Lodwick Field is a former municipal airport in Lakeland, Florida, that operated from 1936 until around 1960. Today, the historic site is best known as Tiger Town and Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers.
History & Overview
- 1930s (Municipal Airport): Constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936 to replace Lakeland’s earlier, smaller airfield. National Airlines began Lakeland’s first regular commercial flights from the site in 1937.
- 1940s (WWII Flight Training): Aviation executive Albert I. Lodwick leased the airport in 1940 to establish the Lodwick School of Aeronautics. During World War II, the school trained over 6,000 U.S. Army Air Corps cadets and British Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots using PT-17 Stearmans and other primary trainers.
- Post-War Transition: The city renamed the site Al Lodwick Field in 1948. Following the war, Lodwick Aircraft Industries converted surplus military planes for commercial use until the mid-1950s.
- 1950s–1960s (Closure & Tiger Town): In 1953, the Detroit Tigers began developing their spring training complex on part of the airfield. Flight operations gradually shifted south to Drane Field (now Lakeland Linder International Airport), and Lodwick Field closed permanently as an airport around 1960.
What Remains Today
The airfield property along Lakeland Hills Boulevard was fully redeveloped into the Tiger Town sports complex. Joker Marchant Stadium opened on the site in 1966. Several original WWII-era structures—including arched-roof hangars and Quonset huts—were preserved and repurposed for team maintenance and operations, and a state historical marker stands nearby commemorating its aviation history.
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