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About this business
Through the inspiration of Horace M. Peterson III (1945-1992), founder of the Black Archives of Mid-America, a group of local historians, business leaders, and former baseball players came together to create the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the early 1990s. It functioned out of a small, one room office in the Lincoln Building, which is located in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District of Kansas City, MO. It quickly incorporated, built a board of directors and staffing, and created a licensing program to support operations.In 1994, it expanded to a 2,000 square-foot space in the Lincoln Building, which include a number photographs and interactive displays. Designed by ESA Design of Abilene, KS, this exhibit became the flagship for redevelopment in the historic district. Several hundred visitors, including school groups and dignitaries, marveled at this once "untold American history."Highlights of our stay in the Lincoln Building included the 75th Anniversary Reunion of the Negro Leagues and a visit from Vice-President Al Gore.The 18th & Vine historic district was the center for black culture and life in Kansas City from the late 1800s-1960s. It was the hub of activity for homeowners, business, jazz music, and baseball enthusiast. Just outside of the district stands the Paseo YMCA building, which was built as a black YMCA in 1914. It served as temporary home for baseball players, railroad workers, and others making the transition to big city life in the Midwest. It was here that the Negro National League was founded in 1920. Although the district and the YMCA building were becoming blighted by the 1980s, they were recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.During the late 1990s, plans were underway by city officials to create a new home to showcase Kansas City's jazz heritage and to revitalize the Historic District. City officials and the mayor worked to raise over $20 million in bonds to build a new facility to host the new American Jazz Museum and a new, permanent and expanded, home for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. This new 50,000 square-foot building opened in September 1997 and the Baseball Museum opened in November.Our permanent home uses 10,000 square feet of the new space. Also designed by ESA Design, the new exhibit features multi-media computer stations, several film exhibits, hundreds of photographs, Field of 12 bronze sculptures and a growing collection of baseball artifacts. The museum raised over $2 million dollars to complete design and construction of this space. It has also welcomed several thousand visitors and dignitaries since, including Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, General (Ret.) Colin Powell, Jesse Jackson, Maya Angelou, Judith Jamison, Mike Dukakis, Walter Cronkite, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Barry Bonds, Tony Larussa, Isaac Hayes, Ossie Davis, Sinbad, and many, many others.
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Other www.americanjazzmuseum.org
Prices Admission to either $6 adults, $2.50 children 11 and under; combination ticket to both $8 adults, $4 children
Mon Closed
Tue 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Wed 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Thu 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Fri 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sat 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sun 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Features
Reviews for Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum received an average rating of 4.86 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews.
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by Winona on 6/23/2021
by Mathilda on 5/5/2021
by Mathilda on 5/5/2021
by Spencer on 8/21/2021
by Spencer on 8/21/2021
by Boston on 2/10/2021
by Boston on 2/10/2021
The Scene
The museum is located in the historic 18th and Vine District, birthplace of Kansas City jazz and an African-American commerce hub from the 1920s to 1960s. Catch this double play: The American Jazz Museum is housed in… Read Full Editorial
Great place to take out of town guest. by Valerie M. via Judy's Book on 3/28/2006
I brought a cousin there who was visiting from California and he really enjoyed me. My parent brought family there who were visiting from Lousiana and they really enjoyed it. They even got to take a picture with Buck himself, which was a…
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum by Zach w via Insider Pages on 9/2/2005
This museum has a kinds of information and displays about the nergo baseball league. It has a lot of information and memorabilia about the league. There is even a replica of a baseball field that the kids can run the bases. This is a must…
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum by kelsey w. via Judy's Book on 8/10/2005
This museum is all about the nergo baseball league. It has a lot of information and memorabilia about the league. There is even a replica of a baseball field that the kids can run the bases. This is a must visit for any baseball fan. There…
Baseball by Jessica F. via Judy's Book on 8/7/2005
This museum is filled with tons of interactive and high tech gadgets to play around with when you visit. You can watch one of the films they have on many screens or try your luck at an interactive pitching and batting machine against some…
Nergro Leagues Baseball Museum by nicole m. via Judy's Book on 8/5/2005
If you like baseball and you like history this is the place for you. It tells about the history of the African American baseball. It is very interesting to go here and see everything. There are all kinds of exhibits, articles, and pictures…
Negro League Baseball Museum is Great by Jim P. via Judy's Book on 7/27/2005
I really enjoyed my recent tour of the Negro League Baseball Museum. It was very interesting, and enjoyed so much I went later in the summer. It was cheap (except for the store), fun, and it can be long if you read all the plaques. My…
WOW!!! what great knowledge you will have... by 123456greenjazz via Citysearch on 5/23/2005
8 dollars for both jazz & NLBM museum and the knowledge you will have when you leave this place is unreal. Both takes about 2 1/2 andworth every mintute. Do try!!
It both celebrates and offers an in depth look at an often overlooked piece of baseball's history. by Contributor via Citysearch on 8/14/2003
The Background
A local hero, Jackie Robinson, arguably the most famous player to ever play in the league, played in Kansas City for the NL Monarchs before becoming the first black player ever to join a white professional baseball…
