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Metropolitan Stadium was built in Bloomington, MN in 1956 to attract professional sports to Minnesota. It's first tennants were the Minneapolis Millers, the farm team for the New York Giants baseball team. It was well known that the Giants were looking to relocate. Under major league rules of the time, the Giants had priority rights to a major league team in the Twin Cities, because of the location of their farm team. The Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators also seriously considered moving here. However, the Giants chose to follow the Brooklyn Dodgers to the west coast. San Francisco had long been home to the Pacific Coast League's San Francisco Seals, the top farm team of the Boston Red Sox. As part of the deal, the Millers' parent team then became the Red Sox. The Red Sox were certainly not planning to move anywhere. However, in 1961, another American League entry, the Washington Senators, did, to become the Minnesota Twins. The Minneapolis Millers, and also the St Paul Saints promptly folded.

Pro Football came to the area as early as 1956 when the Steelers and Eagles played an exhibition game at the stadium in 1956. From 1957-1960, the Packers, Cardinals, and Cowboys all played preseason games at Metropolitan Stadium. In 1961 the expansion Minnesota Vikings arrived at Metropolitan Stadium. Both teams stayed through 1981 until the Metrodome opened. Metropolitan Stadium was torn down in 1985 and the Mall of America was built on the site in 1992.