When the Packers first played at State Fair Park, the field was laid out north and south in front of the racetrack’s old
concrete grandstand, and my research indicates that the field remained in that general location for the 18 seasons the
Packers played there, with at least one change. Before the 1939 season, the field was relocated 50 yards north to take
advantage of the nicer seats in the north stands.
The grandstand on the west side of the field at State Fair Park was erected in stages and refurbished once when the
Packers played there between 1934 and 1951. The original grandstand, constructed prior to World War I, was
comprised of wood.
The first concrete segment was built beside the wooden grandstand and finished in late 1912. The combined old and
modern parts were designed to accommodate almost 20,000 people. However, two years later, fire destroyed the
frame component of the grandstand, decreasing capacity to approximately 6,000. Between 1915 and 1924, new seats
were added mostly through additions.
Then, in 1925, a new concrete grandstand, 430 feet long and seating 7,000 people, was built to the north of the old
one.
Thus, when the Packers agreed to play at least two games each year at State Fair Park in 1934, the concrete stands
held more than 12,000 seats. On the park’s east side, an additional 5,000 wooden bleacher seats were added. The
football field was built just in front of the larger grandstand on the west side. The State Fair also installed a 90,000-
watt lighting system, allowing the Packers to play an in-season night game versus the Bears that year.
Two years later, the previous concrete grandstand, erected in 1912 and facing condemnation, was demolished and
replaced with a new one as part of a Works Progress Administration project. It cost more than $100,000 and could
accommodate up to 7,200 people. In 1938, the north grandstand was expanded with a roof and 1,200 seats.
