Populous Partners with BaAM and BrightView to Bring MLB at Field of Dreams in 2020

Major League Baseball (MLB) recently announced its plans to bring the first-ever regular season game to the site of the famous 1989 baseball film, Field of Dreams on August 13, 2020. Though the game will not take place on the original diamond created for the film, MLB is partnered with Populous, BaAM Productions and BrightView to design a temporary ballpark at the Dyersville, Iowa farm site where the Chicago White Sox will host the New York Yankees.

“As a sport that is proud of its history linking generations, MLB is excited to bring a regular season game to the site of Field of Dreams. We look forward to celebrating the movie’s enduring message of how baseball brings people together at this special cornfield in Iowa,” said MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.

The design of the ballpark in Dyersville, including the shape of the outfield and the bullpens beyond the centerfield fence, will pay homage to Comiskey Park, which was home of the Chicago White Sox from 1910-1990. The facility will be built adjacent to rows of corn like those that lined the outfield in the movie and a pathway through a cornfield will take fans to the ballpark, which will overlook the famous movie location. The right field wall will include windows to show the cornfields beyond the ballpark.

“We’re honored to be a part of bringing MLB to such an iconic and intimate setting for the first time in Iowa, while celebrating the legacy of the Field of Dreams,” said Todd Barnes, Populous’ lead event architect.

Populous’ work with MLB at Field of Dreams follows other recent special events that have taken groundbreaking MLB games to non-traditional domestic locales, including the Fort Bragg Game in 2016, MLB In Omaha at the NCAA’s Men’s College World Series in 2019 and the annual Little League Classic in Williamsport since 2017. Populous also played a part in bringing MLB to Europe in 2019 for the first-ever MLB London Series at the Populous-designed London Stadium. For more information on our event practice, visit our website or contact us at info@populous.com.