Dozer Park

Dozer Park, originally called O'Brien Field and later Chiefs Stadium, is a baseball stadium in downtown Peoria, Illinois. It is where the Peoria Chiefs play, a team connected to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of the Midwest League. The Bradley Braves, the college baseball team from Bradley University, also use Dozer Park for their home games. The stadium opened on May 24, 2002.

In recent years, Dozer Park went through big changes between 2023 and 2025. Improvements included a brand-new playing field with fresh dirt, grass, and watering systems put in after the 2025 season. The ballpark also got new bright lights, updated team areas for eating and resting, better training spaces, and extra netting to keep fans safe during games. All these upgrades cost about $3 to $5 million to meet the highest standards set by Major League Baseball.

History

The official groundbreaking for the $23 million multi-purpose stadium happened on August 16, 2001. Before this, the Chiefs played at Meinen Field.

The stadium opened on May 24, 2002, as O'Brien Field with a game against the Kane County Cougars. In 2013, it was renamed "Dozer Park" after Caterpillar Inc. bought the naming rights, referencing their famous bulldozers.

The field

Dozer Park’s field has special soil with lots of sand to keep it from getting too hard. Underneath, there is gravel and drainage tiles to help water flow away. The pitcher’s mound and batter’s boxes are made from clay, which helps them stay in place during games. The field can handle a lot of rain and is mowed every day during home games.

The field cost about $450,000 to build.

Luxury suites

Dozer Park has 20 special rooms called luxury suites. These suites are very fancy and have nice decorations. For example, one suite owned by a lawyer from Peoria has a beautiful rug, bright lights on the walls, and a shiny table with a marble top. There is also a small kitchen area with a big fridge, an oven, and a sink.

Another suite is owned by Caterpillar, Inc. This suite is used twice and is mainly for hosting important guests and customers from the community.

Food

Besides the five fixed concession stands, there are mobile carts around the park. The food is provided by Professional Sports Catering.