Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Michael Rusignuolo
- Jun 4
- 6 min read
Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14
Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium 2400 N Casaloma Dr Appleton, WI 54912
Year Opened: 1995 Capacity: 5,900
Snake, Raddle, and Slide
Professional baseball in the Fox Cities area of northern Wisconsin dates back to 1891, but the current team began in 1958 as the Fox Cities Foxes. After moving to the Midwest League in 1962 and changing its name to the Appleton Foxes in 1967, and then the Rattlers in 1995, little changed except their major league affiliation until the minor league reorganization in 2021, when the Midwest League became High A instead of A. They have been an affiliate of the home-state Brewers since 2009.
Along with their final name change to the Rattlers, the team moved from its long-time home, Goodland Field, to the newly opened 5,900-seat Fox Cities Stadium in 1995. Since then, the stadium has undergone two recent renovations in 2013 (to make the stadium a more year-round facility) and 2023 (to bring the park up to new minor-league standards, and help win ballpark of the year that same year). The park has undergone several sponsorship changes as well, ending with the current, rolls-off-the-tongue Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Food & Beverage 5
The one thing you don't have to worry about at Neuroscience Group Field is going hungry, as they have a dizzying selection of food and drinks, especially if you're into the Wisconsin specialties of cheese and sausage.
The food selection definitely punches above the A-ball average. Various eateries line the promenade, ranging from ballpark standards (dogs, brats, pizza, and burgers) to a wide variety of specialty selections to turn your head, including Bratchos (a giant bowl of spicy nachos and brats) and the award-winning Gnaf Nacho Poutine (brat coins, waffle fries, beer cheese, and fresh cheese curds).
While perhaps not as extensive as the food choices, the park is no slouch with the drinks, either. The Pepsi family is the non-alcoholic beverage of choice, and all of the concessions have a decent selection from the Miller/Coors breweries, local craft selections, and cocktails. Specialty bars Brews on Third and the Leinie Lodge have even more copious adult beverage choices on tap.
I forwent the award-winners and grabbed a 3 Little Pigs sandwich from the Bacon Station ($16.50, three cheeses and pork combined into a godless melted savory double-decker grilled cheese) and a local Fox River Snaketail Ale ($8.75) to help me forget how many calories I just ate.
Atmosphere 4
Undergoing several extensive renovations since opening in the mid-90s, Neuroscience Group Field shows the positive results of those efforts, as well as an attention to detail.
The park itself is a minor-league standard design, with one section of seats below a promenade that somehow sneaks around the park, with the seating ending into two outfield grass berms. A second level of luxury boxes runs from first to third. The main scoreboard rises in left-center, with group suites perched in left and the Home Run porch of table seating in right. Further table seating is available in the Relax Seats in the third.
Mascots Fang (snake) and Wiffer (thing) help run the between-inning activities. Most run in the minor-league standard races and contests, but they are all personalized to the team. The "shell game" is swapped with a contest to count how many lime wedges make it into cocktails, t-shirt cannons are replaced with the heavily-hyped "bratzooka" (exactly what it sounds like), and mascot footraces are replaced with a wild go-cart chase around the periphery of the park.
If you want to enjoy a sunny summer game, the outfield berms are your cheapest options and still have great views of the contest. If you'd like some shade, the box seats behind the home dugout can keep you cool and give you outstanding views of the game and the between-innings activities.
Neighborhood 3
Located northwest of downtown Appleton, the park benefits and suffers from its location out by the airport.
While a majority of the dining options are a short distance downtown, there are still several choices in the airport hotel area, including Osorio's Latin Fusion, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen (comfort food & cocktails), Carmella's (Italian), Fox River Brewery (steakhouse), and the Milwaukee Burger Company.
There's not a ton to do directly by the park. There are inexplicably two air trampoline parks just to the south, as well as an arcade, in the massive Fox River Mall. Some golf is available west of the ballpark, and parklands to the north. A short trip downtown will offer more parks and museums in the historic district (including native son, Houdini).
The park is well-served by over a dozen airport hotels, a short drive down Route 41, and the Holiday Inn Appleton and Wyndham Garden Appleton are within walking distance.
Fans 4
The Timber Rattlers are in the middle of the attendance pack in the very competitive and popular re-constituted Midwest League.
They draw well with the families they clearly cater to. While the kids may run off to the many activities set out for them, the crowd is enthusiastic for the team, even when they don't do so well, and it is a loud and inviting atmosphere for a ballgame.
Access 5
Neuroscience Group Field is well served by a variety of transportation options. It sits adjacent to Appleton International Airport, just off Interstate 41, and is accessible via Valley Transit’s Route 12 Green Line, with fares starting at $2.
The ballpark features a single main entrance on the home plate side that opens onto a spacious concourse. Aside from a few tighter areas along the outfield walkway, navigating the stadium is generally straightforward and comfortable. Parking is $8 per vehicle, though the lots offer convenient access and a quick exit after games.
Return on Investment 3
Where the Timber Rattlers stumble a little is on value for the money. While a far cry from the fleecing you'll get at any MLB stadium, all the excellence at the park comes with a price tag.
Regular tickets are reasonable, but not cheap, running $12-19. All-you-can-eat seats run $39 and can help cut down your food bill, and the best seats in the house behind home plate in the Diamond section run $50 (with an exclusive, extended all-you-can-eat buffet).
Again, food is mostly reasonable, but some of those specialty items are creeping towards $20. You can get a regular brat and a domestic beer for less than that, but again, nothing is particularly inexpensive. Parking is over league average at $8, and there's no free program anymore since the pandemic.
Extras 5
The Rattlers do an excellent job with the add-ons and extras, mostly catering to the children of the families that make up the backbone of their fandom.
The three-story-tall snake slide on the left obviously dominates the extras at the park. Towards the latter part of the game, the entire stairway can be packed with kids looking to take the long tumble down. A giant sandbox packed with toys (and benches for mom and dad) sits in right field in front of a large traditional play area with a Ticonderoga pencil foul pole. Beyond left is a full-size wiffle-ball field, and adult bar games such as ping-pong and cornhole are available at Beers on Third. There are also photo ops with Fang and Wiffer by the main entrance.
The stadium also gets points because it looks the least likely stadium you can walk completely around, but thanks to a series of small ramps, bridges, and extensions in the outfield from the recent refits, you can do a full circuit.
It also honors its baseball history with a dedication plaque by the main entrance, championship pennants in right field, retired numbers in center, and banners of former players who made it to the majors by the team store. There's even a second team store on the concourse in addition to the main store by the entrance, so you can buy souvenirs and not miss a pitch.
Final Thoughts
With well-thought-out renovations and an attention to detail and customer service, Neuroscience Group Field is a great park to visit and is exceptional in nearly every area. The "Ballpark Of The Year" title was fairly won, and Neuroscience Group Field is a standout in nearly every way, if only held back by the price tag and its airport-adjacent location.
