Cooperstown, New York: More Than Just Baseball

Mention Cooperstown and the first thing people think of is baseball – as they should. After all it is the home of baseball, even though the first game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey. Cooperstown is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame and each year thousands of people descend on this tiny village in Upstate New York to celebrate America’s Pastime. But there is much more to see and do in Cooperstown and here are some of the reasons you should visit.

Obviously baseball is what makes Cooperstown. The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is located right on Main Street. It is here that you can relive the history of the game. The museum has many treasures such as Babe Ruth’s bat, Ty Cobb’s glove and every World Series ring. Every aspect of baseball is touched upon, including the Negro Leagues, International Baseball, Minor Leagues and the All American Girls Professional League. You can also visit the Hall of Fame Gallery, where the greats of the game are enshrined – Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Satchel Paige and Roberto Clemente just to name a few. There are currently 278 members enshrined in the Hall of Fame including Bruce Sutter and 17 members of the Negro Leagues who were enshrined this past year. This past year the Hall inducted its first woman, Effa Manley, a pioneer in the Negro Leagues. The museum also has movie presentations that show the history of the game and you can’t leave until you listen to Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on First” For more information visit http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/


Once you leave the Museum you can walk down Main Street where there are dozens of stores selling all kinds of baseball memorabilia. You can buy an autograph picture of Mickey Mantle or a replica of a 1908 Chicago Cubs hat. All the stores and restaurants on Main Street are all locally owned businesses you won’t find a Starbucks or a McDonalds here.

Make sure to also visit Doubleday Field where there is often a game being played. The games are usually played between High School, College or Senior Men League Teams. Teams travel from all over to play here.