I’ll admit upfront, that I was slightly disappointed by my Target Field experience, but it had little to do with the ballpark. I can remember watching Twins’ games on TV, when Target Field first opened in 2010, and the atmosphere seemed electric. The Twins averaged nearly 40,000 fans per game during their first two years playing at Target Field. Add in the context that my first visit was on a Friday night, with perfect summer weather, and the Twins currently sitting atop of the AL Central, I was expecting a pretty good atmosphere.
The reality was quite different than my expectations. The announced attendance was 25,000, and that was probably generous. It was also an extremely quiet crowd, which I found pretty surprising. This was my first trip to Minnesota, but between the Twins and Vikings, I’ve always thought they had some of the better fan bases in professional sports. Of course this was only 1 game, but my initial experience was definitely underwhelming.
Crowd considerations aside, Target Field is an excellent venue for baseball. The ballpark is centrally located in downtown Minneapolis, and blends together nicely with the city. Both the interior and exterior of the ballpark are aesthetically pleasing, and are in no danger of becoming outdated anytime soon. This is the Twins’ 13th season playing at Target Field, but it feels brand new.
Walking around the ballpark, I was impressed with the sightlines, and got the impression there’s not a bad seat in the house. The designers also did a nice job of maximizing the views of the downtown skyline. As you would expect with a newer stadium, all the amenities were great. I didn’t engage in an extensive sampling of the food options, but everything I tried was quite good. It’s hard to fully judge, given the lackluster attendance, but the concourses felt appropriately sized, and very walkable.
Being downtown there was easy access to public transit options, and parking was incredibly convenient. I parked in a garage right next to the stadium for only $15, and was able to directly enter the ballpark through a skybridge. A lot of fans utilized public transit options, so leaving after the game was painless.
Rankings Update
Overall, I didn’t have any major criticisms of Target Field. I can’t assign too much weight to the atmosphere, as it was only one game. I’ll give the Twin’s fans the benefit of the doubt. I ended up slotting Target Field into the number 6 spot, just ahead of Kauffman Stadium. It was a close call, as I really like the ballpark in Kansas City, but Target Field had enough positives to grab the number 6 spot. Had I ranked it number 7, there would have been a huge gap between itself and Nationals Park. Although built around the same time, Target Field is superior to Nationals Park by a wide margin.
MLB Ballpark Rankings
- Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
- Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
- T-Mobile Park – Seattle, WA
- Oracle Park – San Francisco, CA
- Petco Park – San Diego, CA
- Target Field – Minneapolis, MN
- Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City, MO
- Nationals Park – Washington, D.C.
- Minute Maid Park – Houston, TX
- Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA
- Chase Field – Phoenix, AZ
- Truist Park – Atlanta, GA
29. Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL
30. Oakland Coliseum – Oakland, CA
Only $15 to park. What a bargain! We paid $80 a few weeks back at the Braves game. 😠
The Twins do have a great baseball heritage. This past weekend saw Jim Kaat, MInnie Minoso, and Tony Oliva – all Minnesota Twins – inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Paul Molitor, Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett are other noteworthy Twins Hall of Famers. They built that horrid indoor stadium due to the cold spring and fall weather in Minneapolis, and for that weather consideration I could see the need for an indoor stadium. The downtown backdrop in this open air park, however, is similar to Pittsburgh, but not quite as spectacular. This one should finish in your top 15, I’m guessing.