Dyersville, Iowa.
Reach for your dreams, no matter what they may be.
Be true to yourself. And dare to make a difference in the world.
– Denise Miarecki Stillman
Iowa isn’t known for baseball, but Dyersville Iowa, nestled amidst the rolling farmlands of eastern Iowa, exudes a charm that blends small-town hospitality with historical significance and an unexpected attraction. The town of about 4500 residents is arguably most famous for being the filming location of the iconic baseball movie “Field of Dreams.” The movie’s diamond-shaped field with its white farmhouse backdrop still remains a major draw for fans, who come to walk the grounds, play a game, and relive the film’s heartwarming message.
Though the movie, “Field of Dreams” is based on a novel written by W. P. Kinsella, the story is woven around events in the history of baseball. The story and the movie released in 1989 are a tribute to The Boys of Summer and Major League Baseball. The story and the movie are historical fiction, but this post is as much about the movie as it is about the drive and inspiration of an Illinois woman whose dream was inexplicably tied to the movie.
In 2012, Denise Stillman came to Dyersville and purchased the field and movie set. She spent the rest of her life pursuing Major League Baseball (MLB) to bring a game to Iowa. She began her quest with MLB in 2015, and shortly thereafter she was diagnosed with Liver Cancer. She passed away in 2018 and her husband, Tom Mietzel now manages her legacy in Dyersville.
One of the hurdles to overcome is the fact that the movie baseball diamond is not a regulation size for MLB. Indeed, the large set of light poles in the left background of the image above is Stillman’s story coming to fruition. Behind the cornfield is a regulation baseball field that seats about 8,000 fans. Iowa’s first regulation Major League Baseball game was played at Dyersville on August 12, 2021, the White Sox beat the Yankees 9-8 in regulation play. The second game in Dyersville Iowa was held on August 12, 2022.
Visitors arrive at the site and park in a large lot that is a short walk from the field and the movie set. Kevin Costner starred in the movie based on Kinsella’s novel Shoeless Joe. Costner plays a farmer who builds a baseball field among the fields of corn. The field attracts the ghosts of baseball’s early history including Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Chicago Black Sox.
In the article here from WQAD8, the focus is on Denise Stillman’s quest and dying wish. The fruition of her dream is a real-life version of Field of Dreams. Regarding that first game, Tom Mietzel noted, “It’s heartwarming and a little bit heart-wrenching for me personally. I wish she was the one standing here instead of me. We didn’t get as much time as I’d hoped, but at some point, you’ve got to be thankful for what you get. You’ve got to be enjoying every day.”
The plaque in the photo above shows the comparative size of the two ball fields, the movie field on the right and the MLB regulation field on the left. If you are interested in learning more about the project to bring major league baseball to Iowa, this article from the Chicago Tribune tells a more complete story. One of the brightest parts of the story is that Stillman knew before she passed away that the game would be coming to Iowa and that her dream would come to fruition.
After the second major league game held at the field in 2022, further games are on hold while a new youth baseball and softball complex is under construction there. MLB continues to support the field and will hold future MLB games there. Admission to the movie site is by donation and the attraction is supported by gift shop purchases.
John Steiner
Flare Legend Adventures
John, what a wonderful and historical account of this movie. I remember seeing it when it first came out. I saw it either on Prime or Netflix, but passed it by. Now I’ll have to go find it!
Thanks, Anne! I originally was expecting to be disappointed in the set. I learned so much about the dream that came to be.
if you build it, they come
Indeed!
Thank you so much for this post! We visited the Field of Dreams movie site back in 2009 and loved it. When I learned it had been sold I hoped the new owners wouldn’t destroy it. I’m so glad to read about what they did with the property. Her dream came true! Are the corn fields still there?
They are, indeed, though certainly smaller since they added the regulation field nearby. You can’t see the new field from the set when the corn is tall.
That’s a good story, and a good outcome, though obviously not so much for her. I don’t follow the game at all, nor have I seen the movie, but I know of it. Very much part of American culture.
I admit to not having seen the movie, though since learning the story, I have been hoping to run across it on my few movie channels.
Or You-Tube.
It was a great movie! Thank you for the post.
I am glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks, SmushDive! By the way, your comment is one that recently appeared in my SPAM folder and I just discovered it this morning.
I should watch this movie now.
Very nice piece. I’m glad for you that you got to visit the Field of Dreams before the final ‘dream’ comes to fruition. Like all stories, there are two sides.
I visited the Field of Dreams in the fall of 2021 and wrote a piece about my visit . It was one of the highlights of a 9,000 mile road trip, as the movie Field of Dreams is a favorite of mine, as is the book, Shoeless Joe. I’ll be viewing the movie, along with the Natural, in March, as part of my annual celebration of the start of baseball.
During my visit, I couldn’t help but notice what a joyful place it is. Politics and culture wars and everything else that divides us is left at the gate. I met a couple from Sioux Falls. Yankee fans, they were but I didn’t hold that against them and they didn’t hold the Giants against me. We just love baseball. They were playing catch and I asked them if I could borrow a glove and play a bit, just to say that I had a catch at the Field of Dreams. The woman lent me her glove and I tossed the ball with her husband and we spent some time just talking baseball. (Asking to borrow a glove is no small thing. Almost like asking, ‘can I kiss your wife’). At the gate there was a kiosk with a sign asking for a 20 dollar donation. Parking was easy. There was an innocent and small town feel about it.
After I returned home I learned that the innocence and small town feel will be short lived. What is in store for the Field of Dreams has the potential to ruin the site and the experience. Unless the grand plan has been scaled down, the site will include a multi-field sports complex with dormitories, a hotel and a concert venue. There will be a 100,000 square foot field house, an R.V. park and jogging trails. The sports complex will be home to baseball and softball tournaments. Having been to youth sports tournaments, I can attest to the fact that there will be a constant in and out of teams, officials and fans which will likely necessitate a parking structure (and shuttle buses?). The short line of cars in front of me when I was there will likely stretch for blocks. Certainly what only cost me a voluntary 20 bucks will balloon. I hope I’m wrong. Maybe I’m just a stodgy old idealist who feels like the purity of some things should be left alone.
You really should see the movie and read the book
It sounds like the typical “Let’s not just do it, Let’s overdo it!
Very well said!
great post John, I’m a big baseball watcher and loved the Field Of Dreams movie. That game with the White Sox and Yankees was great to watch
I do need to see that movie as well.
I am a fan of baseball, especially the smaller leagues. Our local team, the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks play every summer. We attend several through the season when we aren’t traveling.
This is a wonderful story!!
It was a pleasant surprise to have such a powerful story come from our visit there.
Nice photos and background story.
Thanks, Egidio!
This is a perfect link for my “Inspiring People” post, John. I loved that movie. Our former Kiwanis President in Woodlake, CA, grew up with Kevin Cosner. They still get together regularly. He is a great actor, but that is the perfect story. It’s wonderful when your life’s dream can leave a legacy for others to enjoy as well. 🙂
Indeed. I’m on my iPad this afternoon, but I’ll use my computer to link them tomorrow morning. Thanks for the tip.
I already did!
Thanks!!
Thank you. It’s the perfect fit!
[…] PhotobyJohnbo […]
I really enjoyed this. I love that quote at the beginning!
Thanks, Kirstin! I discovered much more than I expected when we visited.