Louisville

Louisville Slugger Walk of Fame

After we were done at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory yesterday, we walked up and down part of Main Street to take a look at the Louisville Slugger Walk of Fame. It’s done really well, with a replica bronze bat done to specification for each player on the walk, as well as a bronze home plate detailing the highlights of their careers. Any baseball fan can find heroes from their childhood as they walk along Main Street, from many teams in MLB, as well as a few Negro League players, such as Cool Papa Bell and Josh Gibson, who were never given the chance to play in the majors.

The highlight for the whole family was, of course, seeing Stan the Man’s bat on the Walk of Fame.

We didn’t finish the whole walk…it would have been a mile and back, and a certain little toddler was getting tired. I wish we could have spent more time walking…it’s a great way to spend some time learning about baseball history and enjoying beautiful downtown Louisville!

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory

Yesterday, we took a field trip to Louisville, KY, and toured the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

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It’s a fantastic place. We went on the factory tour first thing, and while no photography is allowed on the factory floor, there is one window into the factory for public viewing. It was fascinating seeing how the bats are made, and how quickly!

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The Bat Vault, the “Fort Knox of Louisville Slugger,” was especially popular with the children.

The museum was also fascinating. It’s quite interactive. There’s even a place where you can stand and see a 90 mph fastball coming at you, which is unsettling…you barely see, and it’s on the ground!

Of course I loved the tribute to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League!

There’s a section dedicated to the Louisville awards, including the Silver Slugger and the Silver Bat.

There’s also a small theater that shows a short film narrated by none other than James Earl Jones. The exit from the theater leads you through a clubhouse-like hallway to a dugout.

Baseball is everywhere you look in the building!

Of course, we had to look for Stan Musial on the two Walls of Fame!

There’s even a batting cage, which was very popular with the big kids (including Daddy and Grandpa!), and a “Small Ball” area with a tee and plastic bats for the under-five crowd.

 

The outside of the museum boasts the World’s Biggest Bat, an exact-scale replica of Babe Ruth’s Louisville Slugger.

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And a large brickwork ball to go with it!

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There’s also a super-sized Kentucky limestone glove inside.

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This was a great day trip for our family…we got to learn more about baseball, and there was plenty of activity to keep us busy after we spent a few hours in the car!