DYERSVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) — Major League Baseball returns to the Field of Dreams this week for the first time in four years.
The original movie site—corn, a baseball diamond and a farmhouse—still anchors the property, but a permanent ballpark, a barn-turned restaurant and bar, an event center and a youth sports complex under construction now surround it.
A permanent ballpark replaces the temporary structure
“The biggest thing obviously would be our full-time professional ballpark,” said Keith Rahe, executive director of Dyersville Events Inc., speaking on what’s changed at the site since the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds arrived in Dyersville in 2022.
The previous MLB games at the site used a temporary setup.
“The diamond itself is permanent, but everything around it, they came in, they constructed, and then when the event was over, they took it down,” Rahe said.
The permanent ballpark will host the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
Youth sports complex on the way
The movie site said it hosted 637 youth baseball teams in 2025, marking an economic impact of $14.2 million.
A new youth sports complex, currently under construction, is set to feature four fields in the spring, with room to expand.
“Can’t wait for that. We’re going to have the turf infields, grass outfields, and just a beautiful complex, so really take what we’re doing from a tournament standpoint with baseball, softball, and senior baseball and that and really enhance that and grow that even more,” Rahe said.
Protecting the brand
When asked whether the site’s growth threatens the character of the original movie location, Rahe said the brand’s preservation is his priority.
“No one cares about that more than me. I got to be honest with you. I spent 37 years building this brand, protecting this brand. No one cares more about that than what I do,” he said. “I feel [the growth] doesn’t take away from the site. It adds to it.”
Rahe said continued development is necessary to keep the site viable.
“You have to be able to do things. You have to be able to generate excitement and traffic and that cash flow in order to sustain someplace and to grow and keep it alive for not only this generation, but the next generations,” he said.
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