June 19, 2026
Warner Park (Capacity: 6,750)
Madison, WI
Madison Mallards vs Lakeshore Chinooks
Final Score: 1 – 0
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Our summer vacation exploring the Dairy State came appropriately here in Madison, the capital of Wisconsin. Located in the south-central part of the state, Madison is unique, in that the center is on an isthmus, a narrow strip of land between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. The city is growing rapidly as a population over 280,000 puts them in the U.S. Top 80 (and 2nd in Wisconsin). Dominating the cultural and overall landscape of the area are two things: The University of Wisconsin and State Politics. The Badgers also yield the primary sports following in the area. That leaves a few months when school is not in session, perfect for a summer-collegiate baseball league that plays in that timeframe. In come the Madison Mallards, a Northwoods League team that has played here since 2001 after prior minor-league stints didn’t work. The Mallards have been a great success all around as they lead the league in attendance and have had plenty of winning seasons. League titles (tough to do in this bloated league) have come in 2004 and 2013. The Mallards play in Warner Park, built in 1982 and more affectionately known as “The Duck Pond”. They cram a lot into this place and it is quite chaotic (in a fun way) for a ballpark. The carnival atmosphere is a hit in town with something for everyone and the Mallards constantly introduce ways to evolve the stadium and experience.
Prestige Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Location
The geography and overall layout of Madison make it a pretty cool place to visit. The center of the city on the isthmus includes the Capitol Building, Monona Terrace and a few museums. Saturday Mornings feature one of the largest Farmers Market’s in the country as a plethora of locally produced goods surround Capital Square. Thanks in large part to the University, there are a ton of great bars and restaurants to check out, with the Square and State Street being the hot spots as they connect downtown with campus. UW is worth a look too as there are some landmarks there. The ballpark is 10 minutes from downtown as it is on the north side of Madison, near Lake Mendota. Warner Park is not just the stadium name, but it is actually the reference to the entire park that contains the facility. It’s your rather typical city park with walking trails, a playground, sports fields and fishing. Nothing desirable enough to go out of the way for before the game, especially given the weed smell and off-putting vibe around the playground when we arrived to the parking lot about an hour before the game.
Location Ranking: 6.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
The aforementioned parking lot is one of several that ring the outer portions of the stadium. Entrance is from the outfield, more specifically the right field corner and it’s better to use the lots that are closer to Sherman Ave. There’s enough space to hold everybody attending. Departing wasn’t a problem as cars moved slowly, but steadily out of the lots and the surrounding roads were traffic free. Other parts of Madison can have traffic, construction and poor road quality. Thankfully this area is sheltered a bit from that. Use I-90 or I-94 (connection to Milwaukee) to then reach Highway 113, where it goes northbound right to Warner Park.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 8 out of 8
Exterior
With the outfield being the only entrance point, the ballpark introduction is a bland one. There are a few outer buildings and some cobbled together fencing before reaching the gate: an unattractive naked structure. I say naked because there are steel berms above the entranceway that have nothing on them and it looks like signage is missing. At least above and to the sides are some logos and the team’s slogan “Welcome to your 9 inning Vacation”.
Exterior Ranking: 1.5 out of 10
Concourse
This place is like a carnival and it starts down the left-field line. Following a few advertising stands promoting products and giveaway swag, the area is dominated by a huge Kids Zone with several inflatables and games. It’s impressive for the youngins, plus there are picnic tables around too so parents can take a seat. There are a few problems though: 1) you can’t see the game from here and 2) it’s in prime foul ball territory. That’s a little nerve-wracking that there is a chance for someone to get smacked a few times per game (put up an overhead net like in Reading). Food and drink stands follow and then the area gets squeezed by a team store before getting to open space behind home plate. For those there just for baseball, it’s a nice breath of fresh air and all the amenities needed are here. Do note that bathrooms may have some long lines. Along the way, there are plenty of team displays and signage, as it’s not just entertainment character. Everything so far with the concourse is exposed to the elements and only underneath the first base stands is there some cover. They squeeze picnic tables under here, again good for a little sanctuary. Finishing out the final reaches of the ballpark is the Pepsi Pre Game Party, a tented area with all you can eat food/drink. I’m curious how many from here make it to their General Admission seat later on.
Concourse Ranking: 2.5 out of 5
Food
I kept thinking of “Big Salad” when I saw the size of the pretzels that were floating around. It’s a Wisconsin thing these giant pretzels as I saw them in a few places on our vacation and it is perfect for sharing at the ballpark (outside of the greasy hands). The Mallards also feature other common Dairy State offerings like Cheese Curds (beer battered) and Bratwursts. Other stands had good variety for food, mostly different takes on ballpark favorites. If you want a drink, they undoubtedly have you covered at Warner Park. The beer menu is impressive with a plethora of choices including local ones. Door County’s One Barrel Brewing is prominently featured. They even have a Mocktail station for the non-alcoholic side.
Food Ranking: 6 out of 8
Interior
There is a lot going on inside as well, yet it all comes together in a cohesive way that leads to a ballpark setting with character. Certainly a ballpark that has evolved through the years and I can’t decide if I truly like it, but I love that it’s unique. In some respects, the seating bowl is quite cozy as just 6-8 rows of seats down the first base line are very close given the limited amount of foul territory. Angling towards home plate, this portion is covered by a green grandstand that looks like a table top. It’s an area that features a small press box, terrace table seating, 7 rows of green seats and then a field-level club that blends in with the nearby dugouts. Most of the general admission comes on the first base side and while the straight-away sections make for our odd viewing angles closer to home plate…the sightlines are pretty good given the row slope and proximity to the infield. A walkway splits things a third of the way up and this is on a metal base. Note that from the concourse, you have to climb up to the seating bowl, an unusual feature as most non-MLB parks are a walk down from the top row. Adding to the party element is a neat local art project debuting this year: “Light Wings” are colorful fabric strips that float and sway in the breeze. In addition to providing shade, these overhead displays add a great element that are enhanced for any light shows at night. Very cool and creative! As for group and club/suite seating, that can be found around the outfield as it closes in the stadium. There are multiple varieties to how it’s done and the most popular is “The Duck Blind”. Here, little attention is on the game and the focus is on socializing, eating and drinking. This area along the right-field line made out of old shipping containers is a hit because the $46 ticket including unlimited food and beer.
Interior Ranking: 9.5 out of 14
Scoreboard
The long and lengthy video board in left field is really excellent in quality. When used for video, it’s great, however most of the time just features a player picture and huge name, then ads. For game information, that is tucked away (almost hard to find) to the right on a separate board. The numbers on that board are an unusual green color.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
The character of The Duck Pond really stands out and team honors are no exception. Walls around the concourse feature pennants for NWL championships, an area baseball Wall of Fame and multiple duck (Mallard) logos and insignias. On one of the outfield club walls are multiple honored numbers for former players.
Displays Ranking: 3.5 out of 6
Cost
Parking is free and concession prices were some of the lowest I’ve seen in a while: $4 for a Hot Dog, $6 for a Cheeseburger and $3 for a bottled soda. Beer came in at $9 for a 16oz. For tickets, the General Admission section is $17. That’s a few bucks higher around home plate than what it is for most other Wisconsin-based NWL teams. Madison does have a cheaper option though as Section 201 is $10.
Cost Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Fan Support
The attendance numbers that Madison has annually is crazy and I had to see for myself if it was believable. I’d say it is partly true as they certainly had a good crowd on this Friday Night. More than half of the seats were filled and when you factor in those milling around plus those in the various club/group areas, we’re probably looking at a real attendance of 3,000 – 4,000. Respectable, but not close to the announced sellout of 6,750. The average numbers over the course of the season more than double the second-place team and further evidence of the ridiculous fabrication of that is that Madison’s playoff average for 3 games was a measly 818 people. Traverse City and multi-year average for Duluth and La Crosse were higher. It’s important to get the full, real picture, but that should not take away from the solid fan support that Madison receives, especially as a college town. More than I thought were fully into the team and not just using it as a nightly hang out.
Fan Support Ranking: 5.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
I’ve mentioned character a few times during this ballpark experience and that is something Madison does really well. During the game, there are a few dedicated fans at the top of the bowl making duck calls as the organ plays for background music. I wasn’t expecting organ given the vibe around the stadium and it was a welcome accompanist. Fans throughout the Grandstand really get into the game and many were on their feet when there was a run for the home team and when the Mallards got the win. That’s not something you see at most minor/indy ballparks. At the end of the game, the players have to go through the concourse for their locker room in tight quarters. A few moments after settling in, they reemerge to line up and exchange pleasantries and autographs with the fans. The in-game atmosphere is great and much more homey than I was expecting.
Atmosphere Ranking: 10 out of 14
Other Stuff
Warner Park is also home to local high schools and the Madison Night Mares, an NWL Softball league team. It’s awesome to see that the Night Mares get just as much in the ballpark as the Mallards……In 2011, the grandstand underwent a complete renovation and the stadium seats are from Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles…..There is a bat dog and it is just as cute as you’d expect…..Within the seating area, the walkway behind home plate features an ice cream stand that is promoted with a giant ice cream cone. Prepare as lines are long, two innings worth at times (at least you can see the game).
Game
With a strong breeze blowing in, it was a struggle at the plate as there were just 6 total hits between the two teams. What resulted was a very snappy 2 hour and 13 minute game and it was an Aaron Holland home run in the bottom of the 8th to give the Mallards the lead and shortly thereafter, the win. Starter Talan Holiday continued his scoreless streak as he went 5 innings. That brings the North Carolina product to 14 innings pitched this year with 0 ER, 4 H and 15 K. Thanks to the weird Transfer Portal rules, Holiday entered the Portal while UNC was still in the Postseason. Thus, we find him here in Madison as opposed to Omaha, where the Tar Heels were playing while this game was going on.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
