Inside the creepy abandoned baseball stadium overrun by feral cats and bats that is a time capsule to another era
Emma Powell
Published Aug 24, 2026
THE derelict Fair Grounds Field ballpark has reportedly become a health hazard for the residents of Shreveport, Louisiana.
The 4,200-seater became infested with feral cats and bats after it was abandoned in the 2010s, but it stands by Interstate 20 and Independence Stadium to this day.
3
3
3
Fair Grounds Field served as the home of several baseball teams after it opened in 1986.
The arena hosted games of two local minor league teams, the Shreveport Captains and Shreveport Swamp Dragons, until 2002.
From 2003, the Shreveport-Bossier Sports – later re-named the Captains – played their home games at the arena until the AA franchise moved to Laredo, Texas, in 2011.
Many college baseball teams also used the ballpark in the past, including Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech, and Northwestern State.
READ MORE ON MLB
It served as the host for a number of Division 1-level championship games, including the 2004 Summit League and the 2011 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) baseball tournaments.
Since then, Fair Grounds Field has become the subject of a dispute between Shreveport residents and city officials.
In 2022, a local businessman protested the years-long plans to demolish the arena as part of a project to erect a new multi-sports facility at the site.
Among his concerns were the potential health risks associated with exposure to bat feces that could be spread by the demolition, per a local radio station.
Most read in Baseball
Reports claimed that the winged mammals invaded Fair Grounds Field as the venue stayed empty for years.
In 2020, a video also showed feral cats roaming around the crumbling ballpark as well as at least one feline carcass lying around.
If plans for a new sports facility go through, a 10,000-seat venue is expected to be built in the place of Fair Grounds Field by 2026, according to a local CBS affiliate.
The new development would feature hotels and restaurants, providing baseball fans with a place to go before and after games.
