Can’t get to Cooperstown? The Baseball Hall of Fame is coming to you—or at least a little closer. The Hall’s “We Are Baseball Tour” has begun its multi-year journey to hundreds of cities across North America, telling the game’s story through historic artifacts and modern technology.
The first stop, open through Sunday, is Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa. It’ll travel to six cities in its first four months of operation, including Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minnesapolis, Las Vegas and St. Louis.
The exhibits come from the Hall’s vast archives and include the bat used by Bobby Thomson when he hit the pennant-clinching home run in the 1951 regular season playoff, the glove worn by Willie Mays when he made the famous catch in Game One of the 1954 World Series, a 1927 Ty Cobb game-worn jersey,the cap Jackie Robinson wore during the 1955 World Series, the baseball that Babe Ruth hit for his 714th home run and the jersey worn by Roberto Clemente during his final season in 1972.
#Reds Chick Hafey made 1st-ever hit in #ASG, July 6, 1933. His jersey is in #HallOfFameTour: https://t.co/AYdC4UWU8M pic.twitter.com/TIR8w4i0eT
— Tom Shieber (@tshieber) July 6, 2016
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME TOUR – 2016 SCHEDULE
Davenport, IA (Modern Woodmen Park) July 3-10
Milwaukee, WI (Miller Park) July 15-31
Kansas City, MO (Kauffman Stadium) August 5-21
St. Louis, MO (Busch Stadium) August 26 – September 11
Minneapolis, MN (Mall of America) September 16-29
Las Vegas, NV (Las Vegas Convention Center) October 7-23
Visit HallofFametour.com for complete details and the latest scheduling and ticket information.
There’s an IMAX film produced in part by baseball memorabilia collector Thomas Tull that will feature never-before-seen new content as well as historical footage.
The Hall says the one-of-a-kind historical artifacts were curated by baseball historians and is “exhibited in unprecedented ways through state-of-the-art technology.”
The exhibit is designed to allow fans to “experience” the stories, traditions and stars covering baseball’s past and present– from the game’s greatest luminaries, ranging from Honus Wagner to Willie Mays, Babe Ruth to Clayton Kershaw, and personalities and moments, like broadcaster Harry Caray or Bill Mazeroski’s legendary World Series-winning home run, to Fenway Park’s famed “Green Monster.”
Examples include the opportunity to put yourself into some of baseball’s most iconic moments and share via social media. Hall of Fame plaques are presented in HD and made into an interactive experience.
At the Baseball #HallofFameTour you can appear in a historic photo. Here I am in 1927, giving advice to the Bambino. pic.twitter.com/gQHGqqjG6Y
— Tom Shieber (@tshieber) July 3, 2016
In a first-of-its-kind for baseball artifacts, there are video screens allowing fans to get the story behind a specific artifact before the artifact itself is revealed behind the screen.
Fans can also create their own Hall of Fame plaque and play interactive baseball games.
The Tour partnered with a virtual reality company to give fans the experience of being on the field and in the dugout with players. Shot over a series of weeks and available only as part of the Tour, Jaunt captured footage at Spring Training camps for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland A’s. They were also on field for the Boston Red Sox Fenway Park and Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field home openers and documented the ring ceremony for the 2015 World Series Champion Kansas City Royals.
Related Stories:
Hall of Fame’s “Starting Nine” Highlights Items from Each MLB Franchise
Modern Baseball Era Committee Candidates and Their Rookie Cards
Reggie White Items; Baseball Memorabilia Headline Hunt Sale
Piazza Marlins Collection Gets Hall of Fame Display
All-Star Line Up For Autographed PCGS Baseball HOF Coin Inserts
Baseball Hall of Fame Coin Sales Soaring
