The National Baseball Hall of Fame – Cooperstown New York

Since its establishment in June of 1939, The National Baseball Hall of Fame continues to provide an outstanding collection of memorabilia, photographs, books, clippings, and displays that honor the greatest of baseball legends. ‘Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations’ not only serves as the museum’s motto but describes the focus of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Privately operated, The Baseball Hall of Fame was first dedicated in mid-June, 1939, when Stephen Carlton Clark opened the museum in an attempt to revive touristry to Cooperstown, New York, following the Great Depression. Since its inception, The Baseball Hall of Fame has brought millions of visitors to the city, so many that in 2002 a baseball exhibition was created and, for the next six years, “Baseball as America” traveled to ten different galleries throughout the United States. Educational programs were also created on the Internet to provide students with opportunities to virtually visit The National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The term ‘Hall of Fame’ has become so broadly used that it now refers not only the Museum but to all those Hall of Famers associated with baseball and memorialized within. In 1936, the first five players chosen to be commemorated within the Hall were Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner. Almost 80 years later, 300 baseball players have been elected into the Hall. Most recently, Barry Larkin, the Cincinnati Reds former shortstop and star athlete, and the late Ron Santo, Chicago Cubs third baseman, were inducted into The National Baseball Hall of Fame.

With an average of approximately 315,000 visitors a year (over 14,000,000 since it first opened) the city of Cooperstown hosts guests from all over the world, baseball enthusiasts who bring along friends and family for a remarkable experience.

The Baseball Hall of Fame/Museum reveals the story of baseball through a three-part timeline, almost 40,000 items of memorabilia, 3,000,000 books, magazines, and newspaper clippings, half a million photographs, and approximately 130,000 baseball-cards.

Completely renovated in 2006, The Baseball Hall of Fame offers an experience for every member of the family, regardless of age. The city of Cooperstown has a wide selection of accommodations available for tourists, and the Museum provides many packages and options for individuals and groups. So, why not join baseball fans from around the world and take a stroll down baseball’s memory lane?!

Jeremy Fisher is a blogger and sports journalist who writes about American and European sports as well as his online escapades at intertops casino.