South Williamsport welcomes the world each summer when the Little League World Series comes to town.
The World of Little League Museum tells the story year round.
"Yesterday we had some people in from Japan that were passing through, and Canadian visitors," museum director Adam Thompson said during an interview last week.
On Saturday, April 26, the museum on U.S. Route 15 will host its first open house since 2019, offering visitors free admission, tours of the entire Little League complex, and a chance to see new and updated exhibits interpreting league history.
"There's a little bit of everything in our museum," Thompson said. "I wouldn't say it's a children's museum. I would say it's for Little Leaguers of all ages."
The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A rich history
Little League Baseball was founded in Williamsport in 1939 by Carl E. Stotz, with 30 players and three teams.
"In the early years, it was kind of a local program for kids, children to play baseball, and throughout the years expanded," Thompson said.
The program began to expand after World War II, with the Little League World Series launching in 1947. Little League Headquarters — and the World Series — moved across the river to South Williamsport in 1959.
Today, the organization says, millions of children — ages 4 to 16 — play Little League on six continents.
Thompson is among the alumni.
"I think it was kind of a requirement in the town, as I was always joke," he said.
"I grew up actually, not too far away from the museum. So I used to come here when I was a child. I used to ride my bike to the League World Series quite a bit," Thompson said. "And so it's been a part of my life."
The museum was founded in 1982. Thompson has been associated with the Little League organization for 26 years.
"Not every Little Leaguer is going to go on to play professional baseball, and so I didn't have the skills to do that as I got older. But I kind of got into the business a little bit more behind the scenes," he said. "I really enjoyed baseball, growing up watching it, and I'm a history buff, so this job was kind of perfect for me."
Museum evolution
The museum has gone through updates and renovations over the years.
"This version of the museum really highlights and showcases aspects of the Little League program," Thompson said.
Various galleries highlight the early years, its international expansion, as well as the Little League Baseball and Softball World Series, with highlight reels from past tournaments.
"There also is an opportunity for both young players — and, I guess, older players — to see how fast they run they can pretend they're a catcher. There is an activity room for you to have a little bit of fun and kind of blow off some steam," Thompson said.
Visitors on Saturday can check out several new exhibits, including the Richard “Hank” Bauer Jr. Photo Exhibit in memory of the Newville, Pa. boy who hit a game-winning home run in the 1952 Pennsylvania State Tournament at the Original Little League Field in Williamsport.
There also are new murals, including one spotlighting Maria Pepe, who helped spearhead a movement in the 1970s that would lead to girls’ participation in Little League Baseball.
This year's open house also will feature a Babe Ruth baseball on temporary display from the museum's vault.
Thompson said there have been upgrades since the last open house in 2019, so past visitors will find new elements to discover.
"For folks who haven't been here in a couple of years, they can see the new updates. And if you have never been here at all, you everything will be new to you. So we're excited about that," he said.
Saturday tours, new flagship store
Self-guided walking and audio tours are available throughout the year, but Saturday's open house will include exclusive guided tours of the entire Little League International Complex at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., weather permitting.
The guided tours will include behind-the-scenes access to the Dr. Creighton J. Hale International Grove, Howard J. Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums, and more.
Interested visitors are asked to meet at the flag plaza next to the museum at least five minutes before a scheduled tour.
"It's an opportunity for people who are interested in Little League, who watch the Little League World Series on TV, to kind of get an up-close experience of different areas of the complex," Thompson said.
The complex also has a new flagship store, opened during last year's Little League World Series, and there will be giveaways going on throughout the day, he added.
'An exciting time'
The museum welcomes visitors all year, as noted, including field trip groups during the school year.
"So the museum is pretty alive during those months," Thompson said.
The lead-up to each summer's Little League World Series is an entirely different atmosphere. This year's Little League World Series is set for Aug. 13-24.
"You start to feel a little bit of that buzz in July, end of July, when you'll have regional tournaments," he said.
By the first week of August, as the series approaches, "it's an exciting time at the museum."
"In a few short days, you know, thousands and thousands of people from all over the world are going to be here," he said.
"The complex is alive, with people running around and really having a good time. And it's just fun watching people who it's their bucket list moment, you know, to come to the League World Series, so they're experiencing that, but then also seeing the players come here from all around the world, and they get to play on this beautiful field out back," Thompson said.
"It can be very long days and I don't get as much sleep. But at the same time, though, it's all worth it because it's such a fun event.
