O/T-- What's your favorite thing in "The Hall"?
 

As I sit here on New Year's Eve making a "to do" list for next year and setting some tobacco card goals...... I have made a promise to myself that in 2013 I am going to make the trek to Cooperstown for the first time.

I know I'm probably gonna cry like a baby :cool: as I walk through the front door, but for those of you that have been fortunate enough..... what's your favorite thing or favorite area of The Hall?

Any tips to make my adventure better?

There are so many wonderful early items its just an awesome experience. Some of my favorites are the statues in the art room, the Cy Young painting in the hall when you walk in and the early equipment displays. You'll have a great time.
Matt

I agree with Matt that the huge Cy Young painting at the front door is amazing.
Make sure to check out the small book shop that's down the back hall through the Gallery -- you might find an interesting book or CD or DVD back there. And when you walk down that hallway, you can look out through the window and see the statues of Johnny Podres pitching to Campy -- that's definitely one of my favorite things.
As a bat collector, I enjoy checking out game used characteristics on the bats and learning that sometimes players used someone else's bat for some key hit.
I also really enjoy staring into the lockers of Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson and imagining what was once in there.
I'll leave it there for now.

Greg

It's hard to pick a favorite part but don't miss the following:

The Baseball Experience - a short film about the history of baseball.

African American Experience

Of course, check out the baseball cards on display.

There are so many cool things it is impossible to pick one favorite. One thing that I really liked from my last visit was the scorecard from the first perfect game. I got a nice picture of that

The temple cup and the collection of oj cabinets including a McPhee

I loved the Jackie Robinson stuff...there is a great pocket watch that is attributed to Kid Nichols but has Charlie Bennett's name on it. Took me and a docent nearly an hour to figure out that the watch was given to Bennett (a teammate of Nichols on Boston) who later in Nichol's life gave it to Kid who was destitute at the time. Kid then sold it and it eventually found its way into the Hall. All this was using the Hall's library and catalog...it was incredible.

The only reason I recognized Bennett's name was because I was doing a bit of research at the time on the Worchester Ruby Legs (he was one of their first catchers).

Bennett was an amazing early baseball character and a piece of baseball history...seriously, look him up!

And yes, I have an OJ example that it took me several years to find.

Joshua

Paintings
 

I have probably been to the HOF a dozen times over the years and my favorite section has always been the baseball paintings.


Patrick

I was blown away how simple the place is...and how PACKED with history in every nook and corner. My favorite was the old time bats, and the copies of the early contracts. I went last during the McGwire/Sosa event of 98, so there was a ton of stuff that was just sent out on tables and not on display yet. It was crazy. Not sure if its still there, but there was a T206 Wagner...I stared at it for a long time...

I want to go back...it was amazing. I wish I had more time...so make plenty of time. It is simply amazing just how much stuff is packed in there.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am getting excited about it now :)
I am planning to make a weekend out of it so I will have time to see everything (i hope).

Are cameras allowed throughout the whole thing?
Are there any hotels/restaurants I should know about in the area?

By far, the Library. During one visit, I asked to see Detroit Wolverine team pictures from Tomlinson Studio (in advance of my visit) and was greated with not one but five imperial cabinets from 1886 & 1887. Their collection of N172 & N173 cards are also very impressive.

The Babe Ruth Room is awesome-the statues of the fans and ticketbooth on the third floor are awesome-the Women In Baseball display is awesome-the whole museum is awesome!! It's quite a coincidence that this thread was even started as I have just made my reservations yesterday to return for our ninth straight year and I can't think of a better vacation-hope you have lots of fun!!

My advice is to take two things.

1. Take your time. Make sure you have an entire day to slowly wonder through and read and see everything.

2. Take someone with you. The last time I went (and the only time as an adult) my wife was with me but she was sick so she went back to lay down in the hotel.. As I walked through I couldn't help but wish I had my dad, son, friends or someone with me to do it with.

Overall, enjoy. You're first time in the hall is an unforgetable experience.

You'll never regret or forget it.

Drew

BaseBall Hall of Fame weekend
 

Steve

You might consider being at the HOF during Induction weekend (July 26-28, 2013). It's a fun time to be there.

Friday-Saturday (7/26-27) is the traditional BB card show across the street from the HOF at the VFW building.
An eclectic group of Vintage (1887 - 1960's cards & memorabilia) dealers set-up at this show. This show has
been in operation since 1980.

For lodging, restaurants and museums in the surrounding area of Cooperstown. Contact their Chamber of Com-
merce for info.


TED Z

My favorite part of the Hall is, by far, the actual Hall of Fame itself (i.e. the plaque room). Make sure you save enough time to take it all in.

Also, if you are going in the summer, I'd highly recommend touring the museum at night. During the day it can get really hectic. After dinner, though, the place is nearly empty. It is a great time to go back to get a long second look at all of your favorite exhibits...

The Tunnecliff Inn right on the corner of Main Street has a pretty good restaurant downstairs underground. The restaurants there are much less than desirable so that's about the best that you'll find. There is also the largest baseball-themed restaurant about three blocks up from the museum and across on the other side of Main Street. That one's not too bad either, a little pricey for simple dinner entrees though.

A few more random thoughts:

Make sure you take some time to walk around and soak in the scene on the porch of the HOF Library facing Cooper Park. That porch is where Hall of Famers gathered for decades to receive their plaques and deliver their speeches on induction day. likewise, the lobby and back porch of the Otesaga Hotel. That's where they would gather to relax after the ceremonies. In the late 60s and early 70s I spent time there with people like Lefty Grove, Frankie Frisch, Charlie Gehringer, Red Ruffing and countless others.

The Otesaga is expensive and the rooms are tiny, so you'll probably just want to stop in for a visit. There are many nice B&Bs in town and also the Cooper Inn and Tunicliff, but I haven't stayed in either of those. If you have small kids and want a standard hotel, there are plenty of chain hotels ten minutes outside of town on route 28.
Man it's fun thinking about all this!

Greg

Lodging
 

Touching base on what Ted Z. said, I went to Cooperstown a few years ago and stayed at the Rose and Thistle bed & breakfast and was thoroughly pleased. The owners are very nice people and cook a great breakfast. They have a website for prices, directions and phone numbers.

Its located on the edge of town, but still within walking distance of the Hall. I went in the fall and it was nice leaving the wheels behind and getting some walking in.

Also if you're a fan of micro breweries, there is a nice brewery called Cooperstown Brewery Company just 10 minutes south of Cooperstown in Milford. They serve some tasty beverages and their bottles are all labeled with baseball themes and make nice display pieces in your man cave. Whether you display them full or empty is your choice. :D They also have a website for times & directions.


Hope this helps

Jantz

My advice would be to TAKE YOUR TIME!! There is an amazing amount of stuff crammed into that place and you'll miss a lot if you rush..

Another thing to consider is the town itself. There are some great little restaurants and a TON of card/memorabilia shops that are museums in their own right.

If going with a significant other who could care less or is only mildly interested, you may want to do your research about the area and they could drop you off.

If you are a beer drinker, Ommegang Brewery has an amazing "belgian-style" brewery not far away and there is also Cooperstown Brewing company.

Hope this helps.

Cooperstown is "heaven" to me. my dad & i have been going there for years, and this past March, i took my wife (for her first visit) and my parents, we treated them as a Xmas gift. we had a blast, we stayed at the Inn at Cooperstown, a beautiful B&B on the edge of main st. we love having lunch at Doubleday Cafe, and dinner at the Hawkeye Grill at Otesaga Resort.

Obviously the highlight is the HOF. it has evolved amazingly over the last 20 years (as long as i've been visiting it). it is truly one of the best museums on Earth. everything is very well presented and laid-out. The Hall itself is stunning and gives you the chills, take your time and look at each plaque and soak it all in. as mentioned above, the Ruth room is awesome, and the vintage uniforms & bats are thrilling. i also love the "Art" room, which displays many great paintings related to the National Pastime.

http://www.innatcooperstown.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran..._New_York.html

http://www.otesaga.com/dining


enjoy!
MS

One more thing about HOF. If you happen to visit it during the summer months, you might catch a game going on at Doubleday field adjacent to the Hall. Last time I was there, I caught the last few innings of a game. Players were teens that were part of some organized league.

It was so relaxing sitting in those stands watching a game after walking around the hall for hours.

Too bad there aren't any major card shows up in the area.

I've gone during the Induction weekend once and while it was fun, I'd save that time of year for if you're a fan of the player being inducted. That is when Cooperstown is the most crowded, and the center of town isn't huge.

I've gone twice in early October and loved it. Most places are still open and there are no crowds. If you're going to the Hall of Fame for the first time, that is the time to go. You will be able to see everything, take your time and get nice pictures. It's a beautiful town and surrounding area, much easier to take in when it isn't so crowded.

If you go around this time of year, you really get the place to yourself, but there is almost nothing to do in town besides that, so it is more of a 1-2 day trip tops. Plus you have to watch for upstate NY weather.

Visit the Fly Creek Cider Mill while you're there. Worth the trip just outside of town

It's been awhile
 

But the two things that stuck with me above the general awesomeness of the place was the Babe Ruth statue carved from wood, and this Ted Williams display. It shows his average within the stikezone of I believe his .406 season.

He actually set that up as an example of what he thought he would hit by swinging at pitches in certain locations. It wasn't exactly a specific time frame, but just a tool to help him and others decide what pitches to swing at. That display is a cool item I always check out there

I'm glad this thread has struck a chord with many of you. So nice to converse with like-minded people.

Are there places in the Hall that do not allow cameras?

I just started planning my trip and I am looking at a drive of:
Distance: 579.55 miles — Time: 9:22 h

I would just fly but then I gotta go through the hassles of the rental car and all that ..... plus the drive is right along Lake Erie so I don't think it will be too boring.

I'm going during the summer, and leaving on a Thursday morning, and I will start my journey home on Monday. So I should have 3 FULL days there. Hopefully that will be enough time.

I don't think I want to go on induction weekend. I know it would be the visit of a lifetime, but I would rather not mess with anymore of a crowd than necessary.

No clue who will be going with me .... as of now I will be going alone (which is just fine with me) but as the time nears I am sure I can wrangle one of you who live closer to Cooperstown than me to meet up and enjoy a day reliving history.

Yup, I'm getting all geeked about it now!! THANKS!!

I got goosebumps the size of golf balls just thinking about this post.

My personal "Holy Grail" of cards.

As others have stated, take your time! There is so much to see and absorb, you really don't want to rush. If someone goes with you make certain they are a baseball fan, my wife would tolerate it but not as long as I would wish.

As far as a favorite, I would have to go with something rather obscure, the corrected picture and story of Art Shamsky hitting 4 consecutive homers along with his bat. When I visited there for the first time, I noticed that they had Shamsky listed and pictured as a Met, he completed his feat while a member of the Reds. I wrote the Hall a letter and sure enough they corrected it and sent me a nice letter thanking me. It feels good to know that I had a very small impact on the Hall of Fame :)

Enjoy your trip!
RC

Thanks for the clarification. I was going on memory from over 20 years ago. I can't believe its still there! I think the Babe statue is gone, no?

I'm pretty sure it is still there..can't say for certain. They move things from time to time and rotate things in and out of public view, so maybe you caught them on an off-day?

I remembered one thing that I loved/hated seeing at the same time, the Buck O'Neil statue near the front door. It's great that they put the statue there for him and named the lifetime achievement award after him, but at the same time, I remember how mad I and about a few thousand others were when they named all the Negro League inductees and he wasn't among them.

Maybe I just gotta word it differently. :p :D :rolleyes:

Is camera use permitted throughout the entire facility?

Cooperstown is a great place to visit. My two favorite restaurants in the village are Nicolettas (very good Italian) and Alex and Ika, both on Main Street. Another nice place to eat is the Blue Mingo Grill at Sam Smith's Boatyard. Its about 4 miles up on the west side of the lake. You can sit within a few feet of the water. Great view. You can also rent a boat there and cruise on the lake. Fishing on Otsego Lake is very good, although better in the spring and fall than in the heat of the summer.

Camera question: yes cameras are allowed at all displays in the Hall and museum, with the exception I think of the theatre.

Greg

ahhh thank you very much. I was about to give up and start searching the FAQ on their website :)

How did you not get the memo to "group ignore" his camera question no matter how many times he asked? :)

I was starting to wonder too. I mean I know I'm still new around here and all but geez.

I thought maybe you all were playing that "silent treatment" game they play in the dugout after a rookie hits his first major league homer :)

Gehrig's locker. Gets me every time.

If this is the Babe Ruth statue you are thinking of, it was on display when I was there in December of 2011:

http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/...psb3b2127b.jpg

As for the camera question, flash photography was allowed...which I found unusual for a museum.

And, for the person who commented that you have the place to yourself during the winter, this is certainly true. For me, that added to the appeal.

Best Regards,

Eric

My favorite thing from the last time I visited the Hall (12/27/2011) was the collection of baseball cards on display. Here's a photo of one...I think a few people on this board may have heard of it:D

http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/...ps035a0bc0.jpg

I love everything about the museum. It really connects me with my baseball cards. I think it's really cool to see a display and know that I have a card or two of that particular person. Heck, occassionally I'll even bring some of my cards with me to the Hall just so I can say they were there too. That's something a 10 year old would do but I'm 45! And of course when I'm there, I get the fever and go back to the hotel and start shopping for baseball cards after hitting all the local shops. Of course that's after buying Yankees apparel for my 2 year old boy-and I MAKE my wife wear yankees stuff too:D

Steve, you're going to have a great time. Like you, I'm from Ohio, and the drive there is very enjoyable and hassle free.

Joe

Lots of great responses, but I tend to like some of the more oddball displays. The uniforms made for just for the first games played under lights (made of silk?), the display of stadium give-aways, the evolution of bats and balls, and the no-hitter displays jump out to me. The whole museum is great! Enjoy your trip.

The privilege of talking with the HOFer's and many well-known BB players is my most enjoyable experience in Cooperstown.
Too many to list here, but some of my most memorable are......

Ted Williams
Yogi Berra and his wife Carmen
Johnny Mize
Don Larsen
Jim Bunning
Carl Yastrzemski
Ernie Banks
Frank Howard
Bill White
Robin Roberts
Reggie Jackson
Roger Clemens

I have been going up to Cooperstown every HOF weekend since the early 1980's; and, setting up at the Cooperstown BB
card show.


TED Z

Ted- Great story especially about Johnny Mize. He was a cousin of my father, and I know the family was confused as to how long it took for him to finally make the Hall....He had 6 games that he hit 3 homeruns in, pretty sure it's still a record....

At least I know I'm not alone :)
I already thought about taking a few with me. A Cobb for sure.

I guess, in a strange way ..... to me ....... it's like "taking them home" for a visit.

Nobody has mentioned a Ty Cobb display in this thread ..... but I'm sure there is one and I plan to spend some serious time there.

Great!
Thank you very much.
The reason I asked (over and over :) ) is because photography is a second hobby of mine. A much cheaper one too :D

I'm definitely looking forward to sharing my pics from The Hall with all of you.

My favorite was the baseball card exhibit. It was a beautiful timeline from the early tobacco cards to today's modern day cards. I also enjoyed looking at the Hall of Fame plaques. When I saw the names of the Hall of Famers, I got so excited and made sure to take pictures of so many of them! There are also some neat card shops out side there too. I was able to pick up a sweet Fred Merkle portrait for $15. Great stuff!

That's it! I can't find my photo, but I'm pretty sure at the time it was at the entrance of an exhibit. A much darker location. I just remember being amazed. Thanks for posting that.

Favorite Thing In The Hall
 

Loved reading these replies as I was back in Cooperstown for my third time this past summer. If you happen to be in the Hall in the afternoon (I want to say it was around 3:00 PM...maybe they do it at other times), a couple of museum workers will bring some items out from the Hall's collection to allow for closer inspection. I was there with my girlfriend a week or so after Memorial Day, so this particular showing had a military theme. They showed Hank Greenberg's military ID, Charlie Gehringer's military dress hat, and the kicker for me as a Red Sox fan, Ted William's bat from the 1957 All Star game. You aren't allowed to touch, but it's still a great chance to see some incredible items up close.

They made announcements about every 10 minutes starting about a half hour prior to the presentation. I was there mid-week, so I don't know if the fact that there wasn't a huge crowd helped. One thing I found amazing was that the gentleman giving the presentation noted that at any given time, only about 15% of the Hall's memorabilia is on display. Incredible. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your trip. As a beer lover, I would also second the earlier recommendation to check out Ommegang Brewery. It's maybe 8 or 10 miles southeast of town, and well worth the trip.

Mark

When I was last there in May 2010 the Ruth statue was opposite a Ted Williams statue made the same way...cool stuff

I loved my visit to to the Hall of Fame so much I became a real sucker for any books that offered photos of the collections!

Most were so-so but a couple of year's ago the best of all came from an unlikely source, Bert Sugar. I usually found of his stuff to be run of the mill, common phots etc. but not his last book. BERT SUGAR'S BASEBALL HALL OF FAME BOOK. It gives a first class tour of the Hall with wonderful photos of the exhibits.

Also the DVD of the television series Great Museums is wonderful. Their tour can also be seen on YouTube. Just search for Great Museums Home Base the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

If the piece near the end where the museum staff finds the note under a display doesn't choke you up then you are heartless.

Steven,

They were both in the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery, if I am not mistaken. Here is a picture of The Bambino and Teddy Ballgame, side-by-side:

http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/...ps404732a4.jpg

Best Regards,

Eric