🏛 Historic Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium — affectionately called ‘the Met’ — was an outdoor multipurpose sports stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. Built for the minor league Minneapolis Millers and opened on April 24, 1956, the $8.5 million facility was constructed to major league specifications, a foresighted decision that paid off when the Washington Senators relocated to become the Minnesota Twins in 1961.
For 21 seasons, from 1961 through 1981, the Met simultaneously housed both the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings — a rare dual-tenant arrangement that made it one of the busiest sporting venues in the Upper Midwest. The stadium closed after its final game on December 20, 1981, was demolished on January 28, 1985, and its footprint was ultimately transformed into the Mall of America, which opened in 1992.
Stats at a Glance
- Teams: Minnesota Twins (MLB), Minnesota Vikings (NFL), Minnesota Kicks (NASL)
- Location: 8000 Cedar Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota
- Opened: April 24, 1956
- Closed: December 20, 1981
- Demolished: January 28, 1985
- Peak Capacity (Baseball): 45,919
- Peak Capacity (Football): 49,784
- Current Site: Mall of America
A Stage for Legends
The Met hosted some of the defining moments in Minnesota sports history. In 1965, the stadium welcomed the MLB All-Star Game and witnessed a dramatic World Series that went to a deciding Game 7, drawing a crowd of 50,596. That same summer, The Beatles performed at the Met on August 21, 1965, one of the earliest major rock concerts held at a professional sports venue in the Twin Cities.
On the gridiron, the Vikings used the Met as their home fortress through the franchise’s formative years, including the 1969 NFL Championship Game. For the Twins, one iconic moment came on June 3, 1967, when Harmon Killebrew launched a 520-foot home run — still regarded as the longest ever struck at the stadium.
From the Met to the Mall
After both the Twins and Vikings departed for the new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis in 1982, Metropolitan Stadium sat vacant for several years before being razed on January 28, 1985. The land was redeveloped over the following years and became the home of the Mall of America, which opened in August 1992.
A single red seat bolted to the floor of the mall’s first level marks the precise spot where Killebrew’s legendary 520-foot blast once landed — a quiet, permanent tribute to the outdoor ballpark that once stood beneath the retail floors of one of the most-visited shopping centers in the world.
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Metropolitan Stadium FAQs
When was Metropolitan Stadium demolished?
Metropolitan Stadium was demolished on January 28, 1985, after sitting vacant for several years following the Twins and Vikings’ departure to the Metrodome in 1982.
What stands on the site of Metropolitan Stadium today?
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota now occupies the site. A commemorative red seat on the mall’s ground floor marks the exact landing spot of Harmon Killebrew’s famous 520-foot home run.
Which teams played at Metropolitan Stadium?
The Minneapolis Millers (minor league baseball, 1956–1960), the Minnesota Twins (MLB, 1961–1981), the Minnesota Vikings (NFL, 1961–1981), and the Minnesota Kicks (NASL soccer, 1976–1981) all called the Met home.
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Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.