Ballparks and stadiums, women in baseball, with many more topics coming soon...

Take Me Out to the Ballgame: A History of Twin Cities Ballparks

A richly illustrated presentation about the historic and contemporary baseball parks of the Twin Cities. Beginning with the early baseball grounds and simple wooden ballparks of the late 19th century, we'll also visit Nicollet Park and Lexington Park in the early 20th century, see Midway and Met Stadiums at mid-century, and finish our virtual tour with a look at two modern wonders, Target Field and CHS Field.

A History of Women in Baseball 

As players, fans, umpires, architects, and owners, women have been active in baseball for centuries. We will learn about baseball’s most famous fan, Katie Casey, and see some important examples of Minnesota women in baseball.

How (Not) to Build a Sports Facility: The 1884 Minneapolis Ballpark

In the years leading up to Super Bowl LII, Minneapolis and St. Paul were deeply engaged in the throes of Super Bowl planning, with the signature event being the big game in the big new stadium. The USBank Stadium project has generated significant controversy over the years, and it is certainly not the first sports facility to create conflict in the community. In this richly illustrated slide presentation, we will travel back to 1884 to learn about another ambitious and controversial project, a long-lost, architect-designed sports facility on the edge of downtown Minneapolis.

Some Mysterious Old Ballpark Pictures: Reading the Visual Evidence

Ambitious sports facilities projects--including Target Field and USBank Stadium--are not new. Back in the late 1880s, both St. Paul and Minneapolis built Athletic Parks to house their baseball teams and many other sports. Using the oldest known photographs of Twin Cities ballparks, we will visit and explore the Athletic Parks in an illustrated presentation that digs into the revealing details of these old pictures.

The Architecture of Target Field

Target Field is the third stadium used by the Minnesota Twins. Their second home, the Metrodome, left a lot to be desired, but it provided great inspiration for Target Field. In this illustrated presentation, we will explore the architectural history of our beautifully designed and award-winning downtown ballpark.