With a solitary flagpole, a lone traffic light, and a central boulevard called Main Street, Cooperstown seems an unlikely place to honor a game that attracts more than 60 million spectators per year to ballparks from Boston to San Diego.

Devoid of both commercialism and street litter, the town of five square blocks contains many homes and structures built in the last century or earlier. Artifacts abound in the Fenimore Art Museum, built in 1932, and the Farmer’s Museum, a re-creation of a New York state farmer’s life 150 years ago. But neither carries the instant appeal or name recognition of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

New museum, same stirring emotions

The museum first opened in 1939 and recently finalized a three-year, $20 million renovation. McCarthy Building Companies of St. Louis, Mo., were the general contractors. A rededication ceremony will be at 1 p.m. on July 29 as part of the busy Hall of Fame Induction Weekend (July 29–Aug. 1).

Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey said the museum has a completely new look and feel. “This is by far the most sweeping renovation in our history,” he said.

Fourteen new exhibit and program spaces are the highlight of the renovation. All will be open in time for the induction weekend, when tens of thousands of fans, players and media come to Cooperstown.

Throughout the museum, rare photos and displays of artifacts, accompanied by concise explanations, whisk viewers through a time tunnel from the pre-Civil War “sandlot” period to the post-World War II era of integration, expansion, divisional playoffs, and inter-league play.

There’s a definite ballpark flavor—all that’s missing is the smell of popcorn, the long lines at the hot dog stand, and the post-game stampede to the parking lot.

The best way to begin the journey through baseball history is to mingle with the more than 250 plaques in the Hall of Fame Plaques Gallery, located on the first floor. They honor former major-league players, pioneers and executives, Negro Leaguers, managers and umpires. Among them are the Hall of Fame’s only father-and-son combination–executives Larry and Lee MacPhail–and until recently (Barry Bonds), the only men to top 700 career homers, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

Larger-than-life displays tell the poignant stories of players like Ralph Branca, who felt utter dejection after yielding Bobby Thomson’s pennant-winning homer; the frustration of Pittsburgh Pirate Harvey Haddix, perfect for 12 innings but a loser in the 13th; and the heartbreak of players and fans as the Dodgers left Ebbets Field for the last time.

In the new exhibit about ballparks, “Sacred Ground,” see the original Ebbets Field cornerstone, as well as more than 200 other artifacts. The exhibit is on the third floor.

There are artifacts from the St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators and Seattle Pilots at Cooperstown. Oddities such as a satin jersey worn by the 1948 Boston Braves (to improve visibility in night games), the green hat worn by the Cincinnati Reds on St. Patrick’s Day and the short pants modeled briefly by Bill Veeck’s Chicago White Sox are a part of the museum.

In “Autumn Glory: A Postseason Celebration,” World Series heroes are honored, along with stars and teams of today. The exhibit is on the third floor.

A museum and much more

The big names are found throughout the museum’s three floors: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and especially Babe Ruth. Displays are so realistic that one can almost imagine the terror of an enemy infielder as the thunder of Ty Cobb’s footsteps warned of an impending invasion of flashing spikes.

There’s even a special exhibit called “Women in Baseball,” detailing the contributions of female executives, journalists and players (including Lavonne “Pepper” Paire, the real-life inspiration for the Geena Davis character in “A League Of Their Own”). The exhibit is on the second floor.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum–even in its renovated glory–is more than just a baseball museum; it’s a shrine to American history.

Dan Schlossberg is a traveler writer from Fairlawn, N.J. This story originally was published in the “North Jersey Traveler.”