MLB Field of Dreams stadium details: Inside the transformation from iconic movie set to 8,000-seat ballpark

After a three-year hiatus, MLB returns to Iowa for the third-ever Field of Dreams game.

The Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies will conclude their three-game series in a special game that commemorates the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams". MLB hosted a game at the stadium during each of the 2021 and 2022 season stepped away from the area due to renovations and ownership changes.

Now, the league is ready to return to an updated Field of Dreams stadium that is better suited to hosting MLB games moving forward. It should now be in the rotation of unique events that MLB wants to include on its schedule during the seasons.

Here's what to know about the Field of Dreams stadium.

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Where is the Field of Dreams stadium?

The Field of Dreams stadium is located in the cornfields of Dyersville, Iowa, trying to mimic the movie as much as possible. It is part of the Field of Dreams MovieSite, which is essentially a museum dedicated to the "Field of Dreams" movie.

The location is where Universal Pictures built the stadium to film the movie in 1988. Then it became a tourist attraction and led to MLB playing a game there for the first time in 2021. However, that game was played in a separate and temporary stadium since the original wasn't fit for pro games.

Now, after the renovation, the original stadium should be built to last for any kind of event.

MLB Field of Dreams stadium details

Capacity

After the renovation concluded, the "Field of Dreams" stadium now fits 4,200 fans but can expand to 8,000 with additional bleachers. For the MLB game at the stadium, expect those additional bleachers to be in use as MLB tries to fit as many fans as possible into the stadium.

Cost

After going through multiple owners and renovation plans, the updated Field of Dreams stadium ended up costing up to an estimated $45 million upon completion. Of that cost, about $12 million came from the state of Iowa, which was the largest benefactor for the renovation.

Youth stadiums

Besides the main stadium, the MovieSite has a new youth sports complex under construction for the spring. The goal is to bring youth baseball and softball to Iowa by hosting tournaments, as hundreds of youth sports teams have already played there.

"We're going to have the turf infields, grass outfields, and just a beautiful complex, so really take what we're doing from a tournament standpoint with baseball, softball, and senior baseball and that and really enhance that and grow that even more," executive director of Dyersville Events Keith Rahe said.

MLB Field of Dreams stadium history

In 1988, Universal Pictures built a stadium on farms near Dyersville, Iowa, for the movie "Field of Dreams", which became a hit upon release in 1989. Therefore, the stadium became a tourist attraction, going through a variety of owners and commercialized plans over the years.

The Lansings owned half the field while the Ameskamps owned the other half, which remained that way for a few decades as both hosted tourist opportunities. In 2007, the Lansings bought the other half from the Ameskamps, but they sold it to the Stillmans in 2010.

It was the Stillmans who helped guide MLB to Iowa for the first "Field of Dreams" game in 2021, but MLB built a different stadium in the same area because the original wasn't fit for a professional game. Then, after that first game in 2021, Hall of Famer Frank Thomas and real estate developer Rick Heidner bought the property with the vision to build it out for both professional and youth games, along with an amphitheater and a hotel.

That plan fizzled, though, so Heidner sold the property to a non-profit organization called Dyersville Events, whose goal is to bring youth tournaments and one-off games to Iowa. Part of the renovation included adding a new youth baseball and softball complex alongside the updated primary stadium.

This latest renovation has made the "Field of Dreams" complex more sustainable for tourists, youth tournaments and other games. And, of course, it made sure to have a permanent stadium for professional events.

"The biggest thing obviously would be our full-time professional ballpark," executive director of Dyersville Events Keith Rahe said. "The diamond itself is permanent, but everything around it, they came in, they constructed, and then when the event was over, they took it down."

Now, the stadium is permanent, and Rahe argues he's the right person in charge.

"No one cares about that more than me. I got to be honest with you," he said. "I spent 37 years building this brand, protecting this brand. No one cares more about that than what I do."