Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins, is a beautiful stadium in the heart of Minneapolis. Unlike the old Metrodome, the new park is open-air and purpose-built for baseball. Target Field is a worthy cathedral for the Twins’ loyal fans.
An Open-Air Stadium in the Twin Cities
Design
Target Field was the first stadium built specifically for the Twins (opened in 2010), and it is a gorgeous, retro modern design. The stadium used local limestone throughout, which is a beautiful tan color that really stands out. Target Field was awarded LEED Platinum Certification in 2022 for its environmental design, the only LEED Platinum MLB ballpark along with San Francisco’s Oracle Park.



The outside of the stadium has some neat features. There is “The Wave,” a wind veil that makes waves as the wind blows and shimmers red and blue at night. It happens to be the largest piece of public art in Minnesota.
There are also statues of former legends like Kirby Puckett and Harmon Killebrew.
A large “Golden Glove” sits in the plaza in recognition of all the Twins players that have won the Gold Glove Award. This a famous place for fans to climb up for a photo 🙂


The gate entrance numbers are numbered according to former Twins legends and roughly located near to the positions that they played.
- Left field gate is #6 honoring Tony Oliva (with his bronze statue nearby)
- Centerfield gate is #3 for Harmon Killebrew
- Target Plaza gate (in right field) is #34 in tribute to Kirby Puckett
- Right field gate is #29 in tribute to Rod Carew
- Home plate gate is #14 in honor of Kent Hrbek (featuring his bronze statue)
Minneapolis has a nice skyline and is highlighted on the right field side of the stadium. The left field skyline is blocked with the Budweiser roof deck and scoreboards/signs. The main scoreboard is massive and one of the best we’ve seen. Oddly, it has a bend in the left part of it in order to keep it in line with the seats below it. The information on the screen is relevant and easy to read, but we do prefer when both lineups are always visible so you know where the opposing team is in their order. The Twins’ scoreboard displays additional batter stats in place of the defending team’s lineup.



Location
The stadium is located in the Warehouse District west of Downtown Minneapolis. The area had many restaurants and seemed very safe and well maintained. There are plenty of parking garages within the area, although it takes a bit of navigating through the one-way streets. We took the Metro light rail from the airport and it was convenient and easy, with the station located right outside the stadium.



Concessions
Popular concessions include Kramarczuk’s sausages, Papa Pete’s mini donuts, Luce pizza, cheese curds, Union Hmong Kitchen’s Thai banh mi brat, and burgers from Red Cow, which use a blend of beef and bacon in the patty itself. We tried the cheese curds, pepperoni pizza, and the banh mi brat. The curds were good, but not as good as Miller Park’s in Milwaukee or the ones at the nearby Minnesota State Fair. Pizza Luce was mediocre, with a stiff flavorless crust. The banh mi brat was excellent.





There are several local beverage options. When Sarah went in 2015, she enjoyed a unique and spicy Bloody Mary with a bratwurst on a stick, which now seems to only be available at Hrbek’s.There are plenty of Minnesota brews to enjoy including Summit, Grain Belt, Schell’s, and Finnigans. While most ballparks now have beer bats available (~$25), this is the first stadium where we saw a margarita bat (~$30).
We got a cocktail and local bourbon from Keeper’s Heart Town Ball Tavern, which was an excellent bar except that it didn’t have field views. The Truly On Deck Bar & Grill was a popular bar with both indoor seating and general admission outdoor seating facing the field.







Amenities
With the open-air design, it can be chilly in Minnesota in April and October. The stadium does offer heated viewing areas and a heated field. The Budweiser Roof Deck in left field has the only bonfire in the Majors. The weather was gorgeous during the summer, but we’d be sitting by the bonfire during October postseason!
In addition to the Keeper’s Heart, Hrbek’s, Truly On Deck, and Budweiser bars mentioned above, there’s the Cutwater Cocktail Bar, Gray Duck Deck, Twin Cities Tavern, Twins Pub, and Summit Brewing Pub. If you’re in search of an all-inclusive experience, the Delta SKY360° Suite offers unlimited food and drinks.
The kids area – TC’s Clubhouse – was perhaps the most basic we’ve seen, with just a single miniature dugout with stairs on one end and a small slide on the other.

Culture
There are a slew of activities during the game to keep fans entertained, with the highlight being a race between 5 mascots including the Target dog, Bullseye.
When Sarah went with a coworker in 2015, they ran into the TV broadcaster (and Hall of Fame pitcher) Bert Blyleven on the escalator and her friend shouted, “Circle Me Bert!” Bert was known for circling Twins fans on TV with the telestrator so there were lots of fans with signs (including a couple celebrating 48 years of marriage) trying to get him to circle them on the broadcast. Interesting fact about Bert, he was a former Twin pitcher and one of baseball’s most notorious dugout pranksters. He earned the nickname the “Frying Dutchman” by frequently setting fire to his teammates’ shoelaces, a practical joke known as a “hot-foot.” He retired from broadcasting in 2020.
The Twins mascot – “TC the Bear” – is seen throughout the game entertaining fans. He catches the ceremonial first pitch instead of the typical player from the home team.



The home run celebrations were fantastic! The Twins “Minnie and Paul” on the Minnesota state backdrop light up and “shake hands” over the flowing Mississippi River. The following are other flashing celebrations the Minnie and Paul sign did throughout the night:
- When the Twins scored a run by any means other than a home run, the strobe lights traced the border from the bottom-left corner for each Twins player that crosses home plate, symbolizing that a Twins player rounded the bases.
- For each strikeout, the corners of the sign flashed to portray the strike zone.
- The strobe lights flashed at the end of the top of an inning when the Twins did not surrender a run during the inning.
- After the Twins victory, the “T” and “s” in “Twins” blinked to show the message “Twins win” in addition to the Twins shaking hands over the river.
- And of course there’s the traditional fireworks!
All the fans were super friendly, providing recommendations for things to check out. There were a good number of fans that stayed until the last out and many fans mingling afterwards – almost like they had just won a major championship game. Overall, we had a terrific time exploring Twins Territory. Hopefully the Cardinals will be back in October soon for a rematch of the 1987 World Series!
Summary & Scoring
Dates Visited: Wednesday, May 6, 2015 (Sarah) and Saturday, August 24, 2024 (Scott & Sarah)
Games Played: 2015: Twins 13, Athletics 0, WP Gibson – Rookie Rosario hit a HR in his first major league at-bat on the first pitch, and the Twins combined for 3 HR. Former Cardinal Shane Robinson (“Sugar Shane”) had a great diving catch to end the game. [Box Score]
2024: Twins 6, Cardinals 0. WP Lopez. Twins hit 3 HR including 2 by Trevor Larnach. [Box Score]
Both games combined: Twins won 19-0.
Design: – Retro modern design with local limestone, roof canopy soffit and several unique features like the Minnie and Paul logo flashing sign. The exterior isn’t super eye-catching but does include the “Golden Glove”, many Twins legend statues, and “The Wave.” Minneapolis has a nice skyline on the RF side. The LF skyline is blocked with the Budweiser roof deck and scoreboards/signs.
Location: – In the Warehouse District west of Downtown Minneapolis next to the Mississippi River and Twin City of St. Paul.
Concessions: – Local beer and whiskey along with local favorites such as sausages, cheese curds, and mini donuts. However, their offerings were much more impressive when Sarah went in 2015 than in 2024 with many unique Minnesota State Fair “on-a-stick” options.
Amenities: – Lots of hangout areas including a few heated options for cold spring/fall ballgames, but the kids area is severely lacking.
Culture: – Fans were super friendly and supportive of their team. The fireworks and flashing “Minnie and Paul” sign made celebrations very thrilling.
Overall: – The modern design with a plethora of local touches and enthusiastic fans makes this ballpark a must-see while visiting the Twin Cities.






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