For the fourth-consecutive time, Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park has been nominated for “Best Minor League Ballpark” in the USA Today 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards, a news release says.
Selected by a panel of editors and industry experts, the home of the Quad Cities River Bandits earned its 2026 nomination after winning the publication’s inaugural award in 2014 and then repeating in both 2024 and 2025.
“We are thrilled to have our great ballpark, Modern Woodmen Park, go for a four-peat as we defend our title as America’s Best Minor League ballpark,” said River Bandits’ owner Dave Heller. “With baseball’s only full-sized Ferris wheel, a spinning kids roller coaster, a myriad of other rides and attractions, the beautiful Centennial Bridge down the right field line, and the best views in baseball, there really is no better place to watch a game. Add to that you’re surrounded by the nicest people in America, and you have all the ingredients for a fantastic night out with family and friends.”
Fans can vote for Modern Woodmen Park and see the full list of nominees here under the “Readers’ Choice Awards” tab. Voting is open to the public with no sign-up required. Voting ends on Monday, March 16, at 11:59 a.m. EDT. Fans are eligible to vote once per day, per browser. The top 10 winners, as ranked by USA Today 10BEST readers, will be announced at noon Wednesday, March 25.
About Modern Woodmen Park
Built in 1931, Modern Woodmen Park is the fourth-oldest ballpark in Minor League Baseball and has been home to 10 affiliated Davenport-based clubs and hundreds of future Major League players. Since the Quad Cities franchise was purchased by Main Street Baseball in 2007, Modern Woodmen Park has undergone several major renovations and seen numerous additions, including a 110-foot-tall Ferris Wheel and its iconic amusement deck, which boasts the only double-decker carousel in baseball along with numerous other in-park amusement rides for fans of all ages. Named one of the nation’s best by the likes of USA Today, Bleacher Report, Ballpark Digest, and Parade Magazine, the ballpark also sports its own cornfield, a 690-square-foot 4K video board, 20 luxury suites, and five unique group areas.
About the Bandits
The 2026 season will mark the River Bandits’ sixth as the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and 65th as members of the Midwest League. The River Bandits play at Modern Woodmen Park, In 2021, the River Bandits became the first team in Midwest League history to win four championships in ten seasons (2011, 2013, 2015 and 2021) and were named Ballpark Digest’s Minor League Baseball Team of the Year. The Bandits anchor the Quad Cities sports market, which The Sports Business Journal named the top minor league sports market in the country in 2015 and second-best minor league market in its 2017 follow-up ranking. In 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2023 the River Bandits earned Ballpark Digest’s award for “Best Charitable Works” in Minor League Baseball, the only club to win that coveted award four times.
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