Field of Dreams (Dubuque County, Iowa) facts for kids
The Field of Dreams is a famous baseball field in Iowa. It's a popular place for visitors because it was built for the movie Field of Dreams. You can find it in Dubuque County, Iowa, close to Dyersville, Iowa.
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The Field's Story
The baseball field was built by Universal Pictures for the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. It was made on two farms near Dyersville, Iowa. After the movie was finished, the baseball field was left behind.
Most of the field, including the main playing area and a nearby house, was on land owned by the Lansing family. But the left and center parts of the field were on land owned by the Ameskamp family. The movie makers chose this spot so they could get clear shots of the sunset.
After filming, the Lansing family kept their part of the field just as it was. They even added a small shop for visitors to buy souvenirs. The Ameskamp family first used their land for farming again. But then they rebuilt their part of the field and opened their own souvenir stand. For a while, the two families ran separate visitor spots. They also had different ideas about how to use the site for business.
In 1990, a farmer named Keith Rahe started a baseball team called the "Ghost Players." They would play games to entertain visitors at the field. When the team played on Sunday afternoons, thousands more fans came to watch. In 1991 and 1992, a company called Upper Deck sponsored special celebrity games at the field. Famous baseball players like Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson played against Hollywood stars like Kelsey Grammer. These games raised over $100,000 for local charities.
A book called Is This Heaven? The Magic of the Field of Dreams was written in 2002 by Brett H. Mandel. It tells the story of how this make-believe place became a real spot that people from all over the world want to visit. The book shows how the field still touches people who step onto it.
Movies and Music at the Field
On August 11, 2006, a special event took place at the Field of Dreams. A company called Alamo Drafthouse showed the movie Field of Dreams right there! They set up a huge outdoor screen next to the field. There were seats, snacks, and parking for nearly 1,000 people. Only the Ameskamp family's land was used for this event.
Before the movie, actor Kevin Costner, who starred in the film, played music with his band. They played for two hours, performing their own songs and popular covers. Costner even sang a song about Iowa that he wrote while filming the movie years before. This event was sponsored by Netflix and hosted by Lisa Loeb.
One Owner for the Field
In August 2007, the Ameskamp family sold their part of the baseball field to Don and Becky Lansing. This meant that for the first time, the entire movie site was owned by the Lansing family.
On May 13, 2010, the Lansings announced they were selling the farm used for the movie. On October 30, 2011, a private group called Go the Distance Baseball bought the property. This group was led by Denise Stillman, who sadly passed away in 2018. Go the Distance Baseball has owned and taken care of the movie site since December 28, 2012.
Under Go the Distance, new events have happened at the field. The Ghost Players returned in 2013. In 2014, for the field's 25th anniversary, there were many events. These included a special game with Kevin Costner and other actors from the movie. About 12,000 fans came to these events.
With the new owners, more people visit the field each year. The number of visitors has grown from 65,000 to 100,000. Also, since March 2018, you can even rent the house and baseball field for a night! It costs about $2,200 on weekdays and $2,500 on weekends.
Future Plans for the Area
After buying the movie site, Go the Distance Baseball announced plans for a large youth baseball and softball complex. It was going to be called All-Star Ballpark Heaven and have 24 fields. The project was supposed to open in 2014. However, it faced problems getting money and legal challenges from neighbors. The cost also grew from $38 million to over $70 million. Even though the state offered tax help, the developers couldn't meet the deadlines. This project has not been built yet.
Major League Baseball Game (2020)
Major League Baseball (MLB) announced on August 8, 2019, that a real MLB game would be played at the Field of Dreams site! The Chicago White Sox were set to play the St. Louis Cardinals on August 13, 2020.
Exactly one year before the game, construction began on a temporary baseball park with 8,000 seats. This event was called "MLB at Field of Dreams." Originally, the White Sox were supposed to play the New York Yankees. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shorter. Teams only played clubs in their own area to limit travel. So, the Cardinals played instead of the Yankees. This was going to be the first MLB game ever played in Iowa.
However, on August 3, 2020, the league decided to postpone the game until 2021. This was due to problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new construction for the game was then taken down.
Field Size
The baseball field has specific measurements. It is 281 feet (about 86 meters) to left field. It is 314 feet (about 96 meters) to center field. And it is 262 feet (about 80 meters) to right field. With extra temporary seats, the field could hold almost 6,000 people for a celebrity game in 2013.
Gallery
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View from behind home plate
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View from the pitcher's mound
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Ray loves Annie
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Two signs, two entrances
Images for kids
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MLB ballpark to the left of the movie-set field, 2020
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