Negro Southern League Museum
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum tells the stories of African American baseball players and how it has contributed to social advancement. The museum, which opened in 1990, is located just two blocks from where Andrew “Rube” Foster established his league in 1920s Kansas City’s Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District
The privately funded 501c3 not-for-profit organization preserves history through exhibits on display that explore this rich pastime while also celebrating its impact today with interactive programs like clinics for kids who want to learn more about playing sports or historical tours available daily.
The NLBM opened its doors in 1991 with one room as office space and an ambitious dream to build a permanent facility that would pay tribute to America’s unsung baseball heroes. In 1997 under the leadership of Buck O’Neil, this dream became a reality when they moved into their new 10K sq ft home inside the cultural complex known simply enough as The Museums at 18th & Vine-a a fitting name for such an institution.
The National League Baseball Museum, now one of the most important cultural institutions in America for its work to give voice to forgotten chapter baseball history. In 2006 it was given the national designation by Congress and thus became “America’s National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
This iconic museum has a long and celebrated history of educating the public about forgotten chapters in American history. The organization’s efforts have also helped promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion through various programs that are both innovative yet thought-provoking for broad audiences alike.
The historical museum is proud to present a new website resource for teachers and researchers. The museum has partnered with Kansas State University, which developed lesson plans that can be used in conjunction with the collected content on this website, including videos about players from earlier eras as well oral history transcripts from those who have had experiences playing football during its early days.
The NLBM, situated at 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108-1610, is such a fascinating and educational experience. You’ll learn so much about baseball history, including cultural aspects that highlight African American contributions to the sport. The best way to enjoy this exhibit would be by touring it yourself with an hour worth of time as your guide-of course; if you have more than one hour at first glance, then I recommend staying for another 30 minutes just because there are some really cool artifacts on display(i can’t spoil any surprises).
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See the next in this series: The Summit Birmingham
See the previous in this series: Lyric Theatre
