TOP 10 U.S. BASEBALL
MUSEUMS OUTSIDE COOPERSTOWN
The ballpark road trip experience is
never complete without a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,
New York. But as Joe Connor has discovered from his many travels, so too is a
trip not complete without a visit to one of his “Top 10 U.S. Baseball Museums Outside Cooperstown.” You can learn
about these museums and many others in the annually-updated, A Fan’s Guide To The Ultimate Ballpark Tour: Fully
Loaded! which can be purchased at the Buy Joe's Guides page. We hope you enjoy this list and some photos from these museums, and
make time on your next journey across America
to visit some of the country’s underrated museums with plenty of rich baseball history on display.
1. Negro Leagues Museum, Kansas City, MO
This museum,
located in downtown Kansas City, takes fans on an extraordinary journey on what it was like
being a baseball player in the Negro Leagues, and as an African-American living in America before blacks were given equal rights.
2.
Legends of the Game Museum, Arlington, TX
Located in the Rangers
ballpark, this is a mini-Cooperstown with a plethora of great memorabilia not just of the hometown team, but every era of
professional baseball.
3. Louisville Slugger Museum,
Louisville, KY
An outstanding opportunity
for fans to not only learn about the history of Louisville Slugger, but also see how bats are manufactured and even take a
few hacks as well.
4.
Alabama Sports Museum/Rickwood Field, Birmingham, AL
Probably the best state-run
sports museum in the fruited plain, with multiple floors of baseball memorabilia from notable Alabamans, like Hank Aaron and
Ozzie Smith. The museum is downtown while just on the outskirts is Rickwood Field, which looks as if it hasn’t changed
much since its debut in 1910.
5. Oklahoma Sports Museum,
Guthrie, OK
This museum outside Oklahoma
City in downtown Guthrie has an abundance of memorabilia on famous Okie’s to star in the big leagues, from window frames
from Mickey Mantle’s boyhood home to jerseys and more from Johnny Bench and others.
6.
Sports Legends at Camden Yards Museum/Babe Ruth Museum, Baltimore
These are two separate
museums, but they’re both located within easy walking distance of each other from the Orioles ballpark. The Sports Legends
museum has a great history on the Orioles franchise while the Babe museum, while small in artifacts, looms large in that it’s
reminiscent of the house the Bambino grew up in.
7. Monument Park, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
With just the 2008 season
left before the Yankees exit Yankee Stadium for their new ballpark, you’d be wise to plan your visit to “The
House that Ruth Built,” as well as Monument Park beyond the left field fence that bleeds plenty of Pinstrip history.
8.
National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, Chicago, IL
Unsung and unheralded,
this museum has more memorabilia than it knows what to do with, from Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio to Yogi to Tommy LaSorda and
many others.
9. American Sports Art Museum
(U.S. Sports Academy),
Daphne, AL
Just outside Mobile on the Gulf Coast,
this sports art museum at the U.S. Sports Academy has an incredible variety of paintings and portraits, retracing baseball’s
past, from the 1950s to the Negro Leagues to the present day.
10.
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame/Wichita Sports Hall of Fame, Wichita, KS
Two separate museums within
walking distance of one another in downtown Wichita, the Kansas Sports Museum highlights Kansans to achieve baseball stardom
while the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame inside the Museum of World Treasures takes fans on a unique journey through the annual
National Baseball Congress tourney, which has memorabilia that includes many of today's big leaguers.
Some
Honorable Mentions: Cardinals Museum, St. Louis, MO; Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum, Cincinnati, OH; Braves
Museum & Hall of Fame, Atlanta, GA; Little League Museum, Williamsport, PA; Yogi Berra Museum, Little Falls, NY; San Diego
Hall of Champions Museum, San Diego, CA; Field of Dreams Movie Site, Dyersville, IA; Nolan Ryan Exhibit, Alvin, TX
