Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory facts for kids

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

The World's Largest Baseball Bat stands outside of the museum entrance
Established	1996
Location	800 West Main Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Visitors	326,595 (2017)

The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is an exciting place in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a museum and a factory where you can learn all about famous Louisville Slugger baseball bats. These bats have been a huge part of baseball and American history for over a hundred years! The museum is located in "Museum Row" in downtown Louisville. It also features fun, temporary exhibits about pop culture, sometimes working with places like the Norman Rockwell Museum or Ripley's Believe It or Not!.

The building is also home to the main offices for Hillerich & Bradsby (H&B), the company that makes the bats. Even though Wilson Sporting Goods bought the Louisville Slugger brand in 2015, the Hillerich family still owns the museum and bat factory.

Discover the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

A Bat-Making Journey Through Time

A bat used by baseball legend Babe Ruth in 1927, on display at the museum.

The Louisville Slugger bats have been made in four different places over the years. The very first shop was on South First Street in Louisville. A cool story says that J. A. "Bud" Hillerich, who was only 17, made a bat for a baseball star named Pete Browning in July 1884. Pete had broken his bat during a game. The next day, Pete used Bud's new bat and got three hits! That's how the legend of Louisville Slugger began.

In 1901, the factory moved to a new spot and stayed there until 1974. For a while, from 1974 to 1996, the bats were actually made in Jeffersonville, Indiana, just across the Ohio River.

In the early 1990s, the CEO, John A. "Jack" Hillerich III, wanted to bring the factory back to Louisville. He wanted the factory and the offices to be in the same place. He also wanted to create a special spot where people could visit and learn about the Louisville Slugger brand. They picked an old tobacco warehouse at 8th and Main Streets. After a lot of work, the Museum & Factory opened in July 1996. Many famous baseball players, like Ted Williams and Stan Musial, came to the opening party!

The museum has been updated several times, including big renovations in 2008 and 2023. More and more people visit each year! In 2017, over 326,000 visitors came to see the museum.

The museum also has a "Mobile Museum" that travels around the country. It lets people see how bats used to be made and even hold bats used by famous players. It visits baseball stadiums and fan events, bringing the history of Louisville Slugger to fans everywhere.

What You'll Experience at the Museum

Amazing Attractions to See

The Signature Wall at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Honus Wagner was the first player to sign a promotional contract with Hillerich & Bradsby in 1905.

When you visit the museum, you'll find many awesome things to see and do:

• World's Largest Baseball Bat: This giant bat is 120 feet tall and weighs 68,000 pounds! It holds a Guinness World Records title.
• Signature Wall: In the entrance area, you'll see a huge wooden wall covered with signatures. These are the signatures of every player who has had a contract with Louisville Slugger.
• Museum Gallery: This area has lots of cool exhibits that teach you about bats and baseball history.
• Factory Tour: You can take a tour to see how the famous Louisville Slugger bats are made right before your eyes.
• Bat Vault: Get a peek into a special room where all the different Louisville Slugger bat models are kept. You can even hold copies of some famous bats!
• Batting Cages: Step into the batting cages and try swinging with historic bat models or the newest Louisville Slugger bats.
• Museum Store: Before you leave, check out the gift store for Louisville Slugger items, baseball souvenirs, and even personalized bats.

Interactive Museum Fun

In 2006, Louisville Slugger started making pink bats for Mother's Day.

The museum has many interactive exhibits that make learning fun:

• History of the Bat: Learn the amazing story of how 17-year-old Bud Hillerich made the first Louisville Slugger bat for Pete Browning.
• Hold a Piece of History: This is a unique chance to hold real game-used bats from Hall of Fame players like Babe Ruth, Johnny Bench, and Ken Griffey Jr.. You can also hold bats used by players from all 30 MLB teams.
• Player's Choice: See displays of bats used by today's top MLB players and learn about the latest bat designs.
• Feel the Heat: Experience what it's like to face a baseball thrown at 90 miles per hour!
• Old-Time Bat Making Demonstrations: Watch skilled workers show how bats were made by hand using a special machine called a lathe.
• Burn-Brander: See how the Louisville Slugger logo and player names are burned onto the bats.

Meet the Baseball Statues

The museum has amazing, lifelike statues of baseball legends. These statues are made from fiberglass with steel supports and silicone skin to look very real. You can see statues of players like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Hank Aaron.

See Bats Being Made

The factory tour is a highlight of the museum! You'll go through five different stops to see how the famous Louisville Slugger bats are created. The tour usually takes about 30 minutes. Even on evenings, weekends, and holidays, you'll still see bats being made. Plus, every visitor gets a free mini-bat at the end of the tour!

In 2015, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory was even named one of the most beautiful factories in the world.

Honoring Baseball's Best

Since 2007, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory has given out a special "Living Legend" Award. This award honors baseball players who are considered true legends of the game.

List of Living Legend Award recipients

See also

• History of Louisville, Kentucky
• List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
• List of museums in the Louisville metropolitan area