About Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was built in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington in 1956 by civic boosters determined to attract a major-league franchise, a gamble that finally paid off in 1961 when the Washington Senators relocated to become the Minnesota Twins. The open-air stadium sat in the middle of what felt like the American heartland — exposed to the brutal Minnesota climate, with early-season snow and late-season cold turning attendance into an act of athletic endurance for fans.
For 21 seasons, Met Stadium was the stage for some of Minnesota's greatest baseball moments. Harmon Killebrew — the most prolific home run hitter the Twins ever produced — launched tape-measure shots into the right-field stands and upper deck here. Rod Carew won seven batting titles while playing at Met Stadium, including his remarkable 1977 season where he batted .388 and came breathlessly close to .400. The 1965 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers went seven games, with the Twins winning the first two games at home before Sandy Koufax's brilliance ultimately prevailed.
When the Twins moved to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 1982, Metropolitan Stadium was demolished. The site was developed into the Mall of America — now one of the largest shopping malls in North America. In a perfect act of preservation, a plaque on the upper level of the mall marks the exact location of home plate, and a red seat commemorates where Harmon Killebrew hit the longest home run in the stadium's history.
Fun facts
- A plaque inside the Mall of America marks the exact location of home plate — the mall was built on the site.
- Harmon Killebrew hit 393 of his 573 career home runs as a Twin, many at Met Stadium.
- Rod Carew won 7 batting titles while playing here — the most in AL history at the time.
- The Twins drew only 402,000 fans in their final Met Stadium season, one of the lowest totals in MLB history.
- Minnesota weather forced early-April games in near-freezing temperatures and occasional snow.
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