Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum began as a non-profit, charitable foundation in 1983. While its original home was in Toronto, the Hall of Fame and Museum moved to its current location in St. Marys, in southwestern Ontario, in 1994, opening its doors to the public in 1998. One reason for the relocation was the St. Marys Cement Company's donation of 32 acres of land to the Hall of Fame.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is housed in a century-old building and honours individuals who left their mark on Canadian baseball. Inductees into the Hall of Fame include the Vancouver Asahi baseball team (inducted 2003), George "Twinkletoes" Selkirk of the New York Yankees (inducted 1983), and former prime minister Lester Pearson (inducted in 1983).

The museum contains artifacts from all over the world and displays many of them on a rotation basis, with approximately 33 percent of the collection on display at any one time. Permanent displays include a room dedicated to the Toronto Blue Jays and the Montreal Expos as well as a room dedicated to current and recent major league players who hail from Canada. Some of the items on display at the museum include a ball signed by the 1941 Philadelphia Athletics, including Canadian Hall of Famers Phil Marchildon and Dick Fowler; a replica of the uniform that the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League wore from 1943 to 1954; a Louisville Slugger bat-making display; and an antique catcher's mask.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open from May through mid-October, and the site regularly hosts events such as a Blue Jays clinic and a summer camp for kids.