Spotlight: New York State - Cooperstown (Baseball Hall of Fame)

Spotlight: Cooperstown is famous as the birthplace of baseball. That is why the Baseball Hall of Fame was built here - a shrine to the greatest baseball players of all-time. This tiny village of about 2,000 inhabitants has embraced this endowment, catering to the hundreds of thousands of baseball fans who make the pilgrimage here every year. According to legend, Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball in a cow pasture within the town limits in 1839. Based purely on the merits of this account, the National Baseball Hall of Fame was opened here in 1939 in an effort to increase tourism to the area. It worked. Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame have become synonymous with each other despite the fact that most baseball historians strongly dispute the veracity of the story. Regardless of whether or not it is true, the town is a beautiful jewel located along the path less trodden.

Location: Cooperstown is located at the southern end of Otsega Lake. Despite being located somewhere near the geographical center of New York State, it has the feel of a small town smack dab in the middle of nowhere. The Hall of Fame is easy to find since it is located on Main St. in the middle of town: 25 Main St.; Cooperstown, New York

Time: Some people spend a few hours, others can spend all day; depending on how big of a baseball fan you are. Normal operating hours are from 9am - 5 pm. Summer hours are from 9am - 9pm.

Cost: Adults (13-64) - $23.00; Seniors (65+) - $15; children (7-12) - $12; veterans - $12; active/career retired military - free; children under seven - free

Description: The Baseball Hall of Fame is a museum dedicated to promoting and preserving the history of baseball, while honoring its greatest heroes. The Hall features exhibits that show how the game has evolved over the years, from its disputed beginnings as an offshoot of Town Ball or Rounders to its current form.

     Other exhibits honor pioneers from different races and nationalities around the world, as well as women players (remember the movie A League of Their Own). The Hall displays a plethora of jerseys, hats, bats, and balls used by baseball's greatest heroes (as well as its relatively unknown journeymen) to accomplish the game's greatest feats. Memorabilia from previous eras, old stadiums, no-hitters, milestones, record breakers, and World Series championships are prominently displayed throughout the Hall with plaques explaining the significance of each item. One of our favorite exhibits was "The Ultimate Collection" - a baseball card collection including a copy of the ultra-rare T206 Honus Wagner card (considered the most valuable baseball card ever made, often selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars).

No-hitter balls from the 1970's

Bats and balls used by Hank Aaron to break Babe Ruth's record

Honus Wagner

     In addition to the display cases, the Hall has a wide selection of photographs, videos and audio recordings of many of its historic moments. There are also many hands-on interactive computer displays that allow fans to experience various aspects of the game, as well as test their skills or knowledge of the game.

     The most prominent exhibit at the Hall of Fame is the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery, featuring plaques listing the accomplishments, career highlights, and stats of every inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. You can look for your favorite stars among baseball's legends, or try to choose your all-time Dream Team from among baseball's greatest stars.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: Cooperstown hosts its annual Hall of Fame Weekend the final weekend of July. The ceremonies attract baseball fans from around the country, including most living Hall of Famers, as it inducts that year's crop of Hall of Famers. The Parade of Legends, featuring MLB's living Hall of Famers, takes place on Saturday. The Induction Ceremony takes place on the Sunday, wrapping up the weekend's events.
- Fans are encouraged to start their tour of the museum on the second floor (which highlights baseball's chronological development), move on to the third floor, and finish in the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery on the first floor.
- You can leave the museum and return the same day at no additional cost.
- Flash photography and video recordings are encouraged throughout the museum.
- Strollers are permitted, and free wheelchairs are provided for visitors who need them.
- The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
- Up and down Main Street you can browse shops with memorabilia that you can buy - including hats, jerseys, baseball cards, bats, magazines, books and autographed balls.
- For additional information, check out the official Baseball Hall of Fame website.
- Cooperstown hosts the Glimmerglass Opera every July and August.

Nearby: The Farmers Museum; Fenimore Art Museum; Glimmerglass Opera; Palmyra; Erie Canal