Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Louisville, KY

Sure to be a hit – for baseball fans young and old

by Carrie Daut | July 18, 2011

You can’t miss it. At six stories tall, the world’s largest baseball bat sticks out like a sore thumb (a beautiful, bright, polished sore thumb) along downtown Louisville’s Main Street. It’s an iconic landmark the entire family will notice, and it leads you straight to a must-see Louisville site: the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.

The very first Louisville Slugger wooden baseball bat was made in 1884, and 127 years later, that very same Louisville-based company continues to produce the official bat of major league baseball. The museum opened in 1996, and since then over 3 million visitors from around the world have flocked to Louisville for a piece of sports history.

Young fans will enjoy climbing over and through the museum’s giant baseball glove sculpture – 12 feet wide and 4 feet high. Little leaguers can step into the batting cages and try their swing at a 90-mph fastball. And Dad can pick up an actual bat used by Mickey Mantle, or Derek Jeter, or Babe Ruth during his 1927 60-home-run season.

The whole family will enjoy the factory tour, where visitors watch simple blocks of wood transform into custom-ordered bats for today’s most famous players. (These guided tours run daily, throughout the day. They last about 30 minutes, and the last factory tour leaves 1 hour before museum closing.) Each person receives a miniature souvenir Slugger bat at the end of the tour.

And of course, before leaving, fans can stop by the museum’s gift shop for personalized bats and other souvenirs. In total, plan to allow at least two hours for your entire museum/factory visit.

(Insider Tip: Now through August 14, 2011, a special Norman Rockwell: Sports art exhibit is also on display. Admission included with admission to museum/factory.)

The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is open Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. (Insider Tip: From July to mid-August, the museum stays open an hour later, until 6 p.m.) Admission prices are: $10 (adults), $9 (seniors 60+), $5 (kids 6-12) and free for children under age 5.

The museum/factory is located at 800 West Main Street, with a 5-floor parking garage directly behind the building. Metered street parking is also available (free on Sundays). For questions or more information, visit sluggermuseum.org or call 1-877-7-SLUGGER.