Omaha Exploration

Omaha has a long history of being the home to minor league baseball. First as an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. After Major League Baseball added a new franchise in Kansas City in 1969, its team has been the Triple-A affiliate of the Royals.

The Omaha Royals and briefly the Golden Spikes played at Rosenblatt Stadium, host of the Men’s College World Series, through the 2010 season. Once it was announced that Rosenblatt would be razed and replaced with a new downtown stadium for the college baseball championship, the team began to look for a new home.

Rosenblatt, while beloved for the CWS, had long been an awkward fit for the Royals due to its size. Not only that but the college baseball tournament forced the team to go on an extended two-week road trip each summer.

Despite initial discussions of moving into the new downtown stadium, the team couldn’t come to terms with the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) and ultimately opted to build a stadium of its own. It considered sites both within the city limits and beyond and even considered moving out of state before settling Sarpy County along Highway 370 just east of 126th Street. The land had been donated by real estate developer Roger Langpaul and the county agreed to build and maintain roads and make infrastructure improvements for the stadium and a mixed-use development.

Construction of Werner Stadium, named for longtime sponsor Werner Enterprises, started in 2009. The smaller, more intimate ballpark provided a an atmosphere that was more conducive to minor league baseball. It allowed for a 360 degree views via an open concourse and family friendly attractions. With a capacity at 8,500, it was much smaller than the 23,000 at Rosenblatt.

The stadium has multiple luxury suites on two levels, a press box, and open-air party decks in addition to a dugout suite along the third base line. The outfield features a grass berm that allows for additional hillside seating. The children’s play area includes a carousel, bounce house, wiffle ball field and a half-basketball court. Other features include a covered picnic area for corporate outings and other events as well as a team store.

Werner Park remains the home to the Omaha Storm Chasers, the team changed its name when it moved, in addition to the Union Omaha Owls of the USL1 professional men’s soccer league. The stadium has also been used for other events, concerts and both high and college baseball games. It also played host to the Triple-A All Star Game and Home Run Derby in 2015.

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