Metropolitan Stadium facts for kids
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The Met
"Met Stadium" "Old Met" |
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Aerial view from southeast in 1962
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 Bloomington
Location in the United States
Bloomington
Location in Minnesota
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| Address | 8000 Cedar Avenue South |
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| Location | Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 44°51′16″N 93°14′31″W / 44.85444°N 93.24194°W |
| Owner | City of Minneapolis (1956–1977) Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (1977–1981) |
| Capacity | Baseball: 18,200 (1956) 21,000 (1957–1959) 30,022 (1960–1961) 39,525 (1962) 40,073 (1963–1964) 45,182 (1965–1969) 45,914 (1970–1972) 45,921 (1973–1974) 45,919 (1975–1981) Football: 41,200 (1961–1964) 47,900 (1965–1970) 49,784 (1971–1973) 47,900 (1974–1976) 48,446 (1977–1981) |
| Field size | Left field: 343 ft (105 m) Left-center: 365 ft (111 m) Center field: 402 ft (123 m) Right-center: 370 ft (113 m) Right field: 330 ft (101 m) Backstop: 60 ft (18 m) Wall: 8 feet (2.4 m) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 20, 1955 |
| Opened | April 24, 1956 |
| Closed | December 20, 1981 |
| Demolished | January 28, 1985 |
| Construction cost | $8.5 million ($91.5 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Osborn Architects & Engineers Thorshov and Cerny |
| Structural engineer | Tepper Engineering |
| General contractor | Johnson, Drake & Piper/Kimmes/Axel Ohman |
| Tenants | |
| Minneapolis Millers (AA) 1956–1960 Minnesota Twins (MLB) 1961–1981 Minnesota Vikings (NFL) 1961–1981 Minnesota Kicks (NASL) 1976–1981 Chicago Cardinals (NFL) 1959 (2 games) |
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Metropolitan Stadium, often called "the Met" or "the Old Met", was an outdoor sports stadium. It was located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
The stadium was home to the Minneapolis Millers, a minor league baseball team, from 1956 to 1960. It became famous as the home of the Minnesota Twins baseball team and the Minnesota Vikings football team. Both teams played at the Met for 21 seasons, from 1961 to 1981. The Minnesota Kicks soccer team also played there from 1976 to 1981.
Today, the stadium's former location is where the Mall of America stands. The mall opened in 1992.
Contents
History of the Met Stadium
Building a Major League Home
In 1953, people in Minneapolis wanted to bring a major league baseball team to Minnesota. Gerald Moore, a local business leader, started a project to build a modern stadium. This new stadium would be big enough for a major league team.
They chose a 160-acre plot of farmland in Bloomington. This spot was about halfway between Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was thought to be the best place for a new professional sports team. The stadium would replace Nicollet Park as the home for the Minneapolis Millers.
Construction Begins
Construction for the stadium was planned to start on June 20, 1955. There was a small delay when some landowners protested about not being paid. However, the issue was quickly resolved. Many important people, including the mayor of Minneapolis, attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
On February 7, 1956, a heater exploded in the stadium's basement during construction. This caused $50,000 in damage and a three-week delay. Despite this, Metropolitan Stadium opened on April 24, 1956. Its first game was a minor league baseball match between the Millers and the Wichita Braves. The stadium was officially named "Metropolitan Stadium" in July of that year.
Major league team owners praised the new stadium. They called it one of the best minor league facilities. Some even thought it was as good as some major league stadiums. There was hope that teams like the New York Giants or Washington Senators might move there. However, the Giants moved to the West Coast instead.
Several exhibition games with major league teams were held at the Met. These games helped show off the stadium to potential new teams.
Baseball and Football Teams Arrive
In October 1960, the Washington Senators baseball team announced they would move to Metropolitan Stadium. They became the Minnesota Twins. The Twins played their first home game on April 21, 1961. To get the stadium ready, a $9 million renovation increased seating from 22,000 to over 30,000.
The National Football League (NFL) also wanted a team at the Met. The Chicago Cardinals played two games there in 1959. In 1960, Minneapolis-St. Paul was chosen for a new American Football League (AFL) team. However, the team's owners decided to join the NFL instead. This new team became the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.
The Met had a unique design. It felt a bit like a minor league stadium that had grown. For example, fans in the bleachers had to leave the stadium to reach the main grandstand. However, it was known for having very few bad seats for baseball. The stadium was also famous as a "hitter's park" because of its short foul lines. This made it easier for powerful hitters like Harmon Killebrew to hit home runs.
For football, the field ran from third base to right field. Wooden bleachers were added to bring fans closer to the action. In 1965, a large double-deck grandstand was built in left field. This gave the Vikings more permanent seating. The Met was a tough place for visiting football teams, especially in cold weather. The Vikings won seven of their ten playoff games played there.
In 1965, Metropolitan Stadium hosted both the All-Star Game and the World Series. This was a rare event. The Vikings also won the 1969 NFL Championship Game at the stadium.
Soccer, Concerts, and Wrestling
Metropolitan Stadium was also home to the Minnesota Kicks soccer team. They played there from 1976 until 1981. The Kicks were very popular. They once set an attendance record for the NASL. Over 49,000 fans came to see them play. The team had great success in its first four seasons, winning a division title each year.
The Met also hosted many concerts and wrestling matches. Famous bands like The Beatles and Eagles performed there.
| Date | Artist | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Attendance |
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| August 21, 1965 | The Beatles | King Curtis Cannibal and the Headhunters Brenda Holloway Sounds Incorporated |
1965 North American Tour | 25,000 |
| August 1, 1978 | Eagles | Steve Miller Band Pablo Cruise |
1978 Tour | 65,000 |
The Stadium's Final Years
By the early 1970s, Metropolitan Stadium was getting old. The Vikings wanted a new stadium because the Met didn't have enough seats for NFL rules. There were also safety concerns, like broken railings. Players complained that the field, especially the infield, was in poor condition.
The "Runaway Balloon" Incident
During a Vikings game on December 14, 1969, a hot-air balloon stunt went wrong. An 11-year-old boy inside the balloon was carried about 1,000 feet into the air. He then landed in the frozen Mississippi River. Luckily, the boy was rescued unharmed and returned to the stadium. After this, NFL stadiums stopped using hot-air balloons during games.
Discussions for a new stadium began in 1970. The idea of a dome stadium was appealing because of Minnesota's cold weather. This led to the building of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which opened in 1982.
The Minnesota Kicks played their last game at the Met on August 26, 1981. The Twins played their final game there on September 30, 1981. They lost to the Kansas City Royals. After the game, many fans went onto the field to find souvenirs.
The Vikings played their last game on December 20, 1981. They lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Knowing it was the last major event, security was increased. Still, many fans began taking seats and pieces of the field. Hundreds of minor injuries were reported during the excitement.
Met Stadium was officially closed when the Twins and Vikings moved to the Metrodome in January 1982. The Kicks team also stopped playing after the 1981 season. For three years, the stadium sat empty and was damaged by vandals. Demolition of Metropolitan Stadium began on January 28, 1985, and took four months to complete.
What Happened After the Met?
The Mall of America now stands where "the Old Met" used to be. It opened in 1992. Inside Nickelodeon Universe, there is a brass plaque shaped like home plate. It shows where home plate once sat in the stadium.
High on a wall, there is a red stadium seat. This seat marks the exact spot where Harmon Killebrew hit a very long home run. On June 3, 1967, he hit a ball 520 feet into the upper deck. This was the longest home run ever hit at Metropolitan Stadium.
There were talks about building a new baseball park for the Twins at the Mall of America site. However, the agreement for the land does not allow another stadium there. Also, the site is now directly in a flight path for the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.
The old flagpole from the stadium was saved. It was bought by a local American Legion Post. Later, it was sold back to the Twins and restored. Today, it stands in the plaza at Target Field.
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