Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center facts for kids
Entrance to the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center
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| Established | December 4, 1998 |
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| Location | 8 Yogi Berra Drive Little Falls, NJ 07424 |
| Architect | Terry H. Parker, AIA; Parker Associates |
The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center is a special place located at Montclair State University in Little Falls, New Jersey. It's a museum that celebrates the amazing life and baseball career of Yogi Berra. Yogi Berra was a famous baseball player for the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. He is even in the National Baseball Hall of Fame! The museum opened on December 4, 1998, and has many cool things from his career. It's right next to Yogi Berra Stadium.
The Museum's Story: How It Began
A group called "The Friends of Yogi Inc." helped raise money to build this museum. They collected about $2 million from donations! This money helped create a place to honor Yogi Berra. He played almost his whole Major League Baseball career for the New York Yankees.
The museum was built right next to Yogi Berra Stadium. This stadium is home to the New Jersey Jackals, a Minor League Baseball team. It also hosts the Montclair State Red Hawks baseball team. The museum was officially opened in October 1998. Other famous baseball players like Ted Williams and Larry Doby were there. It opened its doors to everyone on December 4, 1998.
In 2010, the museum got a new look thanks to IKON 5 Architects. A sculptor named Brian Hanlon also created a statue of Yogi Berra. You can see it in front of the museum.
Yogi Berra had a disagreement with the Yankees' owner, George Steinbrenner, for many years. This started when Steinbrenner fired him from coaching in 1985. Yogi Berra then stopped going to Yankees events. But in January 1999, they made up at the Yogi Berra Museum.
Yogi Berra often visited the museum himself. He would sign autographs, talk to visitors, and attend special events. He really wanted to teach kids important values. These values included good sportsmanship and dedication, both in sports and in life.
In 2014, some thieves broke into the museum. They stole a few special items that belonged to Yogi Berra.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The museum has many cool items from Yogi Berra's career. You can see his baseball cards and a jacket he wore. He wore this jacket when he threw out the first pitch at a World Series game in 2009. The museum also has two of his MLB MVP awards. These awards are given to the best players. You can also see all 10 of his World Series rings! He won these rings as a player. After Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner made up, the Yankees even loaned the Commissioner's Trophy from the 1998 World Series to the museum.
In 2013, the museum worked with Athlete Ally to create a special exhibit. It's called "Championing Respect." This exhibit helps show support for all athletes, including LGBT athletes, in sports. In 2014, another exhibit celebrated 75 years since Lou Gehrig's famous farewell speech.
Learning and Fun at the Museum
The museum offers many programs for schools and the public. These programs cover different parts of sports and society. They have guided tours for school groups and educational programs. They also offer special presentations about anti-bullying and sportsmanship. The museum works with Montclair State University on programs that look at current topics in media and sports.
To promote respect and good sportsmanship, the museum started an award program. It's called the Best Teammate Award. This program recognizes student-athletes who show great leadership. It began in 2013 with Investors Bank and the Super Essex Conference.
The museum also has fun summer camps. These include youth baseball and softball camps.
