Add some holiday baseball fun with a quick trip to Cooperstown

Finding “holiday week” activities that the whole family will enjoy can sometimes be a drag. Outdoor recreation is often limited by difficult-to-plan weather conditions, while other options are either too remote or too expensive. Capital Region baseball fans have a gem in their own backyard and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is the perfect time to enjoy it.

Cooperstown, New York is the city of baseball. Anchored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the small town located one hour and twenty minutes from downtown Albany is a baseball fan’s dream. From the many baseball souvenir shops to the various national pastime themed restaurants, the city itself will put a smile on the face of Yankees, Mets and Red Sox fans. Special holiday gifts can be found, from engraved baseball bats to almost every baseball card ever printed or a never-worn MLB hat you can buy at a store on Main Street in Cooperstown.

However, the real highlight of the “birthplace of baseball” is the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Monday on The Drive with Hall Chairman Charlie & Dan, Josh Rawitch spoke about the various exhibits currently on display, including a full display of baseball cards, which is sure to send shivers down the spine of any collector. Rawitch, also explained that the winter season is a fantastic time to enjoy the museum without the influx of summer people to the area.

If you or a family member are a baseball fan and haven’t visited Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame, make your plans today. The museum is far from boring, even for non-baseball fans. Colorful exhibits and artifacts paint the game’s history across three floors, highlighted by the prestigious Hall of Plaques. It’s a cool trip and you won’t be disappointed. You can go to baseballhall.org to buy your tickets in advance. Stop saying you have to go out, enjoy it while it’s cold and warm up with some baseball!