Not a Fairgambit bucket list, but getting to see "Field of Dreams" this Friday.....

[OhioLion]

Making the 985 mile trip to Chamberlain, SD - where I-90 crosses the Missouri River - and decided we would take in the field and house tours of the movie set.
I said I wanted to see the field.
My wife said she wanted to see the house.
Our 17-year old said he should probably watch the movie before we go.

Talking with a buddy the other day, he asked if I was going to have a catch with my dad. Man, with Father's Day just 4 days ago, yeah, I would love to throw a baseball again with my father.

Anyone ever been to the Field of Dreams?

OL

 

[BobPSU92]

Have a catch with your son.

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

Making the 985 mile trip to Chamberlain, SD - where I-90 crosses the Missouri River - and decided we would take in the field and house tours of the movie set.
I said I wanted to see the field.
My wife said she wanted to see the house.
Our 17-year old said he should probably watch the movie before we go.

Talking with a buddy the other day, he asked if I was going to have a catch with my dad. Man, with Father's Day just 4 days ago, yeah, I would love to throw a baseball again with my father.

Anyone ever been to the Field of Dreams?

OL

Make your son download and watch the movie in advance/ en route of your arrival. Before you arrive, ask him
a) what message(s) is the movie suggesting / representing?
b) does he know who James Earl Jones is and what other movies he starred in.

 

[john4psu]

I hope to.visit it the day after Penn State beats Iowa this September.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Had a vacation home in Galena, IL for many years, took visitors over to The Field of Dreams. Was disappointed as telephone poles / electrical wires were all over the place.....sorta destroyed the mood, at least for me. This was maybe 15-20 years ago, no telling what the experience is there these days.

Hope it's worth the visit!

 

[fairgambit]

Making the 985 mile trip to Chamberlain, SD - where I-90 crosses the Missouri River - and decided we would take in the field and house tours of the movie set.
I said I wanted to see the field.
My wife said she wanted to see the house.
Our 17-year old said he should probably watch the movie before we go.
Talking with a buddy the other day, he asked if I was going to have a catch with my dad. Man, with Father's Day just 4 days ago, yeah, I would love to throw a baseball again with my father.
Anyone ever been to the Field of Dreams?
OL

I have never been there but I've watched the movie a half dozen times and I think it would really neat to see the set. Travel safely, enjoy the trip, and let us know how it goes.

 

[pandaczar12]

I went before the last game at Iowa in 2012. I was the first and only person there when they opened the day of the game. Add being alone to the fact that it was very foggy out, and it made for the perfect visit.

 

[kgilbert78]

I hope to.visit it the day after Penn State beats Iowa this September.

I was thinking of something similar. How far from Iowa City? We're also going to do a little touring in the Burlington area, as my wife's grandfather's family is from the area.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I was thinking of something similar. How far from Iowa City? We're also going to do a little touring in the Burlington area, as my wife's grandfather's family is from the area.

Siri says 77 driving miles.

 

[kgilbert78]

Siri says 77 driving miles.

I guess I'll have to ask Mrs KG then.

 

[pabornandraised]

Making the 985 mile trip to Chamberlain, SD - where I-90 crosses the Missouri River - and decided we would take in the field and house tours of the movie set.
I said I wanted to see the field.
My wife said she wanted to see the house.
Our 17-year old said he should probably watch the movie before we go.

Talking with a buddy the other day, he asked if I was going to have a catch with my dad. Man, with Father's Day just 4 days ago, yeah, I would love to throw a baseball again with my father.

Anyone ever been to the Field of Dreams?

OL

I stopped by once about 15 years ago when I was in the Dubuque area for business. It was in the summer, late afternoon/early evening, so the house and gift shops.....there were 2.....were closed for the day.

I think it's well known that the ball field spans 2 separate properties....the owners might have been related to each other.....and I remember being told that one side sold out after the movie, so there were some "issues" there, and the reason for the 2 gift shops.

Had the place pretty much to myself, so I walked the bases, checked out the corn field beyond the outfield, sat in the small bleachers and saw the heart carving that Costner did for his movie wife, etc. Signs tell you the story of the place and some movie facts, such as who was riding in the lead cars for the final scene.

It was cool, considering the movie, but at the end of the day, it was just a baseball field stuck in the middle of a corn field. Not sure if I would have done the house tour if it was open....and unless dad was there to have a catch, can't see spending more than an hour total there.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

I was thinking of something similar. How far from Iowa City? We're also going to do a little touring in the Burlington area, as my wife's grandfather's family is from the area.

Last time I was in Iowa city was 2008. That trip was ok overall but the result of a certain contest in Kinnick cast a dark cloud... i should have gone to the FOD house ....

 

[OhioLion]

The trip was good, and very glad we stopped.
When we turned and started down the driveway, it was just a really different feeling. Not chills, but not a normal feeling.
Arrived around 9, walked the bases, went to the outfield corn and sat in the bleachers. One of the workers has been there for 26 years working on the field and facilities. He filled us in on the split ownership. It's all owned now by a group out of Chicago.
At one point, the "ghost players" group which the worker is part of (says it's similar to the Globetrotters as they perform for the crowd) could only do their routine in left and center fields as the wife of Don Lansing - owner of the house - would not let them on the field. She actually would call the sheriff's department.
Of the 1500 cars in the final scene, only 4 were moving. The others sat and tuned to a radio station and listened to the producer talk to them. The cars would flash their lights from bright to dim and back again. Gave the illusion they were moving.
As the tour guide said, it was before computers could do a lot of the work for them.
It was a drought year and they needed to irrigate the corn. Then it grew too tall. Costner had to stand on a 6" platform so he would be closer to the top of the stalks.
Early scene of the movie scans the house. A quick clip shows tar paper on the front as much of the porch was added on for the movie.
The worker said it is a great sight to see families come out and use the field to "have a catch". He was telling one morning that he arrived and saw baseballs lined up along first base line. He went to see them and saw writing on each one. A deaf boy had written "hey dad wanna have a catch" on the balls and lined them up for his father to see. The worker - probably in his late 60's - said he was choked up when the family came up and explained they put them there earlier in the morning.
House was okay, but nothing spectacular.

As a halfway point stop and not far out of the way for our travels, I could go again.

OL

 

[YeOldeCup]

Making the 985 mile trip to Chamberlain, SD - where I-90 crosses the Missouri River - and decided we would take in the field and house tours of the movie set.
I said I wanted to see the field.
My wife said she wanted to see the house.
Our 17-year old said he should probably watch the movie before we go.

Talking with a buddy the other day, he asked if I was going to have a catch with my dad. Man, with Father's Day just 4 days ago, yeah, I would love to throw a baseball again with my father.

Anyone ever been to the Field of Dreams?

OL

Just went there virtually

 

[fairgambit]

The trip was good, and very glad we stopped.
When we turned and started down the driveway, it was just a really different feeling. Not chills, but not a normal feeling.
Arrived around 9, walked the bases, went to the outfield corn and sat in the bleachers. One of the workers has been there for 26 years working on the field and facilities. He filled us in on the split ownership. It's all owned now by a group out of Chicago.
At one point, the "ghost players" group which the worker is part of (says it's similar to the Globetrotters as they perform for the crowd) could only do their routine in left and center fields as the wife of Don Lansing - owner of the house - would not let them on the field. She actually would call the sheriff's department.
Of the 1500 cars in the final scene, only 4 were moving. The others sat and tuned to a radio station and listened to the producer talk to them. The cars would flash their lights from bright to dim and back again. Gave the illusion they were moving.
As the tour guide said, it was before computers could do a lot of the work for them.
It was a drought year and they needed to irrigate the corn. Then it grew too tall. Costner had to stand on a 6" platform so he would be closer to the top of the stalks.
Early scene of the movie scans the house. A quick clip shows tar paper on the front as much of the porch was added on for the movie.
The worker said it is a great sight to see families come out and use the field to "have a catch". He was telling one morning that he arrived and saw baseballs lined up along first base line. He went to see them and saw writing on each one. A deaf boy had written "hey dad wanna have a catch" on the balls and lined them up for his father to see. The worker - probably in his late 60's - said he was choked up when the family came up and explained they put them there earlier in the morning.
House was okay, but nothing spectacular.

As a halfway point stop and not far out of the way for our travels, I could go again.

OL

Good stuff, OhioLion. I've seen the movie many times, but the next time I will look at it a bit differently. Thanks for the update.