Field of Dreams home becoming 'hotel' destination

(KCRG)
Published: Mar. 13, 2018 at 8:12 PM CDT
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"If you build it, they will come" is taking a whole new meaning in Dyersville.

A different kind of business at the Field of Dreams could create even more tourism and a bigger financial boom, as the beloved movie site enters the hotel business.

For the first time, you can book the Dyersville home used in the movie on

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The home began availability last week, but for those who want to wait for the snow to melt and the corn past the outfield, that will cost anywhere from $2,200 to $2,500, depending on the day.

With how successful the movie site has been in bringing in tourism in the past, both the owners and the area chamber of commerce say they rely on the field heavily, especially for marketing the town.

"There are so many people that will just come out, go to the field, but then they see everything else that there is to do and see in Dyersville that they go out touring around," said Karla Thompson, Executive Director of the Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce.

"When our guests come in, we encourage them, we give them a whole welcome book and say: 'go visit this restaurant, get gas here, and get into to town to see what else is in Dyersville,'" said Denise Stillman, one of four co-owners of the Field of Dreams movie site. "So it's fun, it's fun to be a part of that whole spark for the rest of the country to come here."

Thompson said it helps having an internationally known landmark, calling it a "major pull" for the area.

The official listing technically ends at the end of 2018, as the co-owners were using this year as a trial run.

When the group of four first purchased the home in 2012, they said a lot of people asked when the home could be open for tours.

The first floor of the home has been open for about a year now for those tours.

After some consideration, especially when Booking.com called, now it can be used as a home away from home for two people.

While the listings may still be in their beginning stages,the trial run that's gotten a significant response.

"Oh we've gotten so much feedback on our Facebook page, we've had people private messaging for dates in 2019, and we haven't released any dates beyond December because we're doing this as an experiment," Stillman said. "So I guess we're going to have to cater at least to those guests that want to come through next year and see how it goes."

Many people have already started booking a chance to stay in the home, and some have made those requests to stay as far in advance as July 2019.

Before thinking: "wait, so we can't go and visit the field?" That's not the case. The Field of Dreams is still open to the public, and still open for tours, but around 8 p.m. during the summer hours, whoever has the home reserved, will have the field reserved too.

To entice people further, the Field of Dreams movie site is offering a free night to a random winner.