Metropolitan Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Construction began on June 20, 1955, after a property owner protested unpaid land fees by barricading his farm equipment across the future infield. A construction incident in early 1956 caused a delay and repairs before the Millers opened play against the Wichita Braves on April 24. Calvin Griffith announced the Washington Senators' move to Minnesota in October 1960, prompting a $9 million renovation that expanded seating from roughly 22,000 to over 30,000 by the Twins' inaugural season in 1961. The stadium was renowned as a hitter's park with short foul lines: 343 feet to left field and 330 feet to right field. These dimensions were particularly friendly to pull hitters like Harmon Killebrew. Unlike many multi-purpose stadiums of the era, it featured cantilevered decks that eliminated view-blocking posts, ensuring few bad seats for baseball.

In Their Own Story

The stadium hosted a disjointed yet historic convergence of sports. While the Twins thrived in their first decade by outdrawing every other American League team on average, the facility struggled with football logistics. The gridiron ran north-south from third base to right field, leaving barely enough room for end zones. Wooden bleachers were brought onto the field until 1965, when the Vikings paid for a double-decked grandstand in left field to replace them, creating a unique configuration of left-field stands and third-base bleachers. This venue became a playoff fortress; cold Minnesota temperatures provided an overwhelming home advantage, with the Vikings winning seven of their ten playoff games there. The pinnacle of baseball history occurred in 1965 when both the All-Star Game and World Series were played at the Met. Game 7 drew 50,596 fans, setting a record attendance that stood as the only time a baseball crowd exceeded 50,000 at the stadium.

Reader's Guide

Visitors in the late 1950s saw exhibition games featuring major league teams like the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants before the Twins arrived. The site's alignment was southeast (home plate to center field), differing from the recommended east-northeast, though this posed no issue as baseball required parks built after 1958 to have foul lines of at least 325 feet. Football configuration saw wooden bleachers initially, followed by the permanent left-field grandstand which was originally planned to slide but never did. The Minnesota Kicks of the North American Soccer League also played there from 1976 until folding in November 1981. Both the Twins and Vikings departed after the 1981 season, ending a 21-season run for each franchise at the site.

Did You Know?

• A property owner blocked the construction site with a barricade of farm equipment because he had not yet been paid.
• The 330-foot marker in right field was actually at the right-field foul pole, not closer to right-center.
• Game 7 of the 1965 World Series drew 50,596 fans, and Game 2 of the same series also drew over 50,000 (50,180), making them the only baseball crowds at the Met to exceed 50,000.
• The Vikings won seven of their eleven playoff games hosted at the stadium, largely due to Minnesota's cold temperatures.