No. It’s Iowa.
On the agenda for our next trip is a trip to Iowa to see Brandy’s parents. On our way out of Iowa, we’re going to swing through Dyersville, home of the Field of Dreams movie site.
Carved out of the corn fields of the century-old Lansing farm, the site holds the diamond where the 1989 Academy Award nominated movie was filmed. Since then, the site has become a tourist attraction, including the farmhouse, which offers tours daily.
As a long-time fan of the Kevin Costner movie, having the opportunity to visit this landmark is really a dream come true for me. Being able to walk the fields where Costner, James Earl Jones, and Ray Liotta among others set foot brings me major excitement.
In August 2019, Major League Baseball announced its plan to hold a game between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees at the field in Dyersville, initially scheduled for August 13 of this year. With the season shortened to 60 games due to the coronavirus pandemic, the fate of that game remains in question. As of June 24, MLB still plans to play the game. The temporary bleachers that stood in for the movie would simply not be enough for a Major League game so the field is currently seeing construction of an 8,000 seat stadium. This calls into question whether the field itself will be accessible during our visit. I’ve sent an e-mail to the proprietors for clarification. But even if the field is closed to the public, I’ll still go to tour the farmhouse and visit the gift shop to add to my souvenir corner.
[Update: After a conversation with a representative at the field, it seems that Major League Baseball is building a completely different stadium on the site. The field from the movie will not be touched and is still available for touring. -P]
As always, I’ll take plenty of pictures to share on my Photo Diary. Stay tuned for an additional Iowa activity! Until then…
“A person does not grow from the ground like a vine or a tree, one is not part of a plot of land. Mankind has legs so it can wander.”
― Roman Payne, The Wanderess