Jackie Robinson Exhibit in the Baseball Hall of Fame

Strolling down Main Street in the village of Cooperstown is a bit like going back in time. You feel transplanted to the days when people walked to town to take care of their errands and visited with neighbors along the way. And kids would ride by, unscheduled and unsupervised, with baseball cards in their bicycle spokes. You can buy those same baseball cards in collectors’ shops on Main Street or you can head down a few more blocks to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum and see displays of them and other treasures while learning all about the history of the game.

The Hall as been recently renovated and expanded to allow for more of their invaluable collection to be displayed to the public, but it still feels like they don’t have nearly enough room. And I’m sure they don’t. Because here you will find more than just famous bats and balls, gloves and spikes. They have letters, clothing, furniture, pieces of stadiums and scoreboards, packaging, collectibles, souvenirs, tickets, and yes, baseball cards. To me it feels like stumbling across grandpa’s dusty trunk in the attic and spending hours pouring over the contents and listening to the stories behind them all.

They do a good job of telling baseball’s stories, in a variety of mediums. There are films, interactive videos, plaques, maps, timelines, and helpful employees stationed throughout who are always willing to answer a question or clarify a fact.

They have updated their exhibits to include plaques all along the way written specifically with children in mind, to engage them in the museum’s lessons and make things more relatable to them. There is also a scavenger hunt of sorts that provides a list of questions for families to find answers to throughout the displays which can be turned in at the gift shop for a pack of educational themed cards.

The early portions of the museum focus on the history of the game and the way that everything from the rules to equipment and salaries evolved. Exhibits deal with the political and cultural parallels of life including the exclusion of minorities and the eventual integration of the game. There are exhibits devoted to the roles women have played, the expansion of the game throughout the world and special exhibits which are ever changing to highlight a particular person or event.

The Phillie Fanatic Mascot

The latter part of the museum brings you into the ballpark experience which is like eye candy for the sports enthusiast. Pieces of parks, displays of promotional trinkets, music trivia, ticket stubs, scorebooks, mascots and more adorn the walls. You get to see the bling in the championship rings display, visit lockers for all the teams, check categories of records to see how the active players stack up with the overall historical leaders and of course, see walls of baseball cards, unblemished from bicycle spokes.

Baseball Card Display

The finale is the Plaque Gallery, where it truly feels like a sacred shrine. Bronze plaques of the game’s elected elite are mounted on the walls of the nooks surrounding the wide open atrium. Careers are summed up and images preserved forever on these plaques. You are almost tempted to take a rubbing of them. But you can buy miniature versions in the gift shop when you turn in your scavenger hunt results. And kids can safely entertain themselves in the Sandlot Clubhouse while you shop. Just like the good old days.

Spanning the Generations

QUICK HITS:

• COST = $16.50 Adult, $6 Children ages 7-12, Free under age 7 and for all active or retired career Military (AAA, and Senior discounts provided).
• DURATION = As much as you make of it – admission valid for the entire day to come and go as you please. Allow at least 2 hours to get an overview.
• HOURS = Open daily 9AM-9PM Memorial Day – Labor Day, closes at 5PM otherwise. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• ENVIRONMENT = All ages. Conversation and photo taking encouraged.
• ACCESSIBILITY = By car, foot or trolley. Limited street parking. Free lots located outside of downtown where the Trolley stops for a $3 all day pass.
• WEBSITE = http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/
• FUN FACTS = The Hall produces curriculum for elementary through early high school available to teachers as well as electronic virtual field trips of the Hall. Some modules are free and can be downloaded here. Contact 607-547-0347 for details.

All photos credited to Molly G. @The Bumbles Blog