The Minnesota stadium that became a mall after a final, chaotic souvenir hunt
In short: Metropolitan Stadium, once the proud home of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, was a skeletal, multi-purpose venue that defined an era of sports. After decades of hosting legendary games and bizarre incidents, its final days dissolved into a literal dismantling by fans before it was transformed into the Mall of America.
Conceived in 1953 by Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce president Gerald Moore, the stadium was built on 160 acres of Bloomington farmland to lure major league teams to the Twin Cities. Construction faced immediate hurdles, including a protest where a property owner barricaded the future infield with farm equipment. When it opened in 1956, it lacked a name and had just survived a concrete-curing heater explosion that caused $50,000 in damage. Despite its humble beginnings, it eventually hosted the Minnesota Twins, the Minnesota Vikings, and the North American Soccer League's Minnesota Kicks.
The stadium was known for its quirks, including a disjointed design where bleacher fans had to exit the structure to reach the grandstand. Its short foul lines made it a haven for pull hitters like Harmon Killebrew, who famously launched a 520-foot home run in 1967. However, the facility struggled to adapt to the needs of modern professional sports. By the 1970s, the NFL required stadiums with at least 50,000 seats, and the Met’s inability to expand—combined with poor maintenance and a deteriorating playing surface—sealed its fate. Rumors persisted that the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission intentionally neglected the site to accelerate the move to the new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
The end was as dramatic as the stadium's history. During the Vikings' final game on December 20, 1981, fans anticipated the closure by tearing down goalposts, digging up turf, and dismantling seats, resulting in hundreds of minor injuries. After the stadium was abandoned in 1982, it sat decaying for three years before demolition began in January 1985. Today, the site is occupied by the Mall of America. A brass plaque marks the former location of home plate, and a red seat mounted high on a wall commemorates Killebrew’s legendary home run, serving as a nostalgic reminder of the 'Old Met' that once stood in its place.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Metropolitan Stadium
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