Lohaus Field
Fulton, KY
Review by Mike
Lohaus Field is the home of the Fulton Railroaders of the summer collegiate Ohio Valley League. The ballpark opened in 1934 and has hosted numerous minor league teams throughout the years, most notably in the Class D KITTY league (Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee). The stadium received a thorough renovation, including open air patio decks in 2007 to return it to top-notch status.
The main grandstand is built entirely of wood, a rare find these days, as most of the classic wooden ballparks have succumbed to fire, neglect or were simply torn down rather than bear the high cost of maintenance. The fact that Lohaus Field has survived all of those challenges is a testament to the community of Fulton, Kentucky for seeing what they had in this little wooden time machine.
The seating is a bit of a hodgepodge with wooden benches at the back of the grandstand, brown fixed-back, folding seats in the first three rows, scattered orange folding, fixed-back seating on the 3rd base side, and even a few portable folding chairs set up here and there. My favorite part of the seating bowl is the stenciled “Row 1”, “Row 2”, and “Row 3” at the end of the 1st three rows, as though the counting of 3 might prove a challenge for fans.
The whole thing is covered by a wooden roof with ceiling fans that give the whole place a warm, intimate atmosphere. A large “press deck” divides the upper portion of the seating, complete with metal filing cabinet. This area is not enclosed, so presumably the fans and the stadium announcer can engage freely. One small downside to this lovely grandstand is that chain link is used to protect the fans from foul balls rather than netting. It’s the only blemish.
The outfield configuration is unique. The construction of a new police station in right field necessitated the bringing in of the right-field fence to an utterly ridiculous 215 feet from home plate. To compensate, a 12-foot wooden-slat fence, topped by a 30-foot screen created the “Little Monster” to prevent cheap home runs. I can’t imagine where the right fielder plays, if not standing next to the 2nd baseman.
A simple, red scoreboard display balls, strikes, outs and inning-by-inning scores. Just to the left of that is a small party deck that looks over the left field fence, with a little shack for storing snacks and beverages, presumably. They’d better know how to keep score, because the scoreboard is not visible from this location. The dugouts are at field level and covered by another nice wooden roof. In keeping with the railroad theme, a train horn stands on a pole near the right field corner, with a long blast sounded for every Railroaders home run.
I found Lohaus Field to be absolutely delightful, like a backyard ballpark squeezed into a neighborhood, with train tracks running along the 3rd base line. The wooden structure is weathered, but sturdy and utterly charming. I can picture myself sitting there on a warm 1930s Kentucky evening, the ceiling fans rotating laconically, while men in white shirts and straw hats cheer on the Class D Fulton Eagles while sipping a cool lemonade.
2026
2026
321
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