Target Field Opens:
"The only thing the ballpark can give a visitor that he cannot get anywhere else is baseball."
– Shannon/Kalinsky
Welcome Visitors From
Related Sites
Glossary
BRT - Bus Rapid Transit
DSP - Dave St. Peter
FSE - Full Season Equivalent
HERC - Hennepin Energy Resource Company (aka the Garbage Burner)
HPB - Home Plate Box
HRP - Home Run Porch
LC - Legends Club
LRT - Light Rail Transit
MBA - Minnesota Ballpark Authority (will own Target Field)
MOA - Mall of America
MSFC - Minnesota Sports Facilities Commission (owns the Metrodome)
NYS - New Yankee Stadium
SRO - Standing Room Only
STH - Season Ticket Holder
TCFBS - TCF Bank Stadium
TF - Target Field
Places: 573 Club
September 3, 2010 2:04 PM
COMMENTFrom above, Target Field looks something like a spinning baseball. The building projects constant motion, with jets of energy leaping from its corners into the surrounding space.
It might have been enough just to have these jets as superficial elements of the facade, but all have been finished off into dramatic, and highly functional, spaces. The Metropolitan Club and pro shop reach out with the canopy on the plaza side, while the Town Ball Tavern balcony extends the other end of the canopy toward Fifth Street and the trains.
In between, at the home plate corner of the ballpark, an equally dramatic jet honors perhaps the greatest Twin of all, and his Hall-of-Fame, home-run-filled career.
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Harmon Killebrew's career home run total is appropriately carved into the signature limestone, to give the 573 Club its name. Carrying the theme throughout the room are large photographs of his classic swing.
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This mural is behind the staircase. The window looks onto the promenade, and the door goes to a kitchen. |
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This looks from the base of the stairs, behind the big pillars, toward the street. |
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These images are found at the top of the staircase, which leads to the Suite Level. |
Killebrew's autograph adorns a bar which evokes the gigantic piece of lumber that home run hitters bring to the plate. (An earlier idea to have the bar made entirely from an uncut piece of ash was scrapped when the cost estimate came in close to a million bucks.)
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The purpose of the space during games is really just for lounging. But it is available for rental for special events on non-game days.
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Daylight (pre-game) |
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Night (about the 7th inning) |
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Compare this picture, from the open house in March, with the one above and you'll see that some furniture reconfiguration has taken place. |
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Unlike Hrbek's (which is directly below this space), I have never seen the 573 Club teeming with people. It definitely has a "club" feel, but not a "bar" feel at all. And while there are monitors available to keep up on the game, they are sort of downplayed. This is a place to come when you need a little quiet time away from the game, perhaps to take or make a call.
Balconies extend the space over the sidewalks and out into the neighborhood.
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Looking from the doorway to the south, across Seventh Street |
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Looking up Seventh Street to the west |
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At the end of the balcony you can see down the promenade. |
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Looking back toward downtown from the end of the balcony |
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The Hrbek gate is directly below. It's a lively place after a game. |
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Looking back toward the doorway into the club |
And, like the other spaces in the Legends Club, memorabilia is on display.
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Two additional spaces are directly adjacent to the 573 Club. This map of the Club Level should help in orienting your view.
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As you exit the 573 Club back into the Legends Club hallway, you run right into the famous "quote wall" which is just outside the press box.
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To the left of the quote wall, around a corner, is the security desk for the press box, one of the many places in the park where small gatherings of people can be seen preparing for the event just before the gates open.
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Directly across from the quote wall, to the right as you exit the 573 Club, is a fairly large retail store.
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The Legends Club retail store is just visible at the right of this picture. |
Finally, you've probably seen this in plenty of images, but right at the turn in the hallway, where the three Legends Club areas meet at the press box, a gigantic Twins logo is embedded in the floor.
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There's no mistaking who this place belongs to, or who among the legions of players which have worn the uniform has made significant impact on the character of the club.
I fully intended to squeeze seat width and sightline talk into this post, but it got a little long. I had a rare opportunity to do some actual measuring and was more than a little surprised by what I found. That will have to wait until next time.
When the tour resumes: Metropolitan Club, Town Ball Tavern, Hrbek's, Twins Pubs, and the Suite Level.
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firedog, Foo Dog Bob, JCTwins, Marty, joeybeaks, Go Go Twins, tk, James, F_T_K, Buffalo, AJ, P, Rick, Ben, Joe117
Legends Club Scraps
September 2, 2010 4:08 PM
Here's a quick addendum to the recent look at the Legends Club.
I was a little unclear on what the food at the atrium chef stands really was. But I had a chance to get some detailed info the other night.
The Carew atrium features the one-pass buffet for $19.95. It's not exactly your typical ballpark food, but I bet it's good (if you're into that kind of thing).
Places: Legends Club, Part 2 (Puckett Side)
August 26, 2010 12:51 AM
Here's something you may not have noticed about the Legends Club: it's lopsided. OK, maybe "asymmetrical" is a nicer way to put it, but there's no doubt that there are seven full sections of seating on the third base side, and only four on the first base side (there are five and a half partial sections in between).
Places: Legends Club, Part 1 (Carew Side)
August 24, 2010 1:27 AM
The wood-backed seats of the Legends Club are one of the first things you notice when visiting Target Field. They jump out against the green of everything else, and you might wonder, "How do I get there?"
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Real Outdoor Baseball
August 22, 2010 1:15 AM
The look at the Legends Club is going to wait a day because, despite today's final score, I got some fun pictures at the ballpark this afternoon.
The sky was high.
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Our tickets were out in the Grandstand, or should I say "on the surface of the sun".
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Earlier Articles
Places: Third Base Lounge August 20, 2010
Places: First Base Lounge August 20, 2010
Roof Dance August 6, 2010
System Shock August 3, 2010
Let the Games Begin July 16, 2010
Independence July 3, 2010
Attention July 1, 2010
Round Up June 16, 2010
Road Blues June 8, 2010
Tools June 3, 2010
Early Dog Days May 28, 2010
Live Game Thread May 27, 2010
Live Game Thread May 26, 2010
Live Game Thread May 25, 2010
Victoria's Take May 14, 2010
Settling Down May 11, 2010
Getting Together May 4, 2010
First Homestand Redux April 26, 2010
Day Game April 22, 2010
Instant Karma April 13, 2010
Opening Day April 12, 2010
Tick, Tick April 10, 2010
Looking Back, Forward April 7, 2010
Harmon Killebrew, HOF, #3 April 5, 2010
Rod Carew, HOF, #29 April 2, 2010
Twins Eve April 1, 2010
Just Look March 31, 2010
Identity March 24, 2010
Slack-Jawed March 20, 2010
Not So Sneaky Peeks March 19, 2010
The Plaza Is Ready March 13, 2010
Images of the Plaza (Part 2) March 10, 2010
Images of the Plaza (Part 1) March 9, 2010
Great Days, Believe It March 7, 2010
Learning, Discovering March 4, 2010
Training Time February 24, 2010
Eight Weeks and Counting February 17, 2010
A Whiff of Baseball February 1, 2010
Signs and Portents January 20, 2010
Chicken - Brats - Fries January 17, 2010
Roll It Over January 2, 2010
What Tom Petty Said December 4, 2009
Change-Up November 27, 2009
Oh Say, Can You See? November 18, 2009
Beyond Ballparks October 30, 2009
On CBP, Umping, and Gawking October 23, 2009
Amenity Deliveries October 20, 2009
And we'll see you at Target Field! October 14, 2009
Hello, Metrodome October 11, 2009
Playoff Day Off October 8, 2009
Metrodome Magic! October 6, 2009
After Midnight October 6, 2009
An Era That Won't End October 5, 2009
Game On October 4, 2009
A Fitting Send-Off October 3, 2009
Celebrate Good Times October 1, 2009
Autumnal Equinox September 22, 2009
September Stretch September 21, 2009
A Football Place: Nuts and Bolts September 3, 2009
Leaves of Grass August 29, 2009
Grassy August 28, 2009
The Grass Moves! August 24, 2009
Restoration August 23, 2009
Opportunity August 22, 2009
Plaza Trees August 21, 2009
Ninja-Style Details August 12, 2009
Going Ninja August 11, 2009
Inside the Bowl August 1, 2009
Dotting I's July 29, 2009
A Preview (And Not) July 25, 2009
A Moose Tour July 21, 2009
Take the Survey July 19, 2009
July Poking Around #3 July 15, 2009
Intermission July 14, 2009
July Poking Around #2 July 10, 2009
July Poking Around #1 July 10, 2009
Sunny Summer Dream July 5, 2009
Story Time June 24, 2009
OK, New Thread June 13, 2009
More Toppings June 8, 2009
One Topped Off, One Finished Off June 6, 2009
Yeah, We All Shine On May 29, 2009
Now THIS Is Twins Territory May 28, 2009
A No Photo, Web Only Tour May 23, 2009
Key Ballpark Ingredient: Swagger May 20, 2009
Plunked May 13, 2009
Spring Swing (Finale) and More May 10, 2009
Spring Swing (Part 4) May 9, 2009
Spring Swing (Part 3) May 8, 2009
Spring Swing (Part 2) May 8, 2009
Spring Swing May 7, 2009
Play Ball! Finale April 29, 2009
Play Ball! Tour - Part 2 April 25, 2009
Rain, Homers, Seats, Dogs April 23, 2009
Random Thursday in April April 9, 2009
Ahh, That's More Like It April 8, 2009
Hello, Goodbye April 7, 2009
Fun With Former Twins April 1, 2009
A Ninja Tour March 30, 2009
Plaza Particulars (Part 2) March 10, 2009
Plaza Particulars (Part 1) March 7, 2009
Ballpark Spring Training March 6, 2009
Of Topiaries, Hops and Wind Veils February 12, 2009
Sunny Tour Finale February 4, 2009
Seeing Our Shadow February 3, 2009
Hello, February! (14 months out...) February 2, 2009
So Long, January! February 1, 2009
So Long, Baseball Friend January 5, 2009
Happy New Year! December 30, 2008
Your Ballpark Calendar (and more) December 15, 2008
A New Plaza Design? December 1, 2008
The Concourse, Of Course November 27, 2008
Plaza-Walking November 16, 2008
View From the Ground November 12, 2008
Strolling the Promenade November 7, 2008
Tour Photos, Part Two November 5, 2008
Ah, the View (Level)! November 5, 2008
You Decide! November 4, 2008
Trick or Treat, Metrodome Style October 31, 2008
Canopy Skeleton! October 28, 2008
So Long, Yankee Stadium (Updated, Again) October 18, 2008
So Long, Tiger Stadium October 11, 2008
Sunny Steel Stroll October 10, 2008
Twins in '08: Ballpark Magic October 2, 2008
All About Levels September 19, 2008
It Could Have Been Better/Worse September 16, 2008
Experiencing The Stadium September 13, 2008
Washed Out, But It's OK September 12, 2008
An All-Star Bid September 10, 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away September 9, 2008
A Football Stadium Takes Shape August 31, 2008
Rooftop Visions August 30, 2008
What's Ballpark Magic? August 22, 2008
Flag Pole: En Route? August 20, 2008
Sent to the Showers (For the Team!) August 20, 2008
The Newest Twins Fan August 11, 2008
Sunset Limestone July 29, 2008
From the Plaza July 19, 2008
Stoned! July 16, 2008
Move Along, Nothing to Enjoy Here July 12, 2008
Home Land -- Safe! July 10, 2008
Becoming a Baseball Place June 25, 2008
Tailgaiting? Wind? Golf? June 5, 2008
Construction Update - May 29 May 30, 2008
Halfway Home May 17, 2008
Hooky, Anyone? May 16, 2008
New Ballpark Construction Views #3 May 10, 2008
New Ballpark Construction Views #2 May 9, 2008
Ballparkus Tourus Interruptus May 9, 2008
Construction Update from Greg May 7, 2008
A Better View May 3, 2008
Sharing and Caring Thoughts April 19, 2008
Curses April 15, 2008
Fox9 Report on Ballpark Names April 4, 2008
Ballpark Name Domain Wrap-Up April 4, 2008
Twins to Speculators: Hold Your Domains! April 3, 2008
Ballpark Jots April 2, 2008
Land O' Lakes Field?!? April 2, 2008
Hi-Def? Lo-Def? April 1, 2008
Sometimes It Snows In...March March 31, 2008
Ballpark Name Clues March 21, 2008
Let's Review March 20, 2008
Just Add Beams February 15, 2008
Frigid Plaza Progress February 12, 2008
Quick Construction Update February 7, 2008
Model Details - Twinsfest 2008 February 6, 2008
Santana Banners January 30, 2008
Model Details - An Earlier Vision January 23, 2008
Let It Pour! January 23, 2008
Model Details - Part 5 January 22, 2008
Model Details - Part 4 January 21, 2008
Model Details - Part 3 January 20, 2008
Model Details - Part 2 January 19, 2008
Model Details - Part 1 January 18, 2008
Shaking It Off January 18, 2008
Blah, Ballpark, Blah January 16, 2008
So Long, Class of '01 November 24, 2007
Ballpark Odds and Ends November 22, 2007
Construction Update November 20, 2007
Being Green November 5, 2007
Touring the Virtual Tour November 3, 2007
A Tale of Two Outfields November 3, 2007
Sizing It Up October 31, 2007
Live at the Meeting October 30, 2007
Respect. October 20, 2007
Done and Done October 15, 2007
Piles to Rails to Cranes September 28, 2007
Let's Build August 31, 2007
A Fair Discovery August 23, 2007
Ramping Up August 21, 2007
Accidental Preview August 16, 2007
Rescheduled August 9, 2007
Well, Now What? August 9, 2007
Impatience. Shock. Grief. August 1, 2007
Plan Your Outing August 1, 2007
Color Dreams July 24, 2007
Webcam! July 11, 2007
Summer Smells (of Rats) July 6, 2007
Officially Nuts June 25, 2007
Bad Ballparks June 25, 2007
A Special Fan June 19, 2007
...and a Major Concern. June 12, 2007
A Major Find June 11, 2007
Mark Your Calendar June 11, 2007
More Model Talk June 6, 2007
Concepts and Measurements June 1, 2007
First Dirt May 21, 2007
Introductions May 17, 2007
Poised and Ready May 15, 2007
No More Guesswork May 10, 2007
So, It Begins May 8, 2007
Happy Sigh. May 2, 2007
The Magic of the Event April 28, 2007
But Can It Soar? April 17, 2007
Watch Out For That Railing! April 15, 2007
More Reacting April 14, 2007
A Great First Impression April 12, 2007
Ah, Unveiling At Hand April 10, 2007
Washington Malaise March 14, 2007
Stealing Our Thunder March 13, 2007
Crickets March 8, 2007
Pogin on Almanac March 2, 2007
Potential Sites March 2, 2007
Heads Up March 2, 2007
Communication, People February 28, 2007
Wither, Rapid Park February 26, 2007
Equal Time February 24, 2007
Bad Faith? February 18, 2007
How Much Room...Really February 9, 2007
Wind Tunnel? December 14, 2006
A Tantalizing First Glimpse December 7, 2006
Wireless Dreaming November 15, 2006
Fake History? October 27, 2006
We Don't Need No Stinking Roof! October 26, 2006
Playoff Ballparks 2006 October 5, 2006
Becoming a Baseball Town October 1, 2006
Ballpark Seats With a View? September 29, 2006
Oh, the Ideas! September 28, 2006
Make It a Green Field September 26, 2006
Honoring Baseball's Mill City August 6, 2006
About Authority August 4, 2006
A Hot Dog...Please? July 28, 2006
Ballpark History Foiled July 13, 2006
Who's Got the Details? June 29, 2006
Loose Ends June 23, 2006
Meet the Ballpark Authority June 22, 2006
More Reasons June 21, 2006
Proudly Anti-Roof June 15, 2006
To Roof, or Not to Roof June 13, 2006
Baseball Soon, Parking Now, Lumber Then June 8, 2006
Killebrew Field June 6, 2006
Flag Pole - Part 2 June 5, 2006
A River Runs Through It June 2, 2006
The Plan June 2, 2006
How Much Ballpark? June 1, 2006
Getting There (and Out) June 1, 2006
Some Flagpole History June 1, 2006
A Great Baseball Place? June 1, 2006
Introducing the Site May 31, 2006
Some St. Peter Answers May 31, 2006
A Brief Delay May 31, 2006
It's Official May 28, 2006
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