What is it – A trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York has long been considered a pilgrimage that every serious sports fan should make. Since it is located about four hours from New York, Boston and Philadelphia and is not near any major airport, it usually becomes a two-day trip. Major League Baseball decided to locate the museum there back in the 1930s because Abner Doubleday founded baseball in that town back in 1839. Today, the Hall of Fame is run by a non-profit organization for the stated purpose of preserving the history of the sport and celebrating the legendary players, coaches and other people who established and maintained the national pastime over the last 180 years.

After many years of thinking about it, I went on a weekend trip to Cooperstown several years ago with a friend. There are several features that make it an interesting place to visit for half of a day.  One of the most impressive places to visit is the Plaque Gallery where a plague displays a bust of each inductee and provides a description of their major accomplishments and contributions to the sport. Candidates who have played for at least ten years and been retired for five years are nominated by a screening committee and then remain eligible for 15 years thereafter. To be elected, a candidate needs to receive a vote on the ballots submitted by 75% of the members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. In addition, there is a Veterans Committee which looks back at players and contributors whose periods of eligibility have expired to determine if any worthy recipients have been overlooked.  I particularly enjoyed looking at the plaques awarded during the 1970s, since the many outstanding inductees of the 1960s such as Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax and Frank Robinson, were on the baseball cards that I collected growing up in that era. There is also a special area dedicated to the current year’s inductees and the year I visited life size figures of Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were on display.

Babe Ruth Still Impresses

The Hall also features a wing about Babe Ruth that included fascinating newspaper articles, pictures and newsreels about his accomplishments and activities. Although mass media was not as prevalent in that time, Ruth equaled modern sports legends such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods in terms of their fame and influence on the public. Several sections of the museum have video displays and memorabilia that depicted great moments in baseball history or unusual plays that took place over the years.  Just as interesting was some of the memorabilia from the early days of baseball including a cabinet with 100 baseballs in it painted gold which was used by a manager to commemorate each game the team won during a special season.  Finally, there is a clubhouse-style locker for each of the 30 major league teams with a team uniform, information about the team’s names and accomplishments, and a few artifacts from some of their legendary players. Visitors flock to their favorite team’s locker and laugh at the displays of their rivals.

The Hall of Fame did present some disappointments. There is lots of information about some players but barely a poster about others such as Rogers Hornsby, who once maintained a cumulative batting average over .400 during a five-year period. Similarly, although there were places in the museum that used technology to display material, the interactive features were not as effective as one would expect for a national museum. The museum and its sponsors need to consider making a more significant contribution to the future of the game by enhancing the facilities from time to time.    

Interesting Facts - Another interesting place near Cooperstown is a private youth baseball complex called Dreams Park. It has 22 baseball fields and draws close to 20,000 young players annually for a week of games and training. The players and their coaches live, eat, and are entertained in barracks and pavilions at the complex. Coupled with the Hall of Fame nearby and the beauty of Cooperstown, this is an inspirational place for young players to seek their baseball destiny.

Other Things to Do - Cooperstown is a surprising and interesting village of 10,000 people. For a tourist town, it is unusually calm with spotless houses, family restaurants, downtown sports shops, and friendly residents. It is a very walkable community and you can take a one-hour ride on the Glimmerglass Queen ferry which travels around parts of the 11-mile-long Lake Otesaga. This bright blue lake is surrounded mostly by state parks and land owned by a land trust, making it largely clean and attractive.

When to Go - The weather is excellent in Cooperstown throughout the baseball season. Although the museum is less crowded during the winter, Cooperstown can be snowy, rainy, and chilly from November until opening day. One week to avoid unless you want to join the crowd and stay in a distant hotel is induction week when the baseball world and national media descend on the small community.

Where to Stay - There are a wide variety of places to traditional inns and lodges to stay at around the village. The top of the line is the Otesaga Resort Hotel which is located on the Lake and has a huge porch for relaxing and taking in the ambiance of the site. This elegant brick resort has fine dining, a pool and golf course, renovated traditional rooms and event facilities. A few miles from town on the commercial strip there are several reasonably priced rooms for families at the Holiday Inn Express, Best Western and the Comfort Inn and Suites.

Cost – The cost admission to the Hall of Fame is $23 for adults, $15 for seniors and $12 for juniors.