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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – They should just call it Baseballville. Right off the bat, you’d know why you’re visiting this upstate New York destination that is a fair drive from the nearest interstate.
Get into downtown early in the day and you can find parking. Otherwise, you’ll have to park and ride a shuttle, which is cheap ($2) and convenient.
Once there, you’ll be thoroughly immersed in America’s favorite pastime. There are restaurants that reflect the theme, like the Doubleday Café (after Abner Doubleday, the purported founder of the formal game). Some local hotels have baseball murals instead of wallpaper in their lobbies and baseball-themed art in the guest rooms.
There are sporting goods shops like Yazstremski’s Sports and Mickey’s Place, and one shop sells nothing but baseball bats. T-shirts, bobblehead dolls and baseball cards fill other stores.
You might even catch a live baseball game at Doubleday Field. Tournaments are popular here.
The center attraction is, of course, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Dedicated in 1939, even modest baseball fans can find plenty to be entertained for a few hours. Die-hard fans might spend most of a day.
A typical visit starts with an eight-minute film, “The Baseball Experience,” intended to get visitors fired up about the exhibits. It ends with a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and some audience members are inspired to sing along.
Exhibits include baseball uniforms past and present, an extensive collection of historic photos, memorabilia – balls, bats and equipment tied to historic moments – plus videos and informational plaques. There’s lots of trivia, sort of like the kind of patter you hear from announcers to kill time during broadcasts today. For example, did you know that Casey Stengel came by his nickname because he was from Kansas City?
There’s a whole section dedicated to the legendary Babe Ruth. Another to Hank Aaron. There’s an exhibit about women in baseball, which has the grace to admit it’s still primarily a man’s game. And one exhibit focuses on the fanaticism for the sport in Latin America.
If you need a humor break, there’s a continuous loop of the famous “Who’s on First?” routine by the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. And there’s an art gallery with paintings and sculptures of famous players.
By the end of the self-guided tour, baseball has been elevated to a pursuit of mythical proportions.
The self-proclaimed crown jewel of the place is the Hall of Fame, which features 300-plus bas relief plaques dating from the first inductees in 1936 to the class of 2015.
Some names might be unfamiliar, but their accomplishments are listed on the plaques. Others will be familiar even to those who don’t follow the sport – Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and so on.
But don’t look for Pete Rose. He’s not here. Rose’s record-breaking feats are recognized in the museum, but the Hall of Fame is reserved for those who have burnished the sport, not besmirched it.
If you get tired of the baseball theme, there is the fabulous Fenimore Art Museum and an extensive Farmers’ Museum – a living history village, really. That same trolley also makes stops here. And Lake Otsego, just outside town, offers lovely views and water sports.
But let’s be honest here. This town is mostly about baseball. And for fans, it covers all the bases.
For more information on the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, call 888-425-5633 or visit baseballhall.org. For information on visiting Cooperstown, visit thisiscoopers town.com.
