Field of Dreams: Dyersville to Fenway Park

Ray Kinsella farms corn in Dyersville, Iowa, until he hears a voice whispering, "If you build it, he will come." The farm scenes were shot on Don Lansing's property, and some ballfield scenes on the neighbouring Al Ameskamp farm. With too little time for grass to grow, the sod experts behind Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl were hired to lay the diamond. Today the ballpark carries the film's name and has hosted a Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees.

Visitor guidance: The ballpark near Dyersville now carries the film's name.

Ray and Annie have identical dreams of him and Terence Mann at a game in Fenway Park, so Ray drives to Boston to find the author. At the game Ray hears the voice urging him to "go the distance" and sees scoreboard statistics for Archie "Moonlight" Graham, who played a single 1922 game but never got to bat. The crew spent a week on location in Boston, most notably at Fenway, the oldest active ballpark in Major League Baseball.

Visitor guidance: Fenway Park is a working Major League Baseball park in Boston.

Ray and Mann drive to Chisholm, Minnesota, and learn that Graham, who became a physician, has died. Then Ray suddenly finds himself in 1972, meeting an elderly Graham, who feels his calling was medicine, not sports, and declines their invitation to the field. The real Chisholm has a Graham connection: he worked there as a doctor for 50 years after his baseball career. The town scenes were not shot here.

Location precision: The pin marks the real town of Chisholm; the film shot its Chisholm scenes elsewhere.

Visitor guidance: Chisholm is a working town in Minnesota; the film scenes are not here.

Galena, Illinois, served as Moonlight Graham's Chisholm, Minnesota: the scenes depicting the town were filmed here, not in Minnesota. About 85 percent of the structures in Galena are within the Galena Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and all along Main Street the architectural style and historic feel create a unique atmosphere.

Location precision: Sources name Galena as the stand-in town but not the exact street; the pin marks the town.

Visitor guidance: Main Street runs through Galena's historic district.

Back at the farm, a game is played and Graham finally gets to bat. Ray then asks "Dad" if he would like to play catch, as a long line of cars approaches the field, fulfilling the prophecy that "people will come." For the shot, Dyersville was blacked out and about 1,500 cars were needed. Local extras drove to the field from Commercial Club Park, switching between low and high beams to suggest movement.

Location precision: The cars were staged around Dyersville; the pin marks the town, not a single spot.

Visitor guidance: The ballpark is a short drive from Dyersville.