MODERN WOODMEN PARK

Minicipal Stadium, as it was originally called, opened along the Davenport riverfront on May 26, 1931 to an opening-day crowd of 3,000. It has served as the home of baseball in the Quad Cities ever since.

The stadium had undergone precious little change until 1971 when it was renamed John O'Donnell Stadium, in honor of the Davenport Times-Democrat sports editor whose role in area athletics spanned four decades. In 1989 it received a $4.5 million dollar facelift, including the installation of box seats.

But in August of 2002, plans for a full-scale renovation were unveiled to usher Quad Cities baseball into the 21st century. Expansions included 20 climate-controlled luxury suites, home and road clubhouses, batting cages, two picnic areas, two team stores, the Mediacom Sports Lounge, and a video scoreboard. Although many things changed, two things that remain from the original stadium are the classic brick facade and, of course, one of the most stunning views in all of professional sports: the Mighty Mississippi River flowing beneath the breathtaking Centennial Bridge.

In December of 2007, the ballpark received another new name. As Main Street Iowa took over ownership of the club and rebranded it as the Quad Cities River Bandits once again, the organization announced a 10-year naming rights partnership with Modern Woodmen of America that redubbed the facility Modern Woodmen Park. This partnership was supplemented by a series of new additions to the ballpark as the 2008 season progressed, including the Jumer's Casino Rock Island Hot Tub Deck, the Tiki Bar, Lounge, and Bed, and a corn field.

Quotes about Modern Woodmen Park:
"The integration of the old with the new makes Modern Woodmen Park one of the nicest ballparks in the minors."
~Ballpark Digest