(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum reopened 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.
The Hall of Fame opens as the Mohawk Valley – which encompasses Cooperstown – enters Phase Four of New York State’s phased reopening plan.
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.
More information on the Museum’s reopening plan can be found at baseballhall.org/reopening, and a summary of key health and safety procedures implemented by the Hall of Fame are provided within the attached Safety Lineup.
The Hall of Fame will be open daily 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. 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.
Per New York State guidelines, the use of face masks for all staff and guests will be required. Free single-use masks are available at the Museum entrance for visitors who do not have one.
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.
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 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.
