Dyersville's Field of Dreams takes on new life
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The Field of Dreams house on the movie set. Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
At the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, the question that hangs over the once-quiet movie site is now: "If you build it, how much bigger will it become?"
Why it matters: For decades, the site has annually attracted tens of thousands of people despite its simplicity, but new owners and developments could make it an even bigger draw.
State of play: Just this week, actor Nick Offerman visited the eastern Iowa site, sharing hopes that the canceled "Field of Dreams" television show gets a reprisal, per the Register.
- But even without the show, the site recently brought in country singer Tim McGraw for its inaugural concert this summer. Next year, the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies will play an MLB game.
Flashback: The site changed hands three different times in three decades, ranging from local families who put out a can for donations to a Chicago developer who envisioned an RV park and hotel, per the New York Times.
- Today, Dyersville Events, a local nonprofit, owns the site after purchasing it for $27 million in 2024 with the help of state grants.
What's new: Dyersville Events has grown the number of youth tournaments and major events held at the Field of Dreams site.
- This season, 650 youth teams played, in comparison to 107 in 2022, per the Times. While most games are played in Dyersville's parks, the field is used for skills competitions and championship games.
- Seven more youth fields are being built around the movie site, as well as new stands and batting cages.
What they're saying: Still, there's tension between drawing in business and keeping life quiet for residents.
- Dyersville Family Restaurant owner Abby Sejdini told KCRG the new concerts and events have been a positive draw.
- "We usually get our regulars that come here throughout the week, ... so if they're from out of town we can kind of tell, we're like, 'What are you here for? Nickelback or Tim McGraw?'" Sejdini says.
The other side: But for other residents, the draw can be too much.
- "We got four stop lights in town, which is three too many," Doug Recker, who was having breakfast at the restaurant, told the Times.
The bottom line: "We're not commercializing the site, we're keeping it alive," Keith Rahe, a resident who runs the entire property, told the Times. "It's Iowa's Mount Rushmore."