If You Build It They Will Come
In April of 1989 the movie Field of Dreams was released without much fanfare. Only a few theaters showed it on its release date and it was expected to last just a few weeks... it ended up spreading to thousands of theaters across the nation and remained on the Big Screen until December of that year. In the decades since its release, it has come to be a traditional staple of American cinema: it was one of 25 movies added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 2017.
"...a story of redemption and faith, in the tradition of the best Hollywood fantasies with moments of pure magic."
- Leonard Maltin, American Film Critic
If you haven't seen the film then I cannot recommend it enough. If you have seen it, then after visiting this site perhaps it might be time for a revisit. It's a loving ode to the most American of past-times, baseball, but it's also a testament to faith, commitment, and hard-work. Set in the heartland of America it speaks to loss, love, and redemption. A central component of the film revolves around the unique complexities of the relationship between father and son, and perhaps that is what endears it to so many - baseball is the means through which the relationship evolves.
"It’s a religious picture, all right, but the religion is baseball."
- Roger Ebert, Film Critic
Much of the movie was filmed here in Dyersville, Iowa. In order to make the film feel as real as possible, the baseball field was built in the middle of an actual corn field - just like in the movie. In fact, the area surrounding this site is still an active corn field to this day. If you're here during the summer months you'll have the most realistic experience as the corn is typically "knee high by the fourth of July" and harvested in the late summer months. The field is still used by local youth sports teams, and depending on the time of day you can sit in the bleachers and take in a game. Taking in a baseball game in the early summer, with a faint breeze and the smell of corn wafting through the air... you'll have to remind yourself: this isn't heaven, it's Iowa.
"Instead of Mother Goose, I was put to bed at night to stories of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the great Shoeless Joe Jackson."
- Ray Kinsella, Field of Dreams
As you wander around the field and grounds today, I hope you'll take time to reflect on this wonderful movie as you complete the logging requirements below. Recognize that this site would not still be here today if it weren't for the efforts of several dedicated volunteers and donations from visitors. This site continues to inspire a love of baseball - do you feel it?
Logging Requirements
This is a virtual cache. There is no container to find at this location. In order to log it you must complete the THREE tasks listed below - Firstly you will be required to take a photo which replicates one that I took during my latest visit to the site (below) and post it with your log. Secondly you will need to answer two questions and send those answers in to the CO via the message center or via email. Logs without photos AND corresponding answers will be deleted.
The CO visiting the site in July of 2024.
- At the posted coordinates take a photo of yourself with the sign "Field of Dreams" in the back as shown above. All three words need to be visible in your photo! (If you are camera shy you may instead hold up a piece of paper with your caching name written on it in front of this sign).
- At Waypoint 1 (labeled "Plaque") you'll find a small memorial dedicated to Denise Miarecki Stillman, a volunteer who helped shape the Field of Dreams Site into the place that it is today. Above this memorial is a small plaque: What must you do to "prosper, thrive, and have great fortune?"
- At Waypoint 3 (labeled "Bleacher") you'll need to look for a carving on the top bench on the side closest to homeplate. What three words are inscribed within the heart?
Remember, " The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again."
Enjoy your visit - and consider having a game of catch. It's worth it for the memories.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
Thank you to iowaPete for agreeing to help me remotely maintain this virtual!