Photos by James Clotfelter, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Luther Williams Stadium 150 Willie Smokie Glover Dr Macon, GA 31201
Year Opened: 1929
Capacity: 3,500
Bacon & Baseball
While the Macon Bacon has only been a part of the middle Georgia community since 2017, the historic Luther Williams field has been a part of the fabric of Macon since 1929. The 3,500-seat park has seen its fair share of baseball, and it continues to play a role in the sporting culture of middle Georgia with quirky seating, a manual scoreboard, and the timeless beams that hold the awning over the grandstand. The Bacon are members of the Coastal Plain League, a wood bat summer collegiate league.
Food & Beverage 2
The food and beverage here come in two waves. Season ticket holders have their all-you-can-eat concession stands, while the single-game goer has two concession stands on opposite corners of the grandstand. Here are the basic concession foods like nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzels, etc. In addition to these items, you can select from their “baconized” menu which is essentially the same basic concessions with bacon added to them for an upcharge of $5.
I recommend sticking to the normal concessions as the upcharge of $5 to add burnt bacon bits to your cheese nachos is not worth it, and the normal items are reasonably priced. In terms of alcoholic options, there is a full bar in the concession stand behind home plate and numerous lite beers and IPAs in the corner concession stands.
Atmosphere 3
The atmosphere at a Bacon game is nothing to frown upon, nor is it anything out of this world. While it is a very old stadium, Bacon has done a fantastic job preserving its character while adding modern and quirky amenities. There is terrace and patio high-top seating along the foul lines, mixed with the traditional bleachers covered by a supported tin roof with a manual scoreboard.
The bottom sections are chairbacks, while the top sections are bleachers with seatbacks. So if bleachers do not bother you, I suggest you go with the cheapest ticket. Unless you are stuck behind a support beam, there is not a bad seat. The Bacon staff tries to help you out with this issue by highlighting any obstructed view when purchasing tickets on their website.
While there is no video board, Bacon still makes sure they find a way to do crowd activations in between innings. Whether it is having on-field musical chairs, or having some of the players race toddlers on a big wheel tricycle, they make sure something is done in between each break in action.
The team store is located in a little room behind home plate, but because the area is so small they also set merchandise available for sale outside in the concourse to accommodate the crowd. With merchandise being said, keep an eye out for promotions that the Bacon hold, as they often do merchandise giveaways, or waffle house vouchers depending on the night. The night’s promotions can be found on their ticketing website.
Neighborhood 2
The town of Macon itself does not give the fuzziest of vibes when compared to other cities in the beautiful state of Georgia. Luther Williams Field is situated inside a public park known as Central City Park and sits alongside recreational soccer and baseball fields. There is not much that one would want to walk to in terms of a pre-game or post-game location.
I would suggest you take the brief car ride to Macon’s downtown strip as it is pretty nice with a plethora of bars and restaurants such as Downtown Grill, Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen, and Little India. However, there is not a plethora of hotels in the area, but I would suggest you stay in Hilton Garden Inn or TownePlace Suites, located on the campus of Mercer University, for the best budget option.
Macon is also home to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Macon City Auditorium, Mercer University, and the Macon Coliseum.
Fans 4
Although a relatively new franchise, the residents of middle Georgia seem to have a keen interest in this franchise. I believe that were in attendance for an exhibition match, as I could not find the opponent in the league standings, but the stadium was nonetheless sold out, which seems like a common occurrence for a Bacon home game. This crowd is not crazy passionate about their team, but they continue to show up and support the small local franchise in town, and families like to use it as an excuse to have a night out of the house.
Access 3
The stadium itself sits in a recreation complex just east of downtown Macon, it is not right off the interstate, but still close to it. With it being in a rec complex, the free parking is simply pulling over in the grass lots surrounding the field. This does make it kind of hectic getting out of games because you are prone to being blocked in by other cars that break the unwritten rules regarding the organization of a rather unorganized parking structure on the grass.
There is only one entrance gate to the venue, which does make the lines potentially slow, so it is advised you get to the stadium a little early to make sure you don’t get stuck in the line. There are ticket offices beyond security, but it is advised you purchase your tickets online before the game because it is prone to selling out.
Once in the stadium, the outside concourse is very wide and easy to navigate, and the grandstand walkway splits the two levels of seating.
Return on Investment 3
The get-in price for bleacher seating is $15, which does seem steep for summer league ball, but it is nothing absurd and is canceled out by free parking. Concessions are generally on par with stadium prices as long as you don’t add bacon to the items. If you are coming with a group be on the lookout for group promotions such as free hats and other items during select nights for groups of five or more.
Extras 3
It is the oldest baseball in a state that baseball has a stranglehold on. It has bizarre seating areas combined with a non-electric scoreboard which successfully modernizes the stadium but also preserves the history that makes it unique.
Final Thoughts
Is this the coolest experience in baseball? No. But is it worth checking out if you live or ever find yourself in middle Georgia? Absolutely. It is classic low-level summer baseball that calls both baseball purists, as well as the casual fan to its gates time in and time out.
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