Field of Dreams - Dyersville, Iowa

The movie "Field of Dreams" came out in 1989 and was an inspirational hit. In the story, the main character, played by Kevin Costner in the film, is directed by a mysterious voice to build a baseball field on his farm. "If you build it, they will come," he was told.

When making the movie, the producers looked for a farm with several qualities: It had to be surrounded by cornfields, it had to have period buildings, and it had to have a long lane leading from the road to the house. They found just the place at the Lansing farm outside of Dyersville, Iowa. Hollywood descended on Dyersville, the ballfield was built, and movie history was made.

After the filming, the Lansing family decided to keep the field maintained just as it looks in the movie. To this day, visitors can come to the ballfield. There is no admission charge. The site is humbly uncommercial and exquisitely kept. There is a small souvenier stand, but otherwise, it's just a beautiful farm with a baseball field, complete with bleachers and lights. Visitors can go out onto the field and play catch, hit a few balls, run the bases. Some folks like to film each other emerging from the high cornstalks as did the apparitions in the movie.

We came here as a family when Eric was eleven years old and playing Little League ball. We had a great time hitting and catching on the field. Since I was driving across Iowa, I just had to stop and see the field again.

More than twenty years later, they still come.