Before Ahearn Field, Kansas State's athletic teams used an open public square in Manhattan located at Bluemont Avenue and 8th Street, known informally as the Athletic Park. A covered wooden grandstand was built at the Athletic Park in 1906, along with a small locker room. These structures were both transported to Ahearn Field in 1911 and used at the new site. The grandstand was located at the south end of the field, facing north (approximately the current location of the K-State Alumni Center). Memorial Stadium was opened at the same site in 1922.