Explore Akron's Canal Park
Welcome to Canal Park in downtown Akron, Ohio, where rubber isn’t merely a slab for a pitcher to toe.
Akron RubberDucks (affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians since 1989)
Established: 1989 as the Canton-Akron Indians. Moved to Akron as the Aeros in 1997. Renamed RubberDucks before the 2014 season
League: Eastern
Ballpark: Canal Park (opened 1997)
Championships: 2003, 2005, 2009, 2021, 2016, 2021
Notable Alumni: José Ramírez, Francisco Lindor, CC Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore, Sean Casey, Cliff Lee, Carlos Santana, Corey Kluber, Shane Bieber
Ballpark Guides for EVERY Minor League team »
Ballpark Guides for Guardians' affiliates »
Professional baseball in Akron dates as far back as the very fabric of the city’s iconic industry: rubber. But while the city’s first independent ballclub lasted only from 1879-81 and professional ball would return only in fits and starts for more than the next 100 years, the rubber industry took root in the 1870s and subsequently wrote Akron’s history with B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone and General Tire headquartering in the city and defining its identity, independent of its larger neighbor Cleveland.
When the Class C Akron Yankees were disbanded after seven years in the Middle Atlantic League following the 1941 season, the city was without affiliated baseball until 1997. (The Canton-Akron Indians, who moved to Canal Park after the 1996 season were Akron in name only – they played in Canton, 25 miles away from downtown Akron.)
That’s when the franchise -- introduced then as the Akron Aeros after a fan vote as a nod to the state’s rich aerospace history -- debuted at the new Canal Park as an affiliate of a Cleveland team amid one of the franchise’s greatest runs.
Canal Park
Ballpark location (via Google Maps)
Akron RubberDucks schedule
Akron RubberDucks roster
300 S. Main Street
Akron, OH 44308
(330) 253-5151
Capacity: 7,630
Dimensions: left field, 331 feet; left-center field, 376 feet; center field, 400 feet; right-center field 375 feet; right field, 337 feet
Park factors (2021-22)
100 = league average
Runs: 97 | Homers: 80 | Hits: 96
Eastern League environment: 4.69 runs per team per game (10th-highest of 11 full-season leagues)
After a change of ownership in 2012, a rebranding took the team’s nickname from the skies down to earth as an homage to the city’s history as the rubber capital of the world, but also with a kid-friendly moniker and mascot. More Quakron than Akron.
Designed by Populous (formerly known as HOK Sport), who had previously worked on Camden Yards and Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field), Canal Park was named for another prominent aspect of the region’s history: the Ohio & Erie Canal, which is just beyond the outfield fences.
This is an urban ballpark squarely inside an increasingly revitalized downtown, standing adjacent to an amphitheater and a hospital. Its proximity to Cleveland gives it the element of a baseball time machine, a place to catch the next wave of Guardians a year or two before they become household names around here.
Canal Park doesn’t have a bad seat in the house, which is a single deck of seats with no obstructions to your view, although if you’re sitting on the first-base side, bring a hat -- you’ll have the setting sun in your eyes much of the game. The concourse gets busy with a big crowd, but it’s open and easy to pay attention to the action. For a ballpark around more than a quarter of a century, it's shown little age.
There are promotions and giveaways slated for literally every game, and fireworks are scheduled after 40 percent of their home dates.
Part of a trend across many venues, Canal Park went cashless starting in 2023.
Concessions
There’s no shortage of radical menu items at Minor League ballparks nationwide, but Canal Park offers an entire “Extreme Food Menu.” The Three Dog Night, described as a “baseball version of the turducken,” is a hot dog stuffed inside of a bratwurst that’s in a kielbasa. That’s the sort of meal you can only wash down (with help from an army of friends and family) with The Screamer, a five-pound sundae with 21 scoops of ice cream atop a brownie that’s served in a full-size batting helmet.
Naturally, you can find more standard ballpark fare along the concourse plus local standards including sauerkraut balls, pierogies and jojos (potato wedges) as well as more esoteric options like turkey legs and mini donuts. There are plenty of places to grab a soda or beer, and the tiki bar in the right-field concourse offers a little shade and cocktail options in the shadow of a kids play area.
Mascot
At the time of the club’s rebranding in 2014, they held a contest to name a new mascot, and Webster – a male duck, presumably named for his webbed feet – won the fan vote and has since waddled the concourse at Canal Park. Webster is joined by two holdovers from the Aeros era, Orbit and Homer, and Rubberta, a female duck that joined the flock.
Where to Stay
Headed to the stadium and looking for a hotel nearby? Your Wyndham is waiting. As the Official Hotel of Minor League Baseball, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts welcomes baseball fans with a portfolio of 24 trusted brands. Find Hotels by Wyndham closest to the ballpark below and book now at wyndhamhotels.com.
• Days Inn by Wyndham Kent - Akron
• Super 8 by Wyndham Richfield Area
• Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham North Canton
• Baymont by Wyndham Copley Akron
• La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cleveland Macedonia
Local attractions
Take time to tour the expansive estate of 20th century rubber magnate F.A. Seiberling, Goodyear co-founder, at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, a national landmark and one of the largest historic homes open to the public. A variety of cultural, botanical and family events dot their annual calendar, but try to make it out to the Great Lawn for one of the occasional “vintage base ball” games played using rules from the 1860s. If you’re looking to celebrate the history of another sport, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is just a short drive away in Canton. One of America’s few national parks near an urban area and the lone one in the state, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a beautiful local treasure and an escape less than 10 miles from the city.
Food and drink
A pair of true old-school institutions deliver a memorable meal within a mile of the ballpark. Whether you have a pizza or pasta at the casual Italian restaurant Luigi’s, don’t forget to start with the salad with cheese. Meanwhile Diamond Grille offers a vintage steakhouse experience.
Gourmet grilled cheeses top the menu at the popular Lockview, which is only a couple blocks from the ballpark. A half-dozen breweries stand in shouting distance of Canal Park, including the popular Thirsty Dog, and the celebrated Hoppin’ Frog is about a 10 minute drive away. If all you crave is a fast-food burger, get a Galley Boy at Swenson’s Drive-In, which has multiple locations in the region.
Moving on
Take the rubber to the road in Ohio, where Akron is one of three Guardians affiliates (along with High-A Lake County and Triple-A Columbus) and five Minor League clubs overall (Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens and High-A Dayton Dragons are the others). The Double-A Erie SeaWolves, across the border in Pennsylvania, is a reasonable trip, too. And of course if you want to catch a big league game, you can get to Cleveland in less than an hour, Pittsburgh in less than two and Detroit in about three.
The Road to Cleveland
In practice, it’s easy: Just head up I-77 northbound for about 40 minutes, exit and find a parking spot at Progressive Field. For a Guardians prospect, it's a little more complicated and begins a couple states away in Lynchburg, Va. From there, the organizational ladder is climbed exclusively in the Buckeye State, with stops at Lake County – which is less than an hour away from Canal Park – Akron and Columbus, the capital and biggest city in Ohio. The journey is completed at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario in Cleveland.
Single-A: Lynchburg Hillcats
High-A: Lake County Captains
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks
Triple-A: Columbus Clippers
