Metropolitan Stadium

Metropolitan Stadium
The Met
"Met Stadium"
"Old Met"
Aerial view from northeast in 1962
Map
Bloomington is located in the United States
Bloomington
Bloomington
Location in the United States
Bloomington is located in Minnesota
Bloomington
Bloomington
Location in Minnesota
Address8000 Cedar Avenue South
LocationBloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
Coordinates44°51′16″N 93°14′31″W / 44.85444°N 93.24194°W / 44.85444; -93.24194
OwnerCity of Minneapolis (1956–1977)
Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (1977–1981)
CapacityBaseball: 18,200 (1956)
21,000 (1957–1959)
30,022 (1960–1961)
39,525 (1962)
40,073 (1963–1964)
45,182 (1965–1969)
45,914 (1970–1972)
45,921 (1973–1974)
45,919 (1975–1981)
Football: 41,200 (1961–1964)
47,900 (1965–1970)
49,784 (1971–1973)
47,900 (1974–1976)
48,446 (1977–1981)
Field sizeLeft field: 343 ft (105 m)
Left-center: 365 ft (111 m)
Center field: 402 ft (123 m)
Right-center: 370 ft (113 m)
Right field: 330 ft (101 m)
Backstop: 60 ft (18 m)
Wall: 8 feet (2.4 m)
SurfaceNatural grass
Construction
Broke groundJune 20, 1955[1]
OpenedApril 24, 1956; 68 years ago (1956-04-24)
ClosedDecember 20, 1981
DemolishedJanuary 28, 1985
Construction cost$8.5 million[2]
($95.3 million in 2023 dollars[3])
ArchitectOsborn Architects & Engineers[1]
Thorshov and Cerny[4]
Structural engineerTepper Engineering
General contractorJohnson, Drake & Piper/Kimmes/Axel Ohman[1]
Tenants
Minneapolis Millers (AA) 1956–1960
Minnesota Twins (MLB) 1961–1981
Minnesota Vikings (NFL) 1961–1981
Minnesota Kicks (NASL) 1976–1981
Chicago Cardinals (NFL) 1959 (2 games)

Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the north central United States, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Millers of Minor League Baseball were the original tenant from 1956 to 1960, but Metropolitan Stadium was best known as the home of the American League's Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL); both played at the "Met" for 21 seasons, from 1961 through 1981. The Minnesota Kicks of the North American Soccer League (NASL) also played there from 1976 to 1981.

Southwest of the airport, the stadium site is now the Mall of America, which opened in 1992.

  1. ^ a b c "Former Minnesota ballparks". ballparktour.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  2. ^ "Metropolitan Stadium". Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Metropolitan Stadium". Project Ballpark. Retrieved May 9, 2014.