Sensory rooms at Minnesota Twins’ spring training complex in Lee County

The Minnesota Twins are making spring training at the Lee Health Sports Complex more comfortable for fans with sensory sensitivities.

The team has introduced a new state-of-the-art sensory room, the first of its kind for a Grapefruit League ballpark.

“The Twins, together with Lee County, Lee Health’s Golisano Children’s Hospital and the Family Initiative, officially unveil a new state-of-the-art sensory room, the first of its kind for a Grapefruit League ballpark,” said John Venus, a Minnesota Twins broadcaster.

This room provides a quiet space for kids and adults on the autism spectrum to relax away from the bustling crowd.

“It gives the kids or adults, teenagers, whoever might need a break from just a lot of noise, a lot of activity that might be too much for them, but maybe they would like to see a little bit of a baseball game,” said Barb Daulquist, a visitor.

While sensory rooms are becoming more common in airports and schools, only about half of Major League Baseball teams have them at their stadiums. This new addition is the Twins’ second sensory suite.

“The Twins have always been super inclusive, and they have a room like this at Target Field in the Twin Cities,” said Sara Pedersen, a visitor from Minnesota.

Twins pitcher Danny Coulombe appreciates the new facility for personal reasons.

“I have a six-year-old who is on the spectrum. He was diagnosed when he was three,” said Coulombe. “And sometimes, kids with ASD just need a break. So just having a room, a dark room like this, just with just the ability to kind of get away, is just so important.”

This sensory room is ready for the first pitch when the Twins host the Braves on Saturday afternoon.