Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds

Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds was a 20-acre (80,000 m²) site in Worcester, Massachusetts in the 19th century. It was bounded by Highland Street (north), Sever Street (east), Cedar Street or Williams Street (south - sources vary), and Agricultural (later Russell) Street (west). The grounds were just east of the large public park called Elm Park. Today, the former fairgrounds property contains a grid of streets, and many homes and businesses.

The Fairgrounds was home to an agricultural fair and to a horse trotting race track, usually called the Driving Park. "Driving" was a commonly-used synonym for trotting, long before the term "driving" came to be associated primarily with the not-yet-invented automobile. The grounds are known today mainly as the home ballpark of the National League's Worcester Ruby Legs from 1880 to 1882. As a major league ballpark it is usually referred to as Agricultural County Fair Grounds or Worcester Driving Park Grounds.

During the game of June 12, 1880, Worcester pitcher John Lee Richmond threw the first perfect game in major league history. The last game for the local major league club was played 29 September, 1882, with Troy defeating Worcester 10-7. But a new Driving Park hosted one more major league game in 1887, a home game for Washington against Boston that was relocated because John Gaffney of Worcester served as Washington field manager that season.

The Worcester Driving Park Grounds had also hosted one game for the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association on October 30, 1874. ("Green Cathedrals", Philip J. Lowry)

succession box
title = Home of the
Worcester Ruby Legs
years = 1880 – 1882
before = first ballpark
after = last ballpark