the Rosenbaltt stadium on the hill above the petting zoo. Courtesy of Durham Museum.

Meanwhile, the stadium remained the home of the Omaha Cardinals until 1955. At that point, Omaha replaced the Columbus Red Birds as the Cardinals’ triple-A affiliate. The city’s relationship with St. Louis ended after the 1959 season. After that, it was the triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1961-1962 seasons. The American Association disbanded in 1963, causing Omaha to be without a minor league baseball team until 1969.

1979 Durham Museum photo in front of Rosenblatt Stadium.

In 1964, Omaha Municipal Stadium was renamed Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in honor of the man who was so instrumental in bringing professional baseball and the CWS to Omaha. Minor league baseball finally returned to Omaha when it became the triple-A affiliate of the expansion Kansas City Royals in 1969. The growing popularity of the CWS proved detrimental to the O-Royals, who struggled to fill seats in what had become the largest non-MLB stadium in the country. The team also had to go on an extended road trip each summer when the CWS arrived in town.

2004 photo of the front of Rosenblatt Stadium with the Road to Omaha sculpture by John Labja on display. The statue was relocated to the new downtown stadium.

Even though the city spent over $35M to refurbish Rosenblatt over the years, it became clear that the NCAA wanted a new stadium for the event. At that point, Rosenblatt was older than all Major League stadiums except Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. With its current contract expiring in 2010, the city was fearful of losing the CWS, an event that generated tens of millions of dollars for the city, not to mention the attention that came from having the city mentioned all over ESPN broadcasts over a two-week period. As a result, the city agreed to build a new stadium in North Downtown as the home to the CWS in exchange for a 25-year contract.

2004 photo of Rosenblatt Stadium from seats behind home plate.

That spelled the end for Rosenblatt Stadium as the home to Omaha’s minor league baseball. In its final season in 2010, it served as the familiar home for both the Royals and the CWS and added the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. The Nighthawks were the only team in the new league to sell out all four of its home games, resulting in the championship game being played in Omaha. It was the last sporting event to be held in the stadium.

Undated photo of Rosenblatt stadium looking north towards downtown.

The Royals became the Storm Chasers after relocating to Sarpy County, where they built a smaller, family-friendly stadium called Werner Park. Rosenblatt’s longtime neighbor, Henry Doorly Zoo, purchased the land where the grand stadium once stood and currently uses it for parking.