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National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
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28 reviews for National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
Alright I just got back from the Baseball Hall of Fame. Took me a whole day of traveling, but it was worth it since I'm a big baseball fan.
The place is awesome. Not only does it show you the HOF members it also shows you their game used equipment. I learned a lot of baseball history by walking through the three story Hall. For the avid baseball fan Cooperstown is the place to go. The town breathes on baseball.
My only complaint is, they shouldn't allow anybody wearing a Red Sox jersey in. (kiddin)
I got engaged here, and have so many fond memories from visiting as a child that this place gets nothing but 5 stars from me!
Can't wait to go back and share it with my kids!
So good for families and a really good price with a Triple A card too!
The town is beautiful and very festive. Just a fun place overall!
I'm not a huge fan of the game, but I was impressed by how thoughtfully and intelligently presented the museum commemorating the sport called America's pastime was. The exhibits are terrific - baseball cards, memorabilia, racism in baseball, Babe Ruth, a future one on steroids in the game, and so on - what struck me most was the level of curatorship and reverence with which the game is treated. The actual hall of fame is a long corridor on which each admitted member has a cast marble plaque, and simply looking around makes you realize how big of a deal it is to be inducted.
Compare this with the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, which makes you feel like you're in a shopping mall, and this one beats it hands down. This is a sports museum done right.
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this is a place where all baseball lovers should go, the history in this place is unreal, also you can get a pass for the day, so you can come and go as you please. I was amazed about all the things I learnt in there.. It really helped me get more of a passion for baseball, not that i did not have one anyway (hell i can name every winner of the world series since 1967)...also this is a great place in my mind because i asked my wife to marrie me.... So if you are a baseball fan or are looking for a place to get facts about america past time, this is the place to go
Do you like Baseball?
Do you like America?
if the answer to both is yes than this place is for you, if the answer to either is no then pack your bags and leave this country quick for the USSR... Oh that's right we won the Cold War. USA! USA! USA!
Great museum for fans of the game, or fans of Americana. It is a place that whomever you are if you have an interest in observing one of the center pieces of American culture. It takes probably 2 hours if you have been here before or want to go through in an expedited fashion, but otherwise I would recommend planning for at least 3 hours and more like 4-5. I love this place, love the town, I have been here 5 times in my short life to this point, and I will most defiantly come back at some point.
My one recommendation is do not come the weekend of the ceremony, the town is busy all summer and insane that week. Just avoid it, it is still cool the rest of the summer, and main street changes from a road to a sidewalk because of all the people.
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Everything about the HoF is so well done. It's tasteful, interesting, clean, respectful, and engaging for all ages. I found myself whispering in the induction area as if I were in church, and I especially loved all the sculptures dotting the museum and grounds.
While we were there, one of the employees was doing a live remote session with 6th graders in NJ, teaching them a math lesson using bb stats. Very impressive and representative of the kind of care and caring that I found throughout the museum.
We were there in the off-season, so I have no idea how well they handle crowds, but we spent several hours wandering at our own pace and feel we saw just about everything.
Don't miss the upstairs gallery with the TV playing George Carlin explaining the differences between baseball and football. Don't miss the exhibit on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (think "A League of their Own"), and don't miss the lockers of the greats of the game. I was blown away by how huge Babe Ruth's jersey was!
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As a huge baseball fan I may be a bit biased, but I absolutely love this museum. I've been here twice, both times over the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.
The museum is very well laid out, starting with the history of the game's origins and its early teams. The artifacts displayed are thoughtfully presented and offer a glimpse into the game's unique history. There are several special exhibits which delve deeper into specific topics, such as the Negro League, Babe Ruth, Latino players and baseball stadiums. I was impressed with not only the number of artifacts on display, but how well everything blended together to form a cohesive storyline. The museum certainly does an excellent job of presenting items that are not only cool to see (i.e. Curt Schilling's bloody sock) but are also historically significant to baseball (i.e. Babe Ruth's first contract with the Sox).
My fiance and I spent a good three and half hours at the museum, but we pored over every plaque and exhibit. I would give yourself at least two hours to really appreciate the museum as a whole.
And of course, don't forget the actual Hall of Fame. The plaques are displayed in chronological order; however the first class is at the very end. Some people wander the whole Hall, but I prefer to check out my favorite Hall of Famers and then hit the gift shop!
You are allowed to take photographs so definitely bring your camera. There is a short film (about 15 minutes) which is recommended by the museum when you enter. I honestly wouldn't waste my time - its just photographs of players thrown up on the screen and a narrator tellling you how great baseball is. If you're at the museum you probably already agree with that. :)
I am a casual baseball fan.I don't go to a lot of games or watch it on TV a lot. I love the Cubs and I love Ryne Sandberg so this was on my list of things to do while I lived in NY because I really wanted to see his plaque.
The museum was really awesome. There were tons of memorabilia everywhere. Jerseys and gear from all the greats. There were displays of baseball cards, bats, balls and wow. Just wow. It was an amazing place.
The exhibits were really thought out well and they included women's baseball and the negro leagues which was a nice addition. I learned a lot about the history of baseball and overall had a great time.
It was really cool to see all the plaques too. I think that people who aren't really even baseball fans could enjoy this museum.
If you have kids who can read, they have a discovery tour which is basically a scavenger hunt of the musuem where they it makes them learn history of the game and basically keep them occupied and hold their attention.
The staff was really, really nice and knowledgeable as well which is always a plus.
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! This is the frickin' promised land. I came to see as much Dodger Blue as I could, and I wasn't disappointed.
The artifacts and memorabilia are shown in a top notch manner, the story of the building is engrossing. They also have this great multimedia presentation that had me literally choked up by the time it got to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." (yeah, they were tears. heh.)
It just reaffirmed why this is one of the greatest sports on earth, and that these players were amazingly talented.
I want to come back since I missed an entire floor. There is also an entire gift shop that I haven't bought everything from yet.
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My dreams of becoming a great Major Leaguer died very quickly. For one thing, I was slow. Really slow. I'm still a slow runner. Added to this was my lack of stellar fielding (one of my more jack-hole Little League coaches thought it was funny to call me "Bill Buckner Jr.") and my full lack of pitching ability (I only got into one game, wherein I threw 17 pitches, 16 balls and one strike).
Despite all that, I still love baseball. And where else can you find baseball but Cooperstown? While the rest of the town has definitely changed in terms of the amount of different baseball memorabilia stores one can find in the town, the Hall itself still holds that magic evoked from the heroes, legends, and villains of America's most storied game.
The plaques are particularly cool. From the Babe to Goose Gossage, they're immortalized in the pantheon, lit up on the first floor. From Jackie Robinson to Tony Gwynn, Walter Johnson to the Eck, Joe DiMaggio to the Wizard of Oz, they're all there. Sure, there are guys that should be in (Buck O'Neill and Jim Rice come immediately to mind, but also the controversial cases of Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose), but with all hope they will get their day as well.
The rest of the building is the same sort of historical journey, taking one through all of the major aspects that has made baseball what it is today, from its beginnings to the present, while also paying homage to the major aspects of the game.
All in all, while I'll never be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, it's definitely nice to visit :)
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A must for any true baseball fan. Great displays, very good gift shop. A real part of American history.
Cooperstown, NY and the baseball Hall of Fame has become my Graceland. I've been itching to come here ever since I was a little boy and I can say that exceeded all of my expectations.
First, I am no stranger to quality museums. I've lived in D.C. all of my life and have been to the holy grail of museums, The Smithsonian, multiple times. My expectations for the baseball HoF were quite high and I can honestly say that they were exceeded.
The set-up of the museum is quite novel. It is broken into three floors and should be viewed from the top floor down.
The third floor includes the sacred ground exhibit, a look at the past and present baseball stadiums, the record room, major league record holders for each offensive and pitching category, the wall of no hit games, and autumn glory, a look at the postseason.
The second floor is a timeline of the game. From it's humble beginnings all the way to the present day. Included here are a number of incredible artifacts including an amazing exhibit of the Babe.
The first floor contains the plaques of each member of the baseball HoF where you can look for your favorite players and all of the games legends.
Overall, each exhibit is extremely well done with amazing authentic artifacts. It took me around 5 hours to see it all. I'm still picking my jaw up off of the floor. Cooperstown is the mecca and is worth the trip as this museum is dynamic and changes as quickly as the game does.
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I visited the second week of September. No crowds. Kids are all back in school. The weather was wonderful.
I was the first person in the door and left at 5:00 when they closed. Started on third floor and worked my way down. I can't describe the best part of this trip. It's just a neat place to be if you love baseball like I do. Employees are friendly and helpful. We stayed just down the street and walked to the museum. The Legends of Baseball were having a tournament at Doubleday Field. We took in part of that. The second day of our trip we did shopping on Main Street, a boat ride around Lake Ostwego, watching a ball game, and played catch in front of Doubleday Field. Two days of my life I will never forget!
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This is the first museum where I actually walked around and read everything that was on display. The fact that I'm a huge baseball fan may have had something to do with it. The town itself was one of the best towns I've visited, too. Imagine a cute antique town, only all of the shops are baseball related. Yeah, it's like that.
If you are a fan, you have to visit this place at least once. You have too!
Yep... all I have is another five-star review here. If you're a baseball fan, you must make the pilgrimage.
I went for the 2007 Induction Weekend. Cooperstown was so jammed with people that I could hardly move. Induction Day was supposed to be overcast and rainy, but the sun popped out and I ended up with the worst sunburn of my life... And it was all worth it! A religious experience for the hardcore fan of the national pastime.
I really liked the baseball hall of fame. lots of cool shit. but not to much.
Fell in by mistake and saw myself next the National Baseball Hall of Fame, very nice memorabilia and history. Very impressive and nice.
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This is an absolutely wonderful museum and delight for all visitors! I took a research course in college on the history of baseball in America and dreamed of visiting this museum someday. Last summer, on our trip from Boston to Louisville (two major baseball towns themselves), we detoured off the New York Thruway to the quaint and picturesque village of Cooperstown. Our drive into the town was so beautiful and with the lake nearby, it seemed to be the best summer day of all. Anyway, we had some trouble finding a parking spot, and for good reason. The town and the museum were very crowded because 1) it was summer and 2) that year's hall of fame ceremony had just occurred. This was actually the most crowded museum I have ever been to, and I have visited tons of museums in my life. My husband and I really enjoyed the museum and everything in it. Though we are not the biggest sports fans, we couldn't help but get excited by the museum's artifacts and statistics and stand aw-inspired in the presence of the Plaque Gallery, where so many talented players had been there before us.
I was not thrilled about the movie that was shown, but other than that, this museum is a must-see sight for all Americans and others from around the globe who love baseball.
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An interesting museum, surrounded by a cute little town. It probably speaks more to my own prejudices that I much prefer The Basketball Hall of Fame, notwithstanding its own flaws, e.g. the overbroad inclusion of seemingly anyone who's handled a basketball in the past two centuries, to Cooperstown.
My favorite part of the experience was looking at the pre-modern era of baseball up close. Other than that, I can't say that the museum itself blew me away. However, it is worth visiting if you're traveling upstate.
I went every year (and I live close by) until the hall of fame game was canceled by greed! It's too bad that baseball has come down to money and they basically have stabbed the fans in the back.
I'll come back, but not when any of the ball players are there.
Only when they bring back the game!
It's a sad day when the kids look up to the ball players as money hungry greedy people. The ball players are too lazy to spend one day with the fans. The people who actually pay them and make them famous.
There's so much to see here it's hard to know where to begin. I mean, you could just follow the the Hall of Fame map, but what fun is that?
I spent a day slowly perusing the legends and landmarks of baseball's past, absorbing World Series stories and memorabilia, and watching "Who's On First" at least three times. I did follow the suggested flow of things, but I decided to take some breaks here and there to enjoy the beautiful day -- and escape the very nice yet persistent elderly gentleman working there who wanted to be my own personal tour guide.
I spent about six hours walking around, and then I realized I hadn't visited the archives housed in a separate library, which closed at 5 pm -- 4 hours earlier than the main museum. At least I made it to Doubleday Field.
The Hall of Fame is based in picturesque Cooperstown, NY, which is a worthy weekend destination in itself. Right on Lake Otswego, you could sit by the water and enjoy the scenery, walk the quaint streets or enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants nearby. Definitely worth a visit if you're a major baseball fan or just looking to get away for a warm-weather weekend.
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First up, it should be noted that the Baseball Hall of Fame is an outstanding example of what a museum should be: A mix of interesting memorabilia and rarities, well labeled and organized, and frequently updated. Even if you don't particularly care for the game, you can admire the work put into the displays, and learn something.
But if you're a fan of baseball, then you'll be in heaven. I've only been a fan for five years (being a recent immigrant from the UK), and was fascinated by the detailed stories of names I'd heard of -- Ruth, Williams, DiMaggio, Rose, Ripken -- as well as many that I'd never known.
Particular highlights for me included the story of why the A's mascot is an elephant, a 19th century job ad for a First Baseman in DC ("Must work in Treasury Department. No Irish need apply."), and Curt Schilling's bloody sock from the 2004 World Series.
We spent a happy five hours wandering round taking in the sights, and are certain to return again.
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If you are any sort of baseball fan you must make a trip to the HOF at least once in your lifetime. I was fortunate enough to live in MA and drove here twice with family and friends. Now that I am living in CA it is far more difficult but I will go here again and again in my lifetime.
You need at least a full weekend to get a good look at everything. It can be overwhelming at first so a game plan is a good idea when attacking the HOF. I guess you are suppose to start on the 3rd floor and work your way down to the hall with all the plaques of inductees. And of course I did this backwards last time for whatever reason.
There is just SO much out on display here. From things you expect to find, like the all times leaders board for a variety of stats, to the Negro Leagues and Women's leagues, everyone is covered here. Ichrio's bat is really that small?! No way! The glove used to make the first ever unassisted triple-play!? I didn't even think that was possible! The curators were all friendly and helpful with our questions. They all got a kick out of my 'Flutie Flakes' t-shirt I happen to be wearing that day. It would have been nice to see the display of Red Sox memorabilia after the World Series win in '04 but I didn't make it.
The only thing working against the trip is there is precious little else to do in Cooperstown. So find a good camping spot and grab the s'mores fixings and relax would be my best suggestion.
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I wanted to visit this place all my life. Finally I brought my sons here to check it out. The quality of the presentations far exceeded my hopes. The museum is very child-friendly. My boys were handed questionnaires at the entry. They filled in the answers as they walked thru the exhibits. At the end, they handed in the forms and were given a unique set of baseball cards.
The place is not just a bunch of placques on the walls. They have displays grouped by era, theme, and teams. I recommend this place to all baseball fans.
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After diving to the depths of reviewer frustration by my previous posting re the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, eg Bud Molehill Selig, I've been saved by the opp. to review the shrine of all shrines--Cooperstown.
The name of the town is synonymous with baseball, and it is a gem.
In the last couple of years, they have gone even one better--bringing key pieces of the collection out to the public in museums and exhibits throughout the country.
Bravo HOF--now if you could only bring a real commissioner out to Milwaukee, we'd really have something to celebrate.
nice place to visit even for the casual fan, where the abbot 'n costello famous "who's on first" plays round the clock. will take ya 2.5 hrs to tour. short drive/walking distance to the lake where u can rent a cheap boat 'n go out on the water to make your trip complete, also there is a beautiful hotel/golf course right across the road if you are in to that. also a good couple of local restaurants in newly build establishments.
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Whether or not you are a baseball fan, if you are anywhere near Cooperstown this museum is a definate "do". We attended this year's induction ceremony (Ripken/Gwynn) and followed that with a tour of the museum. It was amazing, and I was thoroughly drenched with history and nostalgia as well as the humidity.
On the first floor there is a revolving baseball "art" gallery, as well as a big room displaying the current inductees, as well as all the plaques from the previous inductees. There are two additional floors of memories, from the early years, the Negro Leagues, stadiums, and modern baseball.
The only downside was that the museum store doesn't really carry merch from West Coast teams...well except this year, they had some obligatory Tony Gwynn stuff. I couldn't find any A's swag at all, except for inductee postcards. But hey, those were cool too, and I bought several.
If you plan on attending the induction weekend, make sure you research hotels and parking well in advance, 'cause that little town gets packed!!
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The Baseball Hall of Fame is an amazing place. You don't have to love baseball. Seriously! It is a great history lession--of the game, and of our country. Just awesome!