Plan your trip months in advance. Cooperstown is a small town in upstate New York with a limited number of hotel rooms. If you are planning to go in summer, it is best to make your plans months in advance so you can secure a hotel room or rooms for you and the members of your party.
Make your first stop the Hall of Fame plaque gallery. This is where you will see the bronzed likenesses of the Hall of Famers along with the pertinent details of their career. Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax are among the featured stars in the august room and a baseball fan can spend hours getting lost in the accomplishments and memories of these great players.
Visit the Scribes and Mikemen section of the Hall of Fame. Much of the allure of baseball is about the great stories that are told about the game and in this section you can read and hear some of the best from those that have chronicled them for decades. Announcers like Jack Buck, Harry Caray, Vin Scully, Red Barber and Ernie Harwell not only described the game on a daily basis, they also come into the fans' living rooms, bedrooms and cars to tell the story. Great writers who bring the game home in newspapers, magazines and books are also featured.
Get a look at the artifacts--past and present--that document the game's memorable moments. The bat used by Babe Ruth, the spikes used by base-stealing champion Ricky Henderson, the glove used by acrobatic shortstop Ozzie Smith and the catcher's gear worn by Johnny Bench are among the many displays that fans love to see. Additionally, you can go to the Hall of Fame theater and watch highlights from memorable World Series, playoffs and All-Star games from the past.
Visit the Baseball at the Movies section of the Hall. Not only can you get the records of any baseball movie ever made, you can see selected clips of these movies and get a synopsis of what the movies were about.
