June 24, 2020

Official National Baseball Hall of Fame Press Release

NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM EXPECTS TO REOPEN FRIDAY, JUNE 26

-- Lineup of enhanced health and safety procedures in place for visitors and staff; Museum to reopen with launch of Starting Nine experience --

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – As summer sets in, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is preparing to reopen its doors on Friday, June 26, in accordance with New York State’s regionally-focused phased reopening plan and with many enhanced health and safety procedures.

A comprehensive health and safety plan for the Museum has been developed in accordance with guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York State, and reviewed by a certified Industrial Hygiene Technician, to ensure cleanliness, physical distancing and reduced contact for both visitors and staff.

“On behalf of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors and our entire staff, we look forward to welcoming visitors back to Cooperstown to celebrate the game we love,” said Tim Mead, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Members of our staff have worked tirelessly to prepare and enact plans that will allow us to open our doors. Throughout this process, the health and well-being of our staff and our visitors has remained paramount.”

Upon reopening, the Hall of Fame will also feature a brand new experience, Starting Nine: The Must-See Artifacts from your Favorite Team, which tailors the Museum visit to each individual fan like never before.

REOPENING ON-DECK

The Hall of Fame expects to open when the Mohawk Valley – which encompasses Cooperstown – enters Phase Four of New York State’s phased reopening plan, expected to take place on Friday, June 26. Should New York State not allow a reopening on Friday, further information will be posted on the Hall of Fame’s website, baseballhall.org.

Upon reopening, the Hall of Fame will be open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Timed admission tickets will be available for purchase at baseballhall.org on a first-come, first-served basis beginning when New York State authorizes the start of Phase Four in the Mohawk Valley. These tickets will allow visitors to reserve a specific date and time to enter the Museum, alleviating congestion in the front lobby and throughout the Museum.

Typically open all but three days each year – Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day – the Hall of Fame closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic following the close of business on March 15. Earlier this year, the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to cancel this summer’s Hall of Fame Weekend events. The Class of 2020 – consisting of Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker – will be inducted on Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Cooperstown, alongside any new members elected as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2021. The Awards Presentation on Saturday, July 24, 2021 will recognize the Hall of Fame’s 2020 and 2021 Award Winners, including 2020 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Nick Cafardo, 2020 Ford C. Frick Award winner Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and the winner of the 2020 Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, David Montgomery.

The Hall of Fame continues to offer virtual programming elements online, with information about scheduled events available at baseballhall.org/events.

HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES

Per New York State guidelines, the use of face masks for all staff and guests will be required. Free single-use masks will be available at the Museum entrance for visitors who do not have one.

To allow for physical distancing, Museum capacity will be limited and admission will be based on a timed ticketing process. Within the Museum, all exhibit spaces are expected to remain open and functional, and guests will receive a rubber-tipped stylus to use when interacting with touch-screens and buttons.

Directional markers have been added to Museum spaces, along with signage reminding visitors of safety procedures. More than 25 hand sanitizing stations have also been placed throughout the Museum. Until further notice, the Hall of Fame’s larger gathering spaces – the Grandstand Theater, Bullpen Theater, Learning Center and Sandlot Kids’ Clubhouse – will remain closed.

Increased cleaning and disinfection will take place both within Museum spaces and office areas, while protective clear acrylic shields have been installed at the Museum admission desk and at check-out counters within the Museum Store, which will also reopen when the Museum opens.

Additionally, employee spaces and schedules have been adjusted to accommodate physical distancing, with staggered arrivals and departures to limit staff overlap. All employees will be given a health screening assessment and temperature check each day prior to entering the Museum.

STARTING NINE EXPERIENCE

New to the Hall of Fame upon its reopening will be Starting Nine: The Must-See Artifacts from Your Team. This team-themed experience highlights nine amazing pieces for each team among the vast collection of tens of thousands of treasured artifacts preserved in Cooperstown.

The Museum’s curators spent countless hours mining the collection for special objects that represent each major league team, providing a new and extraordinary visitor experience tailored to each baseball fan. A lineup card – available at the Hall of Fame or at Starting Nine’s mobile website – identifies nine must-see artifacts on display within the Museum for each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams.

Starting Nine ensures that visitors don’t miss a single must-see item for their team during their visit to the Museum, while providing fans of each team their own unique Museum experience. Fans can preview their team’s Starting Nine artifacts now at baseballhall.org/nine.

Further resources for those planning a visit to the Hall of Fame can be found at baseballhall.org.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an independent not-for-profit educational institution, dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the historical development of baseball and its impact on our culture by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting its collections for a global audience as well as honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to our National Pastime. Opening its doors for the first time on June 12, 1939, the Hall of Fame has stood as the definitive repository of the game’s treasures and as a symbol of the most profound individual honor bestowed on an athlete. It is every fan’s spiritual home, with its stories, legends and magic shared from generation to generation.