Newport Sports Museum facts for kids
The Newport Sports Museum was a special place in Newport Beach, California, USA. It was like a treasure chest filled with amazing sports items! Sadly, this museum closed its doors in 2014.
Amazing Sports Treasures
Imagine a place with more than 10,000 cool sports items! The Newport Sports Museum had a huge collection. You could find things from many sports like football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and golf. They even had a special section for the Olympics! Some famous items included a baseball signed by Babe Ruth from his last home run. There was also a puck from Wayne Gretzky's 900th goal. Plus, they had hundreds of jerseys worn by famous athletes, all signed!
How the Museum Started
The Newport Sports Museum began with a young boy named John W. Hamilton. In 1953, when John was just 12 years old, he received a signed football. It was from the famous Look All-American Football Team. This gift sparked his love for collecting sports items. Over the years, John's collection grew very large. People said it was one of the biggest collections of sports memorabilia ever! In 1995, John Hamilton and some athletes decided to open a museum. They wanted to share these amazing items with everyone. The collection was kept in an office building in Newport Center. This building was owned by John, who worked in real estate.
Why the Museum Closed
John Hamilton announced that the museum would close in April 2014. This decision came after some valuable baseballs were taken from the museum. John also mentioned his health and the high costs of keeping the museum open as reasons. The building had another incident in May 2014. This happened just before many of the museum's items were going to be sold at an auction.
