25 Main Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
(888) 425-5633
The National Baseball Hall of Fame was founded in 1939 by local hotel owner Stephen Carlton Clark. After the Great Depression decimated Cooperstown's local economy, Clark wanted an attraction that would bring tourists to Cooperstown, New York for years to come. Many baseball fans refer to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as simply "Cooperstown". More than 300,000 baseball fans make the trek to this small and beautiful village to see the museum annually. For you baseball fans that haven't made the trip to Cooperstown, we wanted to give you as many tips as we can to make sure your trip is a success.
All tours are self-guided so that fans can take in the Hall of Fame at their own pace and the exhibits are always changing. It is recommended that fans begin their tour on the 2nd floor. Many consider the best weekend to visit Cooperstown is during Hall of Fame weekend in late July. The events that take place that weekend include an induction ceremony at the nearby Clark Sports Center for the newest inductees. Afterwards, an awards ceremony takes place at Doubleday Field across the street from the museum, among which the Ford C. Frick Award is presented to a baseball broadcaster. Immediately following the awards ceremony is the "Parade of Legends" where the newly inducted Hall of Famers ride in a parade around town before concluding at the Hall of Fame on Main Street.
Getting to Cooperstown requires plenty of planning if you don't live within driving distance. It's centrally located in New York state. If you're traveling by airplane, you will need to fly into either the Syracuse, Albany or Binghamton, New York airports and then rent a car. Those three cities are a hour and a half drive to Cooperstown.
- Hall of Fame Hours and Pricing
- Purchase Hall of Fame Tickets
- Map of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
- Directory of Current Hall of Famers
- Book your Hotel in Cooperstown, New York
- Book your Flight to Syracuse, Albany or Binghamton, NY
Parking is also a hassle and is strictly enforced around the Hall of Fame on Main Street. The town has a population of just over 1,000 people. For $2 per hour, there are a limited number of parking spots in the Doubleday Field parking lot. If you would rather ride the trolley system ($2 per person per day), you will need to park in either the Blue, Red or Yellow lots throughout the towns. Parking in all three lots is complimentary.
Getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame seems to carry much more prestige than getting into the shrines of the other three major sports. In order to get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a former player must be elected either by the Baseball Writers Association of America or by the Veterans Committee. Prerequisites include having been retired for at least five full seasons and having played at least ten seasons in Major League Baseball.
For the record, the game of baseball was not invented by former Civil War hero and Cooperstown, NY native Abner Doubleday. That was a rumor that began in an effort to bring tourists to the Hall of Fame and Cooperstown, New York during the 1940s. Although the exact origins of baseball are unclear, many baseball historians believe Alexander Joy Cartwright of New York City had more to do with inventing the modern version of baseball. In 1845, he and his New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club made up brand new rules that called for a diamond shaped field. The first baseball game was played a year later in Hoboken, New Jersey. Many historians will also confirm that baseball does have ties to the game of cricket and is thought of as a faster paced version.
Bars and Restaurants near the Baseball Hall of Fame
Downtown Stores that Sell MLB Merchandise
Mickey's Place
74 Main Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
Seventh Inning Stretch
137 Main Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
Yastrzemski Sports
75 Main Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
Shoeless Joe's
66 Main Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
Legends Are Forever
133 Main Street
Cooperstown, New York 13326
Additional Photos
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- Planning Your Trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
- Planning Your Trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Planning Your Trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.
