I visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 3 of my kids and all of us had a wonderful time. Because of COVID, all visitors must wear a mask in the museum and throughout the downtown area. To read about our trip, click here.
I’ve listed information on visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame below.
Tickets:
Tickets are timed and it’s recommended to buy your tickets ahead of time. You don’t want to show up and try and purchase your tickets the same day. It’s possible you will not be allowed to enter.
Kids under 6 are free.
Adults and Seniors are $25.
Juniors are $15.
Veterans receive a $7 discount with proof of service.
To purchase your timed tickets, click here.
Hours:
The museum is open 7 days a week from 9 am to 5 pm. (Subject to change once COVID restrictions ease.)
Parking:
There is street parking in front of the museum and throughout the downtown area. Parking on the street is limited to $2/hr.
Another option is the Double Day Field parking lot, which costs $14 for all-day parking.
* My recommendation is to look for parking at the Double Day Field lot first. I visited Cooperstown for 3 days and that was my preferred location.
Because of COVID, the trolley has been suspended. Usually, you can park at 3 parking lots located at:
Blue Lot: Off Route 28 just south of the Village of Cooperstown (traveling north from Oneonta, NY)
Red Lot: Off Route 28 North (Glen Avenue) at Maple Street (traveling south on route 28 from route 20)
Yellow Lot: On Route 80 at the upper parking lot of Fenimore Art Museum (traveling south on Route 80 from Route 20)
With Kids:
Kids can receive a scavenger hunt sheet from the ticket booth. This is a great way for kids to explore the museum and you get a chance to spend more time looking through the exhibits. The museum provides small pencils for you to use, but you might want to bring a pen.
Strollers are permitted inside the museum.
Coat Check:
There is a coat check available for coats and bags, but I advise leaving everything in your car if you can.
Food:
No food or drinks are allowed in the museum. They did let me bring in a water bottle that I kept in my bag. Food is not sold anywhere in the museum, so plan your dining options around your visit. Here is a list of restaurants in Cooperstown.
Here’s where I ate while visiting Cooperstown
Brooks House of Bar-B-Q in Oneonta, NY
Jerry’s Place in Hartwick, NY
Mel’s at 22 in Cooperstown, NY
Fly Creek Cider Mill in Fly Creek, NY
Bocca’s Osteria in Cooperstown, NY
All of the meals were great. Mel’s at 22 is a couple of blocks away from the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bocca’s is outside the downtown area and offers Italian food. Fly Creek Cider Mill is a great spot to take kids and buy gifts for people back home and has tasty sandwiches. Jerry’s Place is a fine meal and has good sandwiches to eat outside or you can pick up food and take home. Brooks House of Bar-B-Q was as top we made as we left the city and was one of our favorite meals since we are a Bar-B-Q loving family.
Time:
I was there with my kids for 2 hours and they were ready to go. I would have liked to stay for at least another hour. If you are visiting without kids, give yourself 3 hours. With kids, 2 hours is a good amount of time.
Where to stay:
For a list of hotels, click here. I stayed at the Lake N Pines Motel and it was a great place to come back to after touring Cooperstown. The views were gorgeous and it has an indoor and outdoor pool.
Disclaimer: I partnered with This is Cooperstown on this post.
You might like these baseball stories:
A Visiting MLB Player Gave a Fan a Memory to Last a Lifetime
Raising My Son with a David Wright Backdrop
10-Year-Old Interviews Mets’ Legend John Franco