MLB seeks to bring a game to Grand Teton, drawing criticism over construction in a national park
The baseball league has explored unconventional venues for its special games, but a potential field at that location would require infrastructure within a protected area
The mountains of Grand Teton could become the backdrop for a Major League Baseball game. The proposal is only on the table for now, but it has already drawn opposition from local officials and environmental groups because bringing baseball there would require building — even if only temporarily — a field inside one of the most important national parks in the United States.
MLB approached the Donald Trump administration to ask whether it would be possible to host a game there, according to league and White House officials. The proposal is part of the league’s search for venues beyond its usual stadiums for special games, a strategy that in recent years has taken Major League Baseball to fields in Iowa, a motorsports venue and other unconventional locations.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Frank Lands, deputy director of the National Park Service (NPS), recently visited Grand Teton and looked at three potential locations for a baseball field inside the park. The league asked “if it was possible to host a game at a national park, similar to the Field of Dreams game,” referring to the games played in Iowa.
The administration has distanced itself from the idea, clarifying: “This is not a Presidential directive, nor is it being directed by the White House. It’s also not being driven by the Department of Interior.” It added that the proposal is not a government priority. The NPS has not granted any permits, and MLB has not yet made any decision.
Major League Baseball has spent several years expanding the list of venues where it plays regular-season games outside its 30 traditional stadiums. The best-known experiment began with the Field of Dreams games in Dyersville, Iowa, inspired by the 1989 movie. The league returned there this year and plans to hold another game in August 2027.
It has also organized games at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, and Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. In the latter case, the 2025 game was even accompanied by food shortages at concession stands.
Bringing that concept to Grand Teton, however, presents a key difference. The park has broad stretches of flat land in Jackson Hole, with the Teton mountains as a backdrop, but any baseball field would require some type of infrastructure inside a protected area. One of the locations considered would be land that has already been disturbed and is used to store materials and equipment. Such areas, known within the parks as “bone yards,” could reduce the impact on areas that remain in their natural state.
But if the idea moves forward, the game would not happen immediately. The Athletic reported that 2028 would be the earliest possible date. For now, there is no National Park Service permit and no decision from MLB.
Opposition in Wyoming
Mike Gierau, a Democratic state senator who represents Jackson and areas near Grand Teton, told Cowboy State Daily that he is a baseball fan and considers both the sport and national parks to be two great American symbols, but he rejected the possibility of building a field inside the park. He called the proposal “absolutely abhorrent” and said parks should be preserved for their scenic and natural values rather than turned into venues for this type of infrastructure.
Environmental groups have also spoken out against the proposal. Chris Kassar, director of the Sierra Club’s Wyoming chapter, said in a statement that Americans want to strengthen protections for these spaces and that using bulldozers to build a stadium would move in the opposite direction.
Rob Wallace, a former deputy secretary of the Interior during Trump’s first administration and a Teton County resident, also questioned whether the project could move forward. He told the outlet that the protections governing the park would make hosting a game there extremely difficult.
Betsy Buffington, regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association, told The Washington Post that Grand Teton is not an appropriate location for a stadium and called the idea “ludicrous. Crazy. Ridiculous.” The park is home, among other species, to bears, wolves, bison, elk, and pronghorns.
