New Museum Store doubles the retail space at Hall of Fame

Written by: Bill Francis

2026-05-11

Fans of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum now have another reason to make a trip to Cooperstown thanks to a new Museum Store that enhances the shopping experience.

On Saturday, May 9 – with spring flowers blooming and baseball’s pennant races beginning to heat up – the Hall of Fame held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest addition.

“We’re thrilled to introduce the new Museum Store and, with it, a dynamic new experience on Main Street,” said Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark, who took part in the ribbon cutting. “With design elements that will evolve and change throughout the baseball season and the year, this space will always offer something fresh, engaging and fun.”

Group of dignitaries cuts red, white and blue ribbon at Museum Store — *Hall of Fame Board Chairman Jane Forbes Clark, center, cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Museum Store. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)*

Presented in the shape of a baseball diamond – complete with basepaths and a dugout – the new Museum Store offers a wider variety of product, greatly broadening the selection of headwear, women’s apparel, youth apparel and collectibles to support the Museum’s mission.

“The Village of Cooperstown is so fortunate to have the Baseball Hall of Fame contributing to the economic success of our Main Street,” said Ellen R. Tillapaugh, the mayor of Cooperstown. “Their beautiful renovation of the previously vacant Newberry’s building is an incredible benefit to our village.”

Among the Museum Store’s highlights are a front-facing entrance on Cooperstown’s Main Street as well as access through the Museum itself. The retail space, which more than doubles that of the previous location, also features a train theme, which harkens back to the historical connection between baseball and rail travel.

“I think it’s going to be a gamechanger for downtown Cooperstown,” said longtime Cooperstown resident Jason Tabor. “It blends in so well with the architecture of the Hall of Fame and downtown Cooperstown. I grew up here when this was Newberry’s, so this was much needed.”

United States flag wall art in Museum Store — Red, white and blue elements adorn the walls of the new Museum Store, which includes access both through the Hall of Fame and a front-facing entrance on Cooperstown’s Main Street. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)

Prior to the ribbon cutting, Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch spoke to the several hundred dignitaries and visitors attending the festivities.

“On behalf of our board chairman, Jane Forbes Clark, and all of us here at the Hall of Fame,” he began, “we are very excited to have you here on this very special day.”

After recognizing those in attendance, including local politicians, members of the project team, and Hall of Fame staff intimately involved, Rawitch explained the two elevated model trains that circle the infield and perimeter of the store, evoking the era when teams traveled by rail for spring training and road trips.

“A huge thank you goes to Jane Forbes Clark, whose vision it was for this entire train setup that you’re seeing,” he said. “It truly differentiates us from probably any other place you’re ever going to get to visit.”

One train’s cars represent each of the 12 teams that made the postseason in Major League Baseball last year, beginning with the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers and followed by the American League’s Toronto Blue Jays.

The other train shows a history of teams that used train travel such as the Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns and New York Giants, the Homestead Grays of the Negro League, and the Rockford Peaches of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Model train passes in front of split-flap display board — With two split-flap display boards and a pair of model train sets, the Museum Store pays tribute to the history of baseball and rail travel. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)

“This project would not have been possible without the help of the New York State Council on the Arts. They gave us an incredible grant for this. And we want to thank the governor and the New York State Legislature for recognizing how important not only the Museum and this new store are to the Main Street beauty of Cooperstown,” Rawitch said. “Hopefully this store will beautify our town for decades to come.”

Cassandra Majestic, President & CEO of Destination Marketing Corporation, Otsego County’s Tourism Promotion Agency, said: “More than just a store, this is a new engine for our visitor economy. By pulling the energy of the Museum directly onto the sidewalk, it creates a natural invitation for fans to keep walking and discover the local gems that define our village. It gives guests one more reason to park the car, hit the pavement, and explore everything our small business community has to offer.”

This Museum Store project was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and support from the Clark Foundation and the Scriven Foundation. Hall of Fame partners in the construction project include Canopy Team, DAIQ Architects, Eastman Associates, Younts Design, WSP USA, Howe Engineers, Wil-Spec Architectural and Matco Electric.

Bill Francis is the senior research and writing specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum